Pala Mesa Resort Reviews

2020 has not been an easy year for the wedding industry, for couples, venues, and vendors alike. Our original wedding was planned for 8.29.20. However, closer to this point, weddings were not allowed. Pala Mesa was friendly and flexible in helping us postpone to 10.10.2020.

We got the pleasure of working with Luciana at Pala Mesa throughout the whole process. Luciana was very communicative, helpful, and creative with solutions to the new unchartered territory of wedding planning circumstances. Because this was all new planning territory, there were a few bumps in the road as expected while we both tried to figure things out on how to accommodate for COVID restrictions and city orders. Both us as the clients and Luciana with the venue had to make certain concessions and compromises to make it work fairly, but with Luciana we were able to do so amicably and professionally, and in a way were both parties were happy. And I’d also like to add that I’m not exactly an easy client to work with as I do have many questions, more than most, and Luciana was quite patient with me throughout the whole process and answered every single one of my 1,000 questions.

Now, onto the result: The wedding was ABSOLTUTELY PERFECT!

On the Big Day, both Luciana and another Pala Mesa representative named Tania were on-site , dressed to impress, making sure everything was up to par and good to go. They took care of all details that may have been overlooked by myself and the coordinator, and even pulled a few more stops and upgrades for us on the day of, details that made our wedding even more beautiful! The Ceremony at Garden Pavilion was dreamy with our harpist and floral decorations. While the original reception was supposed to be up at the beautiful Cliff Terrace, we had to instead change it to a dinner reservation down at the Aqua Terra Patio, the hotel’s restaurant, due to receptions currently not being allowed per the latest health order. This is where Luciana’s resourcefulness and creativity and Tania’s attention to detail really shined. The team dressed up the patio super nice with linens and centerpieces and charger plates, set out all the wedding favors and guest place cards on the tables, arranged the guestbook and gift table in a perfect spot by the patio entrance, arranged a cake table in a perfect spot by the pond, and even placed their recommended live musician in a perfect spot by the firepit for everyone to enjoy from a safe distance. The food exceeded our expectations, many guests commented on how good the food was. The live music was absolutely delightful, we also got many compliments from guests on that. And the service was great too, very attentive servers. One server even bought the groom a drink! How sweet! Honestly, even though we were not able to host a reception with a DJ and dancing as originally planned up at the Cliff Terrace Tent, the dinner at Aqua Terra was so classy, beautiful and relaxing, that we don’t feel any other alternative could have competed. Both the Ceremony and the Dinner were so perfect and beautiful, we are so very Happy. We would choose Pala Mesa over and over again in a heartbeat. Do yourself a favor and call Luciana and GO SEE THIS VENUE! It is gorgeous! Waterfalls and twinkle lights and ponds…. You name it. Gorgeous! On top of that, affordable! You just can’t beat Pala Mesa. You will NOT regret having your wedding here 😊. Thank you Luciana and Tania!!!

My husband and I had our wedding hosted at Pala Mesa Resort December 21,2019! When we were looking for a venue, we wanted something romantic, elegant and lots of nature and open environment. We got engaged January 26th and started visiting venues right away. We visited 6 venues before coming across Pala Mesa Resort. We had looked online and realize that it was out of budget but we had a “self guided tour” and we fell in love. So I contacted the wedding department and scheduled a tour. To our surprise they were having a “wedding special” which fit our budget perfectly. Since the moment we walked in, we were greeted by Luciana (wedding director). She was so kind, patient and super helpful. She gave us a tour and within a week or two we contacted her to sign the contract. She made everything so easy and comfortable for us. The staff were phenomenal! Sydney Molé was our main contact however Luciana was always available if Sydney was not able to answer our questions. I bothered both of them many times but they were always kind, polite and patient. They really worked with my budget and helped me figure out ways where I could save money. The day off the wedding Sydney was there and she was so helpful, we didn’t have much help from relatives and she made sure she helped me as much as she could. Also, Tania (bride assistant?) she was so caring and thoughtful and made sure I was taken care of. I am so blessed that we came across this beautiful venue and fantastic staff. I would definitely recommend this venue, it was a dream come true!!! Thank you all!

My wife and I LOVED Pala Mesa and cannot recommend this venue enough! There are many, many things we could rave about, but this review will focus on just a few key takeaways.

First, their staff is PHENOMENAL. Our primary point of contact was Sydney Molé. She was always extremely responsive, professional, and patient with us as we bombarded her with questions throughout our engagement. And, when the big day finally arrived, she made a fantastic day-of coordinator.

