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Congress Plaza Hotel

4.9 out of 5 rating 9 reviews
Chicago, IL
Congress Plaza Hotel
Congress Plaza Hotel
The L
The L
Happiness
Happiness
Cake topper
Cake topper
Setup
Setup
Sweet Table
Sweet Table
Peacock Alley
Peacock Alley
Kiss
Kiss
Gold Ballroom Ceremony
Gold Ballroom Ceremony
Details
Details
First Dance
First Dance
Details
Details
Dancing Away!
Dancing Away!
Rooftop
Rooftop
Grant Park View
Grant Park View
First Dance
First Dance
Balcony
Balcony
Grant Park View
Grant Park View
Florentine Ceremony
Florentine Ceremony
Details
Details
Cake
Cake
Cake
Cake
Bride
Bride
Bride
Bride
Grant Park View
Grant Park View
Gold Ballroom
Gold Ballroom
Balcony Kiss
Balcony Kiss
Just Married!
Just Married!
Wedding Party
Wedding Party
First Dance
First Dance
In the spotlight
In the spotlight
Rooftop
Rooftop
Cheers!
Cheers!

Interested in this vendor?

Gold Ballroom
1/33
1 video
From 50 to 300 guests
Ceremony/Reception
Indoor
Get Ready Rooms
4.9
Excellent

"Obviously, the ballroom is GORGEOUS. I guarantee you will not find a single venue as classy,..."

— Rustin

"Where do we begin to try to put in to words how much we loved our Cocktail Hour and Reception in the..."

— Cathleen

Why couples loved this venue

  • Unique aesthetic style
  • Guests comfort
  • Amenities
Teandra
mcropp84
R
C
U

Recommended by 97% of couples

About this venue

Congress Plaza Hotel is a modern hotel wedding venue located in Chicago, Illinois. This historic landmark is situated near Grant Park and offers stunning views of Lake Michigan. This hotel has played host to many notable individuals such as foreign dignitaries, celebrities, and select presidents of the United States. From the moment they step in, couples and their guests will be able to enjoy an opulent atmosphere. The lobby boasts marble features and chandeliers, while the carefully curated suites invite overnight guests to enjoy a relaxing and rejuvenating stay. Each room is appointed with a plethora of amenities, ensuring that clients are well taken care of. For events, couples and their guests will be able to enjoy the gorgeous Gold Room, which emanates a rich, welcoming ambiance.

Facilities and Capacity

Congress Plaza Hotel is an enduring historic location that features versatile event room options for betrothed couples to choose from. There are 23 stunning areas that are available for various occasions. The famous Gold Room is able to accommodate up to 400 guests for an elegant and formal occasion. When booking this room, couples will also have the option of using the Rendezvous Space for a cocktail hour. Meanwhile, the Florentine Room is suitable for slightly smaller celebrations, allowing a capacity of up to 300 individuals for ceremonies and 180 for receptions. Smaller rooms such as the Francis, Belmont, or Plaza rooms are also offered, all of which have a beautiful view of the city skyline.

Services Offered

Congress Plaza Hotel offers a selection of services for couples who book their wedding in one of the aforementioned event spaces. Couples will avail of assistance with wedding planning, complimentary menu and cake tastings, full catering solutions, dietary restriction-friendly dishes, and discounted group rates. Should prospective clients have further inquiries, they are encouraged to reach out to the wedding team at the venue.

Location

This hotel is located just off South Michigan Avenue, across from East Congress Plaza Drive. The Van Buren Street train stop is a few minutes away on foot, and the Harrison metro stop is five minutes to the west of the event space. The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University is nestled across the street, as is the Fine Arts Building.

Features

Small team (2-10 members)

Experience

  • 133 years in business

  • We speak English, French and Spanish

Links

Visit website

FAQ

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$25,000

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$6,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$1,200

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$1,000

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Chairs
China
Clean Up
Event Planning
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Set Up
Tables

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Cake Cutting
Server(s)
Wedding Cake

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$65

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

50

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

9

Describe your venue:

Ballroom
Banquet Hall
Historic Building
Hotel

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Accommodations
Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Planner
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Liability Insurance
Outside Vendors
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Family Style
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Centerpieces
Chairs
Dance Floor
Drapery
Furniture
Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Chocolate Fountain
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Valet
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
November
December

Still have questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Wedding couple

Reviews of Congress Plaza Hotel

Write a review
Write a review
Congress Plaza Hotel - 1
Congress Plaza Hotel - 2
Congress Plaza Hotel - 3
Weddingwire
4.9/5 9 reviews
Google
3.7/5 7843 reviews
R
Rustin Sent on 09/03/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible venue and staff in every way--magical!

