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Magnolia Hotel - Omaha Reviews

Magnolia Hotel - Omaha

Magnolia Hotel - Omaha

Omaha, NE
4.2 out of 5 rating, 11 reviews
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Reviews

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  • Quality of service
    4.2 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.1 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.3 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    3.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.4 out of 5 rating
Write a review
  • L
    Lauren Sent on 01/27/2020
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating

    Great find

    We didn’t get married there but we stayed at the hotel. We were able to take our first look pictures in the courtyard which was beautiful. The staff was super friendly, great location, and super affordable rooms.
  • S
    Susanna Sent on 06/23/2016
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Ron Bradstreet was the contact person that worked with my husband and I for our wedding day. We had an intimate wedding of 25 guests in the "Winter Garden". It was perfect. The price was perfect. We also had a two story suite for our wedding night, which was just....perfect. Everything and everyone were so nice.
  • A
    Ashly Sent on 08/22/2011
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    AMAZING! I fell in love with the courtyard at first sight. I loved the dramatics of walking down the stairs for the entry. Ron and his staff were very professional. The venue is so beautiful; our guests were wowed and so were we!
    • illustration stars

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  • L
    Lara Sent on 11/10/2008
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    PRE-WEDDING:
    The hotel was very accommodating of everything I could throw at them. I decided to add a sauce to the chicken, have a fire pit, change the ceremony order, and all sort of things last minute - and they did every one of them! It can be slightly difficult to get a hold of Mindell, but she always responds, even if it's a few days later. She is so knowledgeable and is able to provide advice about virtually anything you ask.

    WEDDING DAY:
    The ugly:
    There was only one thing that went wrong - some of the sound equipment didn't work and our piano guy couldn't jack into their system despite reassurances that he would be able to. We ended up having to use a wedding CD that the hotel luckily had. Mindell did provide us with a refund for the A/V that we'd paid for, which was great.

    The (almost) bad (but worked out in the end):
    There was a near disaster when the escort cards were lost until several minutes before the ceremony, but they were eventually found. I also had a cake serving set and toasting flutes that weren't set out, but when I asked about them, Mindell knew exactly where they were and brought them out immediately. We had decided on a late-night snack of s'mores, which at first I didn't think was going to be pulled off - when they were first setting up the fire pit they couldn't get it to light and it was smoking everywhere. And the skewers they provided were fairly short wooden ones - almost too short for roasting marshmallows. However, once the fire caught, everyone really enjoyed the s'mores despite the short sticks!

    The good:
    I was really skeptical because not only was there another wedding that morning, there was also a wedding rehearsal before ours! However, everything was completely taken care of and by 3pm you'd never have known. I never felt like they were rushed, even though I'm sure they were. While setting up, we realized that we had left our Polaroid camera and film at home. Mindell offered to have someone go buy us more! We declined, as we had already spent so much on the film that we'd forgotten, and we opted to just use a digital camera instead. Still, the fact that she offered that service was so nice! The ceremony site and ballrooms looked AMAZING. They set them up exactly according to my plans and it looked just like I had pictured. I never saw a long line at the bar and the servers were so efficient! During cocktail hour, which we didn't attend (we were doing pictures), a table was knocked over by a guest and we NEVER knew about it - it was 100% cleaned up by the time we made our entrance. I only saw pictures of the set up, but from the pics and from guest comments I know the cheese and fruit platters were beautifully laid out and far beyond what I would have expected for a simple cheese/fruit tray. The food was amazingly delicious - even better than at our tasting! Almost every plate I saw was wiped clean, and the guests raved over it. Mindell coordinated everything wonderfully - I barely had to be consulted about anything during the evening, which is exactly how I wanted it - I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the company! Despite my initial worries about the s'mores bar, it worked out perfectly and tons of people enjoyed it. And the presentation was beautiful! They let us stay in the courtyard celebrating with friends long after the reception had ended. When we got back to the suite, a surprise platter of chocolate covered strawberries and a wonderfully good cheese plate was waiting for us, which we devoured. The next morning, we discovered that the hotel packaged the leftover cake and M&Ms for us, and washed the cake set and toasting flutes and packed them back up. The centerpieces and decorations that belonged to us were carefully boxed up and set aside for us to take home the next day. There was not a single thing left behind or forgotten by them! In the weeks that have since followed, I've had MANY guests comment to me that it was the best wedding they'd been to and that the staff and service was phenomenal, which I have to agree with. I even had a couple guests call about getting the name of the cheese that was served during cocktail hour and asking for the chicken recipe!

    SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATION:
    Final grade: A+!!
    Yes. Absolutely! If you're considering using the Magnolia, do it! You won't be disappointed. I wouldn't change a single thing about the day.
  • L
    Lara Sent on 10/26/2008
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    PRE-WEDDING:
    The hotel was very accommodating of everything I could throw at them. I decided to add a sauce to the chicken, have a fire pit, change the ceremony order, and all sort of things last minute - and they did every one of them! It can be slightly difficult to get a hold of Mindell, but she always responds, even if it's a few days later. She is so knowledgeable and is able to provide advice about virtually anything you ask.

