Hotel Ballast Reviews

Hotel Ballast is a gorgeous venue. Being a modern hotel right on the river walk was just what I had envisioned for my wedding. All of that was wonderful, but what made my wedding experience ten times better was Karen, the event coordinator. My original wedding date had to be rescheduled due to Covid and Karen took over for my previous coordinator and I’m so glad she did. She was beyond helpful, the communication and quick responsiveness was 100% and she did everything in her power to make sure my husband and I were happy and comfortable. Definitely consider the hotel if you’re looking for a wedding venue!

Hotel Ballast was the perfect location for our wedding! Gabby Rivera and Brooke Bloomquist were absolutely amazing when it came to making our wedding day so beautiful. They were both so patient and helpful as we talked through what we envisioned for our big day, and we were blown away by how great everything looked! One of the most awesome parts about choosing the Ballast is that is right on the riverwalk, and you simply cannot beat the view! The food was amazing, the ballroom was absolutely gorgeous, and my husband and I had the greatest time dancing the night away with our guests knowing that the incredible staff at this venue had EVERYTHING handled (and I mean everything!). I wish we could relive the night over and over again!

We had the best time at The Hotel Ballast. Brooke made everything so easy for us and so stress free. Everyone LOVED the food, drinks and atmosphere. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone.

We hosted a family brunch the morning after the wedding. They we very accommodating with our requests. Also pro tip they gave us was to use the flowers from the wedding for centerpieces for the brunch. Worked so well!

Brooke Bloomquist and staff were awesome in ensuring our special day was perfect! We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding/reception. It was everything and more.

They made everything so easy with their patience and positive attitude the whole way through! The venue was beautiful and our day was absolutely perfect.

You definitely get more bang for your buck at Hotel Ballast! Most venues downtown are just a shell that YOU have to fill. Brooke Bloomquist is definitely your go-to for wedding planning!

Amazing location. Expectations exceeded. Brook was a godsend.

Meagan did a great job and the setting was perfect. Kudos to the weatherman!!! Food Friday night and Saturday afternoon was very good (not only my thought, but expressed to me by many people). From start to finish, 7 months, Meagan had a good answer or good suggestions for every question re the wedding and the rehearsal. It was a pleasure dealing with an experienced professional.

This is the second wedding in our family, the first being at a well known country club in Ponte Vedra, Florida. I cannot tell you how pleased my husband and I were with the Wilmington Hilton (now the Hotel Ballast). The food, the flowers and the decorations were all perfect. Service was wonderful and prompt. The difference between our first wedding experience and this one is marked! Wilmington gets the nod by far! Thanks also to our wonderful wedding coordinator Meagan. She was fantastic and took all the load off my shoulders as the mother of the bride. If you are looking for a wedding venue the Hotel Ballast is the place to go! My husband and our family highly recommend it. Brynda and Charles Greer, DeLand, Florida

I recently got married and had my wedding along with my rehearsal dinner and reception at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. The experience was outstanding. All of the staff, especially Meagan Lanier, were amazing. They made the entire process so simple and did a phenomenal job on all of the preparations. I couldn't have asked for better service. Everything was exactly the way we wanted it and the value for what they offer in all of their packages is wonderful. They took care of the planning and organizing which made our lives easier so we didn't have to worry about figuring out what was needed. I highly recommend them for any event.

The Hilton was super accommodating and provided enough rooms for my whole family! There were all super nice and the proximity to my venue was perfect! Everyone enjoyed their stay!

Great place for planning any wedding! Haleigh, the wedding coordinator, is the absolute best! She did everything to make sure our reception and rehersal went perfectly!

My wedding planner Meagan was awesome! She was very professional and brought my intimate low key wedding vision to life! I have no complaints. Thank you Meagan for seeing my vision and making my wedding beautiful!

