An Unforgettable Experience at The Hawthorne Hotel
We had the most wonderful experience hosting our rehearsal dinner, welcome reception, and farewell brunch at The Hawthorne Hotel, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with our choice! From start to finish, every aspect of the service, food, and ambiance was absolutely perfect. The hotel’s vintage charm was exactly what we envisioned for our wedding weekend, and it provided the perfect setting for all of our events.
The food was a highlight of our weekend. At the rehearsal dinner, we had the Chicken Milanese entrée, which was a huge hit with our guests. So many people mentioned how much they loved it, and the entire meal was delicious and beautifully presented. The service throughout all of our events was impeccable, and the wait staff was friendly and attentive, making everyone feel welcome and cared for.
One of the things we loved most about the Hawthorne Hotel was how perfectly it fit our aesthetic for the wedding weekend. The vintage character of the hotel gave everything a timeless, elegant feel, and it was the ideal backdrop for our celebrations, even though our wedding and reception were off-site.
We absolutely adored the hotel’s library space, which hosted our farewell brunch. The cozy, intimate atmosphere made it the perfect spot for a relaxed and meaningful gathering with our closest family and friends. The space was beautifully decorated, and it truly set the tone for a lovely, laid-back morning after the big day.
Our hotel suite was equally impressive. It was spacious, comfortable, and the perfect place to unwind after a busy weekend. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and we both enjoyed a restful night’s sleep. It was a great retreat for us during such a busy time and offered everything we needed for a relaxing and enjoyable stay.
A huge thank you to our amazing events coordinator, Beth Pasquarello. Beth was an absolute gem throughout the entire process. She was incredibly responsive, helpful, honest, and caring. We never felt out of the loop, and she was always there to offer advice and solutions. One great example of her attention to detail was when she helped us secure a microphone for the rehearsal dinner, ensuring everything went smoothly. Her professionalism and personal touch made the entire experience so much easier and stress-free.
If you’re looking for a beautiful, historic venue with fantastic service, delicious food, and a truly memorable atmosphere, we highly recommend The Hawthorne Hotel. Thank you again for making our weekend so special!

Getting married at the Hawthorne Hotel was a dream from start to finish! The ballroom is a gorgeous location for a winter wedding and the venue and hotel staff were nothing but kind and professional throughout the process. We had a great experience with Karen as our coordinator and she made sure every detail of our day was executed just how we wanted. Our friends and family also loved the experience and ease of staying at the same place as the wedding venue. We ended up doing our welcome party at another location in Salem because we wanted our guests to explore more of the city but after seeing how organized and wonderful events are at Hawthorne I wish we had done more pre-wedding events here. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments about the food served and it was an amazing value in my opinion, especially when you consider how much is included in the wedding package. I never thought I would end up going the all-inclusive package route and was planning a more DIY wedding, but because Hawthorne was so reasonable we ended up with the most INCREDIBLE florist & wedding cake vendors. They don’t require you to use their preferred DJ/bands but we ended up going with one of them and it was one of the best vendors we worked with. It seemed like everything kind of fell into place with our wedding planning after we booked the Hawthorne, and my husband and I are so happy we made the decision to have our wedding there.

Our wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel was absolutely amazing! I cannot recommend this venue enough. The packages they offer are excellent and the team is top notch! Christine was an amazing coordinator, helping us throughout the year leading up to the wedding to answer questions, make suggestions, provide options, and ensure us that the day would go smoothly. The week before the wedding, we dropped off all our items (signs, favors, table decor, etc.) and did a walk through on every part of the day from getting ready to the close of the reception. We walked through all our items and she made sure to understand the setup/vision we wanted. The day of ran so smoothly with Christine and Elena checking in periodically but otherwise seamlessly running the day so my husband and I could enjoy. People could not stop talking about how beautiful the venue was, how amazing the food was, and how much fun they had!

I got married on 9/23/23 and if I could give the Hawthorne 100 stars I would! This gorgeous hotel was the absolute perfect venue for our wedding weekend. I held my rehearsal dinner, Chinese tea ceremony, cocktail/reception, and farewell brunch there and all the events turned out perfect. We received so many compliments from our guests raving about how delicious the food was, to how beautiful and timeless the venue is and how comfortable the beds were.

The entire staff at the Hawthorne were professional, helpful, and extremely friendly. Karen who was with me through the entire planning process was spectacular to work with! She answered all my questions and concerns (and trust me I had a lot of questions), constantly stayed in communication with me, and overall made me feel at ease. Beth made sure my room block was all set and even got us to check-in early! Alaina and Ari were true rockstars as they were boots on the ground making sure everything was set up and running smoothly. Cece and Tyler at the front desk were able to assist with many misc. requests and questions we had during the weekend (thank you for all the water bottles!).

We had the best wedding team at the Hawthorne, and I cannot thank them enough for making my wedding a dream come true!