Obviously, the ballroom is GORGEOUS. I guarantee you will not find a single venue as classy, artistic, memorable, historic, and just beautiful anywhere else in the Chicagoland area, ESPECIALLY not for such a great price! The food was also some of the most delicious banquet food I've ever had! Staff was all excellent, from the wait staff and chef, to Karen the coordinator for rooms and other things you might need, to the security guards even. But of course our wedding coordinator, Ruthie, was the highlight of the show. She answered calls and texts at every hour of every day and made sure that we were taken care of always! Ruthie went above and beyond so many times--from finding little decorations to help make our day look even nicer, to coordinating with all the staff and making sure every little request was granted. She acted as our day-of coordinator, too, staying until the early hours of the morning to make sure we were 1000% taken care of, even though I'm sure that is NOT in her job description! Thank you, Ruthie for everything you've done to make our day so special! And thank you to the entire Congress Plaza staff for a drop-dead gorgeous wedding venue and friendly, helpful attitudes that made our wedding one that I'm sure nobody will stop talking about for years!
C
Cathleen Sent on 08/22/2018
5 out of 5 rating
Where do we begin to try to put in to words how much we loved our Cocktail Hour and Reception in the historic and exquisite Gold Room. Ruthie Howard and her amazing team handled everything down to the last detail with precision! The hotel was the perfect location for our guests to stay, and our "downtown" wedding could not have been more beautiful. We highly recommend The Congress Plaza Hotel for your event. Our wedding was compared to a Royal Wedding time and again and we felt like royalty enjoying this spectacular location with amazing views and the ornate history and granduer of our amazing city surrounding us. Ruthie,we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our weekend spent in your beautiful hotel ( Suite 400!! Incredible!!!) and the reception in the Gold Room will never be forgotten. BRAVO!!! A JOB VERY WELL DONE!!!
U
User1876265 Sent on 10/20/2014
5 out of 5 rating
The best wedding venue in Chicago. Ashleigh, out hotel wedding coordinator was amazing, and always responsive. Little things are always going to pop up in the planning and execution of a wedding, and she took care of every detail quickly and efficiently. The wedding day went off without a hitch. The food was excellent, service amazing, and the beauty of the Gold Room is indescribable. The guest rooms were completely satisfactory, clean, roomy, and the housekeeping staff bent over backwards for our requests. We didn't want the weekend to end, it was magical.
A
Ashley Sent on 01/16/2013
5 out of 5 rating
Debra Sample was our wedding coordinator who was the best! She was our go-to for everything. She answered all of our questions in a timely manner. We had our ceremony in the Florentine Room and our reception in the Gold Room. Both rooms looked amazing. The food was great. If we wanted to change something in our package, she was great. My in-laws are from out town and they emailed her with questions about the rehearsal dinner. She was extremely friendly and receptive to them as well. I cannot say enough good things about her. She reassured everyone that everything would go off without a hitch and it did. We had a sundae bar. My mom and I cannot have ice cream so she had an assistant go out and get us frozen yogurt. A guest at our wedding had a stroke and she handled it with such ease that half of our guests didn't even know that that happened during dinner. She was amazing. The rooms were amazing. It has the elegant feel of the old hotels without the gigantic price tag.
Teandra
Teandra Sent on 01/05/2020
4.8 out of 5 rating

Loved it, would recommend it, good value

Me and the girls got ready here and absolutely loved it. The room was big, great lighting for the photographer and the staff was amazing and responsive. Worth the price
L
Lynn Sent on 09/28/2018
4.8 out of 5 rating
We had a beautiful wedding for our daughter at the Congress Plaza Hotel. They were great to work with and helped us to plan a perfect reception. The room was lovely, the food was delicious and they were responsive when we had concerns. Our guests were blown away by how amazing the venue was! We especially loved working with Ruthie, Michelle and Senorina!
  • Congress Plaza Hotel - 4
R
Richard Sent on 12/12/2016
4.8 out of 5 rating
My wife and I held our wedding reception in the Gold Room at the Congress Plaza Hotel, and it is a truly spectacular location. The hotel itself dates from the 1920s, but they've recently been updating some of the rooms, and the ones our guests stayed in were very comfortable. Our wedding booking also included usage of the bridal suite, which was spacious and gorgeous, with views across to the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.