    WEDDING DAY:
    The ugly:
    There was only one thing that went wrong - some of the sound equipment didn't work and our piano guy couldn't jack into their system despite reassurances that he would be able to. We ended up having to use a wedding CD that the hotel luckily had. Mindell did provide us with a refund for the A/V that we'd paid for, which was great.

    The (almost) bad (but worked out in the end):
    There was a near disaster when the escort cards were lost until several minutes before the ceremony, but they were eventually found. I also had a cake serving set and toasting flutes that weren't set out, but when I asked about them, Mindell knew exactly where they were and brought them out immediately. We had decided on a late-night snack of s'mores, which at first I didn't think was going to be pulled off - when they were first setting up the fire pit they couldn't get it to light and it was smoking everywhere. And the skewers they provided were fairly short wooden ones - almost too short for roasting marshmallows. However, once the fire caught, everyone really enjoyed the s'mores despite the short sticks!

    The good:
    I was really skeptical because not only was there another wedding that morning, there was also a wedding rehearsal before ours! However, everything was completely taken care of and by 3pm you'd never have known. I never felt like they were rushed, even though I'm sure they were. While setting up, we realized that we had left our Polaroid camera and film at home. Mindell offered to have someone go buy us more! We declined, as we had already spent so much on the film that we'd forgotten, and we opted to just use a digital camera instead. Still, the fact that she offered that service was so nice! The ceremony site and ballrooms looked AMAZING. They set them up exactly according to my plans and it looked just like I had pictured. I never saw a long line at the bar and the servers were so efficient! During cocktail hour, which we didn't attend (we were doing pictures), a table was knocked over by a guest and we NEVER knew about it - it was 100% cleaned up by the time we made our entrance. I only saw pictures of the set up, but from the pics and from guest comments I know the cheese and fruit platters were beautifully laid out and far beyond what I would have expected for a simple cheese/fruit tray. The food was amazingly delicious - even better than at our tasting! Almost every plate I saw was wiped clean, and the guests raved over it. Mindell coordinated everything wonderfully - I barely had to be consulted about anything during the evening, which is exactly how I wanted it - I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the company! Despite my initial worries about the s'mores bar, it worked out perfectly and tons of people enjoyed it. And the presentation was beautiful! They let us stay in the courtyard celebrating with friends long after the reception had ended. When we got back to the suite, a surprise platter of chocolate covered strawberries and a wonderfully good cheese plate was waiting for us, which we devoured. The next morning, we discovered that the hotel packaged the leftover cake and M&Ms for us, and washed the cake set and toasting flutes and packed them back up. The centerpieces and decorations that belonged to us were carefully boxed up and set aside for us to take home the next day. There was not a single thing left behind or forgotten by them! In the weeks that have since followed, I've had MANY guests comment to me that it was the best wedding they'd been to and that the staff and service was phenomenal, which I have to agree with. I even had a couple guests call about getting the name of the cheese that was served during cocktail hour and asking for the chicken recipe!

    SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATION:
    Final grade: A+!!
    Yes. Absolutely! If you're considering using the Magnolia, do it! You won't be disappointed. I wouldn't change a single thing about the day.
  • Margaret
    Margaret Sent on 10/03/2019
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating

    Great place to get wedding-ready!

    I recently stayed at the Magnolia Hotel (Omaha) the weekend of my weekend. I was in a Queen's Loft suite and this space was big enough for my 8 bridesmaids, my mother, and me to all get ready in before my ceremony. While I did not have my wedding reception there in the evening, the staff was great at accommodating any requests we had that morning. I would definitely recommend checking this hotel out if you're looking to have someplace to stay the weekend of your wedding or just having a stay-cation!
  • M
    Ashley Sent on 09/13/2010
    4.7 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    The Magnolia Hotel was beautiful and the perfect place for our wedding. Their courtyard and ballroom are gorgeous. The Magnolia is pretty pricey, but completely worth the cost (you wont regret it). The wait staff was unbelievably awesome and so helpful. The food was great...but the champagne wasn't our favorite.

    The only negatives I have are that it took forever to get responses (once our original point of contact was "let go" from the company) and I never really knew an estimated final price until the last minute (which was a little stressful along with relaying information to another P.O.C.). However; looking back I am extremely happy that we went for the Magnolia and would recommend it to anyone.
  • bobandmandy
    Mandy Sent on 09/22/2009
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
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      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      3 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    The Magnolia Hotel is a very beautiful place, and the food we had was good. I believe the venue/catering is over-priced. (Most are.) There were some little things we could have maybe avoided. For example, we bought a keg of a specific beer not otherwise covered by the bar packages, but most of it went to waste because our guests didn't know we were serving it. There was no sign, and one bartender didn't even know it was there. We also brought in two cases of specific wine, and the bartenders opened every bottle at the beginning of the night, resulting in more corkage fees than there should have been and probably a lot of spoiled wine. Basically, these were our biggest complaints --- which is a great sign, right?! Overall, we were very very happy to have our wedding at the Magnolia. The staff took care of us, the catering manager did a FABULOUS job decorating the place and making everything run smoothly, and the wedding coordinators were very flexible and responsive. I mention these other things just in case they might affect one of you out there and can be addressed before your big day!
  • K
    Kourtney Sent on 01/04/2009
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Mindell and the staff at the Magnolia Hotel Omaha made my wedding feel very unique and special from my first meeting and tour of the facility. She was fantastic at putting me at ease when the stress came, and even coordinated my vendors and rentals. During my reception, the staff at the Magnolia were constantly checking in with my family members... they were there, but were far from intrusive.