As soon as we had our first visit to the Hawthorne, we knew that it was where we wanted to host our wedding. We worked with Karen O'Kane who guided our planning process and was always extremely prepared, often anticipating the questions that we had and answering the other ones we threw at her. She was fantastic the day before and the day of the wedding, working with us and our vendors and ensuring that the night went to plan and smoothly. She and all of the service workers who helped us and our guests during the rehearsal dinner and the wedding were fantastic. We had a smaller wedding of about 40 guests, and the Sophia room was absolutely perfect for both the ceremony and the reception--it never felt cramped and it never felt empty, so we highly recommend for folks with similar sized weddings. We love the hotel and area and plan to come back every year. Highly recommended!

After getting married last month (11/05/2022), we cannot recommend the Hawthorne enough. Not only is it a gorgeous wedding venue in the heart of Salem, but the entire process and event itself was so wonderful. All of the staff at the Hawthorne are remarkable and so accommodating, but Karen O'Kane in particular was phenomenal and just always went above and beyond. From the very beginning of planning to the day of, she was on top of everything, kept us in the loop, responded to all of our questions and concerns, and made the big day go off perfectly...even reminding us to sit down and eat dinner at some point! In addition to the amazing venue and staff, the food was also fantastic! We are still hearing from friends and family about how remarkable the whole event was, and we couldn't agree more. We had a perfect wedding at the Hawthorne, and we will absolutely be back!

Emily & Josh- Boston, MA
The Hawthorne Hotel was the perfect wedding venue for us. From the moment we walked into the Hawthorne we knew it was the venue we wanted. From the ballroom, to the tavern, and the ability to have a room block for people to stay and make a weekend out of it, and it surpassed any and all expectations. From the first time to view the venue all the way through the planning process to the big day,our coordinator Beth Pasquarello and her team were professional, accommodating, flexible, thoughtful, and extremely helpful.

I can’t speak more highly of Beth and have already recommended her to anyone who is looking to have their wedding in the greater Boston area. She was with us every step of the way– stepping up and helping us with our roomblock (which was tough for a while with reservations, only downfall), creating a timeline, meeting with us multiple times, and most importantly working with our budget. She gave us expert advice and when I had talked with/ showed her all the decor during our last detail appointment she made it look absolutely incredible and better than I could have ever imagined. I had stressed that I felt the little details were important (very detail oriented person) and she respected that and really made sure that everything was perfect.

She moved everyone along throughout the day and made really great use of the space allotted to vendors as well as our decorations. What our guests absolutely loved was that they were able to see and experience every room that the Hawthrone had to offer– from the two rooms upstairs, to the library for brunch the following day, ballroom for dancing, and welcome drinks in the tavern our guests were in awe. I cannot stress how wonderful Beth is and how much we appreciate her for bringing our vision for our wedding to life.

Having our wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel was a dream. We had a smaller wedding (~65 people) and booked Sofia's for both the ceremony and the reception. The space was gorgeous and exactly what we needed for a more intimate wedding. We worked with Karen, who was outstanding. She was always very responsive to my questions and concerns, and the day-of went off without a hitch thanks to her planning and organization. We received endless compliments about everything, from the food to the room. I would highly recommend the Hawthorne, Sofia's, and Karen to anyone looking for a stunning North Shore wedding.

We met Karen at a wedding Expo in Jan.2020 and we knew that the Hawthorne Hotel have the character, the beauty, the location setting that fit our dream wedding! What we found out over the following two years, as we had to postpone our wedding two times during the pandemic, was that their attention to detail was impeccable. Their desire to take the best care of us and our guests was a priority. The quality and presentation of their food was incredible! The wedding package was not only affordable but it came with so many top quality referrals. Through them we found our florist, our amazing transportation, and our wedding cake that was pure perfection! Every last detail they covered to following every request we had, to giving suggestions to save money and how to handle the changing restrictions during the pandemic. They were flexible, professional, courteous and amazing during the whole process! We chose to hold our rehearsal dinner and our reception here and a lot of our guests stayed overnight here. The place with its history, beauty, and the way they run every detail so smoothly I definitely recommend putting this place at the top of your list! Thank you to all of the staff and Chef at the Hawthorne Hotel! They gave us a royal feeling at the same time making us feel right at home! Cathy

Do you want a wedding where you have to worry about nothing? Do you want to have every single detail thought out of carefully? Do want expertise and high class service? Then pick the Hawthorne. Karen, Aliana and Christine and staff made our special day the best day of our lives. Our guests where flabbergasted by the level of service, incredible food and careful detail that was put into the event. The historical ambiance paired with the exceptional service made the whole day an affair to remember. My Husband and I will go back every year to remember our amazing experience. Whether you are staying there for the night, hosting an event or just going there for dinner, you will not be disappointed. Highly recommend and I am a picky person.