Our main contact throughout the process was Ruthie Howard, the hotel’s Catering Manager. Ruthie put together a wonderful reception, ably assisted by her team (we were especially grateful to Frank, who was in charge of the service during dinner and attended to our every need).

Ruthie has a very laid-back style of organisation, compared to other vendors that we worked with, but there was no cause for alarm as she was on top of all the details, including viewing the Gold Room, arranging the food tasting and the menus / drink package, as well as co-ordinating with our other vendors on the day.

The food itself was excellent. We were able to attend a tasting in advance, and offer a choice of dishes to our guests (with allowances made for vegetarian and gluten-free requirements). Having attended some weddings ourselves where mass-cooked food can be mediocre, we felt the taste and quality at the Congress Plaza was a definite step up, and comments from our guests agreed. The hotel also offers a tiered system of wine/bar packages, allowing flexibility according to budget.

The Gold Room was set up in advance of the event, allowing us time to come in with the florist to drop off centrepieces and wedding favours on the morning, and this made things easier.

We had a relatively large event (170+ people), and the Congress Plaza ensured that a complicated operation ran smoothly. Together with the beautiful surroundings of the Gold Room, our guests thoroughly enjoyed the evening, and we're very happy to recommend this venue to future couples.
mcropp84
Melissa Sent on 04/14/2016
4.8 out of 5 rating
Great place to stay. Made my Honeymoon stay absolutely great!
K
Kelly Sent on 08/21/2018
4.6 out of 5 rating
Our wedding last year was so memorable and went off without a hitch, thanks to Congress Plaza Hotel. The Gold Room is absolutely stunning and we received SO many compliments from our guests on how beautiful it was.

The service the day-of was also so impressive and appreciated as the staff did everything I expected and more. Leading up to the wedding, we did run into some hiccups where the coordinators were sometimes slow to respond and our coordinators changed once or twice during the time we were planning our wedding. Other than that though, they did a commendable job in organizing our tasting and following my directions for the day-of.

The food was great and the cake (provided by The Baking Institute - included in all packages) was even better! Our guests left feeling happy and satisfied. We also decided to have late night snacks and a brunch the next day to fulfill our food and beverage minimum and it was the best thing we could have done. Our guests raved about the breakfast the next morning too and it gave everyone a chance to spend more time together.

The Congress is great too because our guests headed to the bar inside of the hotel after the wedding reception was over to continue the party! Overall, I am extremely glad that we had our wedding reception at Congress Plaza Hotel and have nothing but good things to say about my experience!!
  • Congress Plaza Hotel - 5
  • Congress Plaza Hotel - 6
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Congress Plaza Hotel frequently asked questions

Congress Plaza Hotel includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Chairs
  • China
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planning
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
  • Set Up
  • Tables
Congress Plaza Hotel includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Cake Cutting
  • Server(s)
  • Wedding Cake
The bar service starting price at Congress Plaza Hotel includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Champagne Toast
  • House Beer
  • House Liquor
  • House Wine
  • Open Bar
  • Premium Liquor
  • Signature Drink
  • Specialty Beer
  • Specialty Wine
The space offered by Congress Plaza Hotel for wedding events is known for:
  • Ballroom
  • Banquet Hall
  • Historic Building
  • Hotel
Congress Plaza Hotel offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
Congress Plaza Hotel offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Congress Plaza Hotel offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Accommodations
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planner
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Liability Insurance
  • Outside Vendors
  • Wifi
Congress Plaza Hotel offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Centerpieces
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Drapery
  • Furniture
  • Tables
Congress Plaza Hotel is recommended by 97% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in quality of service, 4.9 in flexibility, 4.9 in value, 4.8 in professionalism and 4.7 in average response time.
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