I had a unique cake design that I wanted and Lori was able to execute it with ease! Everyone else in town told me it be at least double the price and it would have to be done with fondant. Lori made it with buttercream and it was perfect! My cake tasted great and Lori is very patient and flexible. I would highly recommend Cakes by Lori for any occasion!

As I am not married yet and have not yet used the venue, I cannot give a 100% accurate review. However, through my experience so far with Hawthorn, it has been extremely positive. I have been working with Nicole through their events department and she has been outstanding. She has been able to answer any question I throw at her, stayed late a few times to meet with us, has shown us every option we have, and has shown us how to get the best value out of everything. She has been quick to respond with every email I have sent her and has been extremely helpful. As for the actual venue- this place is definitely a "more bang for you buck" kind of place. It is priced very reasonably for the type of occasion and for everything included in the price. Bride and groom get a complimentary suite and discounted upgrade prices, they include a good portion of your centerpieces, delicious food, and a (basically) build your own bar. All in all my experience with Hawthorn Suites has been a very positive one and I am very happy with my decision to use them as our reception venue!

Mr. Quint did an amazing job on our reception venue. Thanks for everything!

My cake was delicious! We decided on a lemon with raspberry filling cake and it was a huge hit! Not only did the cake look amazing but it tasted amazing too. What I love most about Cakes by Lori is that you don't have to freeze the top layer of your cake, she will remake you the top tier for FREE a year later! No one wants to eat a year old frozen piece of cake!

Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The cake was beautiful in the simple way we requested & tasted wonderful. Lori was an absolute sweetheart to work worth & does an amazing job!

The reception at Hawthorn Suites, Bloomington, IL was AWESOME! The manager is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice and caring. He's so wonderful to work with. He makes sure everything is set up and would set up however you want it to set up! It turned out a very beautiful reception!

I absolutely loved working with the Hawthorn. Karla was extremely efficient and responsive. I planned moat of my wedding from outside the country so she was able to help me make decisions with photos or her experience. The chef there allowed me to pick three entrées for guest to choose from and the meal was plated. So much nicer than a buffet and quicker! Loved it!

The cake was beautiful and we thought the flavors of the cupcakes and cakes were delicious.

When we decided to book at the Hawthorn we had a very nice girl who was "handling everything"-or so we thought. A few months after my MIL informed me that we had a new woman handling our wedding. I was never told and my MIL was not originally involved in the planning which made things very frustrating. We were promised many things and then told "I never said that" or "I would never say that". That excuse gets old quickly. Example, we were told that we would have long table clothes. Closer to the wedding we were told that if we wanted long table clothes we would have to rent them from some place that probably wouldn't have them available. We were also disappointed that we had paid for 2 bartenders and when introduced to one of them, we asked if she knew how to make multiple drinks to which she blatantly said "no." We had to do everything for our wedding. One of the bars was not in the right spot. We had to have friends go and set up everything as the staff would not, although we were originally told they were. Additionally, we were told that we would be the only banquet that day but a few weeks before the wedding we were informed that there would be a different event there that morning which messed up the vendor drop off. Of course the Hawthorn did not communicate with the vendors, we had to. It was over all very frustrating. During dancing I asked a staff member who had told us she was a manager to turn down the lights (Every wedding I've been to turns down the lights for dancing especially when the DJ brings party lights) and I was told "uhhh..I don't know how to." I bet it would have been AMAZING to be a guest, the ballroom was pretty but it was a headache to be the bride! We were informed constantly that it is becoming a Holiday Inn and feel as if the staff was checked out. They were very nice but definitely checked out. Ballroom: pretty Food: great

Just awful. Manager is fake. Good luck not getting food poisoning from there lack and regard to proper refrigeration and preparations.