El Cortez Don Room and Terrace is a vintage wedding venue in San Diego, California. This elegant, historic venue has been around since 1927, and has been carefully restored to be the perfect location for hosting special events and weddings. With gorgeous 24-karat carved ceilings and beautiful mica glass chandeliers, this venue is sure to impress your guests and leave a lasting impression.
Facilities and Capacity
El Cortez Don Room and Terrace combines an intimate indoor space with 10,000 square feet of outdoor patio space, an urban fireplace, and a fountain. The maximum capacity for this venue is 500 people.
Services Offered
The professional staff at El Cortez Don Room and Terrace can provide excellent personalized event planning services, to give you your dream wedding. There are event rentals available to bring together all of the finishing touches. There is also the option for lighting/sound assistance, as well as help with the setup and cleanup of the event.
Recommended by 95% of couples
7 User photos
Martha · Married on 10/03/2015
This was an absolutely gorgeous place for my daughter's destination wedding in October. The ballroom did not require much decoration, in fact less is better. We had tall, all white, flower arrangements as centerpieces, which was perfect for the high dark/gold beautifully carved ceilings.
The staff was wonderful. Jessica Beiringer from sales, was quick to answer any questions and provided EXCELLENT service whenever we called her. The "day of" staff were very friendly and everything ran smoothly.
It was a beautiful warm day and evening, so having such a large outside terrace for our guests to enjoy was wonderful. You must use their preferred caterers, but they were also great to work with. We used Abbey Catering (which is yet another good review to be written about them). Chairs and tables must be booked through Tavolo Chaise and we had Best Beverage Catering for the drinks. Again, excellent company to work with. They provided 2 bartenders for over 225 guests, so they were kept busy, but they kept on smiling to the end.
The venue is downtown, but parking was not an issue as we made arrangments with The Holiday Inn Express (which is directly across the street) They were able to provide parking to our guests for $8 (a great price for downtown)
We went over budget on the overall wedding, but I am very happy we took the leap and chose The Don Room. It was money well spent and every penny worth it. My daughter and her husband couldn't have been happier. Our guests are still talking about the day and how much they enjoyed themselves at such a beautiful location.
Emelyn · Married on 10/06/2018
THIS WAS THE BEST NIGHT! EVER!
My husband and I married here this past weekend (10/6/18) and it completely blew away our expectations. We wanted a venue that was in downtown San Diego, had some city vibes, some romantic vibes, and could comfortably fit 200 people. I cannot believe I almost overlooked this venue. The moment we set foot in the Don Room we knew it was perfect. Then we stepped out onto the patio, turned around and pretty much immediately signed the paperwork.
Jessica is absolutely incredible. We hired her as our day of coordinator and NOT ONE thing went wrong on Saturday. Everything ran so smoothly, it was seamless. She was so accommodating, always presenting multiple options and solutions to any obstacle, she is a pro.
We had multiple people tell us this was the "best wedding they've ever attended" (we agree... in our humble, unbiased opinion).
105% recommend. If we could relive this night we absolutely would, and we would not change ONE thing. Thank you!
Maya Bethke · Married on 09/22/2018
Magical wedding💚💛💜💝
Probably I am the Happiest Bride ever.. My wedding was magical at El Cortez! It’s really beautiful venue with a great vibes. Since the minute I arrive for the very first time, I immediately felt that this place is very special.
I loved round dance floor and a lot of space. all tables are in the perfect circle, and all the guest could see each other. I immediately imagined my wedding decorations around and I felt in LOVE!!! The second time I felt in Love when I stepped outside and seen a terrace.
Jessica, my wedding coordinator was a delight. So professional, kind and so attentive to all my requests. It was the biggest pleasure to work with her and her team.
We got hundreds of compliments for the venue. All our guests were enjoying such a unique and gorgeous atmosphere.
Highly recommended!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
16 Endorsements
Incredible wedding venue!
Incredible venue for weddings!
The El Cortez Don Room is elegant, sophisticated and rich with San Diego history. The Don room is a beautiful and unforgettable wedding venue. Go check it out!
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