    My only issue was minor, and had nothing to do with the wedding coordination staff, but with room billing. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, because the Magnolia made my husband and I and all of our guest feel comfortable and welcome, and we had the time of our life!
  • K
    Kate Sent on 11/19/2019
    2.2 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      1 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      1 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      3 out of 5 rating

    Just don't do it

    It breaks my heart how disappointed I am with my experience at the Magnolia. Since the day, I've talked with three different people about the issues and I've come to be even more frustrated at their lack of concern and ownership in any of the problems. There were so many issues across many departments.

    It should have been a red flag when I saw on previous reviews that they had a problem with event coordinator turnover. That trend continued after we booked. There were three different coordinators within 14 months. The hotel failed to notify us either of the times that our point person had left. We were only informed after our (personally hired) wedding planner found out and let us know. Then there was the issue with the room block.

    The "special" rate they gave us was 50% higher than through other, third party sites. And when our guests tried calling in, several were told our block was completely full or the hotel itself was full. This was five months prior to our wedding so neither were close to full. The hotels response: "Your guests were probably trying to book for dates outside of your block." They weren't; I checked. There were at least a dozen people that had issues; that isn't coincidental.

    Another HUGE issue was the food. We selected a dual entree with steak and chicken. We specifically requested the chicken not be dry (we had heard concerns from past customers) and for the steak to be cooked medium. What we got was the driest chicken we've ever had. They didn't provide steak knives either, so most people couldn't cut into it. I will give the chef the credit that the steak was close to medium, however, it was literally gray and not seasoned. The potatoes were soggy. And everything on the plate was lukewarm, at best. I was so embarrassed. The hotel's response, "We're surprised to hear this. We had someone going around asking how the food was and no one said it was bad."

    The largest issue: we brought in a cake riser that's been in my husband's family for years. We told the hotel this before the wedding. Apparently the coordinator forgot to write it down. When our wedding planner went to retrieve it, the kitchen lead, Greg, refused to let her take it, saying it belong to the hotel. After back and forth between my wedding planner and Greg, my mother-in-law was eventually consulted for help. She told (admittedly more forcibly) Greg the same thing, that it was the family's cake riser. He told her she was a liar and he would call the cops if she tried to steal it. The hotel's response, "Greg said your mother-in-law was unprofessional. You didn't give us enough time to check our supply." We told them before and then we told them three more times. That seems like plenty of time. They couldn't even admit this was handled inappropriately.

    Tables started being torn down at 10:13 even though we booked the room until midnight. We had assigned seats. That meant people lost their seats, including my mom. The hotel's response, "That was to make more room because the room was tight."

    The morning after, a housekeeping member yelled at myself and a handful of guests to get out of our rooms, even though we had permission for late check out. The hotel insists everyone brought their very best service.

    These aren't even all of the issues.

    Bottom line: if you want to feel special on your wedding day, if you want your guests to be taken care of, and if you want a place that's accountable, don't go here.
  • B
    Brittany Sent on 09/09/2016
    0.5 out of 5 rating
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      0.5 out of 5 rating
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      0.5 out of 5 rating
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      0.5 out of 5 rating
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      0.5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      0.5 out of 5 rating
    I would not recommend the Magnolia for a wedding venue. Unfortunately, my July wedding at the Omaha Magnolia was mishandled in several ways. Ron Bradstreet, the onsite planner, was a very ineffective coordinator which caused countless issues during the big day to include: charging our guests during a complimentary cocktail hour (totally unscrupulous!!), insufficient food during the cocktail hour (in spite of an approved guest count) and a completely improperly cut wedding cake (like they literally shaved all of the frosting off). More so, despite my staying in the Presidential Suite the night before for ease of coordination, I had to reach out to Ron to receive guidance and assistance on the wedding day. These mishaps continued into the evening when Ron even left before all the reception events had concluded which is contrary to what he will tell you. His replacement was nowhere to be found for the rest of the evening and could not be bothered to introduce herself to the groom and I! This is simply NOT the type of service expected from a supposedly 5 star hotel. It is really unfortunate given Magnolia's steep 23% service charge that you may find yourself having a less than perfect wedding like I did. I would not suggest this wedding venue to other brides - the staff was rude, untrained, inconsiderate and unaccommodating. You can certainly find a nicer venue for a better price in Omaha.
illustration stars

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