We could not have been more thrilled with our experience at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside for our December wedding. The venue overlooking the river was the perfect backdrop and watching the sunset before we went into our guests was priceless. Rachel was so attentive to us and our 230 guests. She made sure every detail was attended to. The food was delicious and our guests were extremely complimentary of their meal. The florist and cake vendors that work with the Hilton were amazing as well. I highly recommend the Hilton Wilmington Riverside to future brides.

My fiancee and I were wary based on seeing the prices online. But when we came in and talked to Rachael and saw exactly what was included and how much easier planning was going to be on our end, we were so happy. She was more than happy to help, very responsive and patient with our ever changing minds.

The Hilton Riverside was the most perfect place to have a wedding reception, especially when you have to plan from a distance. In one day you sit down and pick out decor, try the catering, cake and go over flowers! Rachel, the wedding coordinator, is incredibly responsive and dedicated to each event . She is so positive and is incredibly accommodating to whatever is needed to make the event a success.

We love Wilmington Riverside Hilton! Our wedding reception was beyond amazing. Everything from the fine details, flowers, cake, food, to our end of the night exit was exactly as we had pictured it to be. Rachel Anderson is an amazing Wedding Coordinator... she will help make the wedding of your dreams.

I reluctantly first booked with the Hilton, because we were having a "larger" wedding and my fiance preferred it at a hotel. However, since I was planning this wedding from out of town- I am so grateful we selected the Hilton. The provided all the major items and those they did not provide- their preferred vendor list (which I utilized) was also five star! Our event was beautiful and went flawlessly. We initially booked with Sarah- who left the next month- but Rachel was just as great to work with and extremely responsive. I would often get a response to my questions within the hour. She was also very gracious and accommodating- as I realized the week before the event, I had flubbed my final count. Luckily she caught the mistake and was able to fix for the food and tables. My whole family commented on how great the food was and how beautiful it looked. The day of I was very stressed before the ceremony and while waiting to walk out- felt like I was going to pass out. There were several staff "in waiting" and they rushed to get me water and make sure I was ok. All the staff were smiling the whole night and very attentive to make sure I had anything I needed. They placed items in my room and made a romantic and beautiful escape for me and my husband after the event was over. There was another bride having her reception the same night- and although I didn't vocalize it to Rachel- was a bit nervous about seeing another bride in her dress while I was in mine. But I never ran into her the entire night, as Rachel made sure each event was individual and special. I felt the Hilton was a great value for everything they provided and how stress free the actual event was for me.

The Hilton was great to work with. Everything was seamless and I didn't have to worry about a thing!

The Hilton fulfilled all of my dreams with having the perfect wedding!

Sarah was wonderful and I enjoyed working with her. She was professional but friendly and fun. I appreciated her quick response to my questions and solutions to my ideas. The ballroom was beautiful. Knowing that Sarah was "putting all the final touches" in the room made my daughter's' reception much more relaxing and enjoyable. The food was delicious!! I was pleased with the kindness and friendliness that I received from the employees of the Hilton. My only complaint was that not all the gift bags were given to the out of town guests. I supplied a list of names of the guests. Thank you for making my daughter's wedding a very beautiful and special time.

Words cannot even describe how amazing our wedding was at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside! My husband and I had an 18 month engagement and from the very beginning Haleigh and then Sarah were on top of things making sure our day was going to be everything we wanted! When the big day finally arrived it was more than we could have dreamed of! Haleigh and Sarah and the rest of the Hilton Team made everything flow perfectly so Matt and I didn't have to worry about a thing! If anything went wrong, we did not know about it! We have friends and family raving saying it was one of the best weddings they have ever been to and we owe it all to the Hilton Team! If you are considering a wedding here, DO IT! You will not be disappointed!!

Wonderfully kind and helpfull! Skillfully assisted us in planning a beautiful wedding on a small scale. Haleigh is terrific. The settings in the ceremony and reception rooms were awesome. We did not know what to expect on the actual day of the wedding since we had done all of the planning via phone calls and emails.

The Hilton ROCKS!! Haleigh B. Hughes is the BEST!