Likewise, our banquet captain for the rehearsal dinner and reception was extremely courteous. He made sure we were in the loop and well taken care of on both nights. In fact, when we came up against our 11:00 PM deadline on the night of our wedding, he kindly let us extend the music until 11:20 PM to keep the party going.

Next, focusing on the venue itself, the extremely close proximity of the ceremony spot to the reception location is a convenience your guests will thank you for. Our wedding was in late-August, and the ceremony was entirely shaded by the lush, beautiful hillside. This ensured all our guests were comfortable and no one was squinting awkwardly to watch the ceremony unfold. Once married, the ringing of the bell tower is a super fun bonus that you won't find at other venues. As the night progresses, the grand, permanent tent is the perfect mix of indoor/outdoor, letting the cool summertime breeze blow through while still providing plenty of lighting for photos and comfort for guests.

Our wedding was in the summer of 2019, and at that time the resort was undergoing renovations to become a Hilton DoubleTree hotel. As a result, the hotel rooms mere steps away from the ceremony and reception spots were unavailable for our guests, as the rooms were mid-renovation. That said, the resort still managed to give my wife and I the honeymoon suite we had requested when we first toured the venue. And, despite the construction, there were still plenty of rooms available within a short walk of the ceremony/reception. If you're planning a wedding in 2020, the newly upgraded rooms and their incredible proximity to ceremony/reception is something you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

We could go on, but we'll stop here. We hope you'll consider Pala Mesa for your wedding... we're sure glad we did!

What a beautiful and amazing location. The team is amazing and I can’t wait to get married here. Only downfall is having to hire your own coordinator, but luckily Sara worked there and knows her stuff.

We had contacted the Pala Mesa Resort for our Rehearsal Dinner after seeing wedding video at their beautiful golf club. We were wanting something cocktail style and informal and were having a hard time finding a place that could accommodate in that area. Everyone else we contacted was rude and snobby and telling us we could never have what we wanted and certainly not withing our budget. From the moment we spoke with someone at Pala Mesa they were professional, welcoming, and more than happy to help us. They even had us out for a tasting to put together a menu for us and our guests. They were so willing to work with our budget for our rehearsal, which after writing all the checks for the wedding we didn't want to break the bank on but we still wanted something very nice. I am so pleased with the service, the food, and the beautiful terrace they had us on. Thank you so much for getting my wedding weekend of to the perfect start!!

Pala Mesa seriously bent over backwards accommodating all of the special requests that my husband and I had before the wedding. The day ran so smoothly that I can't even honestly remember if there were any mistakes at all. It was a warm day so they even had servers find us where we were taking pictures with water and some of the passed trays that the guests were receiving at the cocktail hour. The reception was set up perfectly, even better than I had imagined. So thank you very much to Adele and Louise and the rest of the hard working staff at Pala Mesa for a wonderful day.

I am SO SO SO happy we chose the Pala Mesa for our Wedding Venue! From the moment we stepped on property we knew it was the place for us. The ceremony site is absolutely beautiful, with a stunning waterfall behind you as you say "I Do." Very minimal decorations are needed since the outdoor scenery is breathtaking. The aisle is made of stone so no need to worry about heels getting stuck in the grass. The reception site is outside under a beautiful tent, with another beautiful waterfall. You will receive a nice breeze throughout the evening so its never too hot! Everything is tucked away from the golf course so you never have to worry about strangers just randomly walking up and watching your wedding.

The staff is INCREDIBLE! Sydney and Brianna helped us gather our thoughts and made the planning process so simple. They walk you through every single detail that you need and help you realize how little or much you have ready! They are very responsive and professional. We really felt like they were our close friends and were only working on our wedding alone! They made us feel so special every single time we talked to them and made our wedding day go off without a hitch. I did not feel one single ounce of stress the day of my wedding because I knew Sydney was taking care of everything.

The only draw back was having to load in and load out the same day. You have to store your decorations in your room if you are staying there at all. I recommend getting a great team of family and friends to help you with the decorating and load out process so you don't have to lift a finger on your wedding day!

I am the Mother of the Bride. My daughter and her husband fell in love with the ceremony sight at Pala Mesa which was the deciding factor. We also were looking for somewhere that had overnight accommodations for our guests. I can't begin to tell you how pleased with our with our decision to have the wedding at Pala Mesa. The grounds are beautiful, the tent is absolutely magical at night and the layout of the resort allowed us to have the most fabulous weekend with our family and friends. We started Friday afternoon with a rehearsal lunch and the food was delicious. They have a room with a very large patio and Friday night we had all the overnight guests over for food and drinks on the patio, it was so perfect. The service we received from Brianna and Cristina was not only organized and detailed but warm and genuine as well. Brianna really made us feel as if we are were the only wedding that she has on her agenda. She is so kind and genuinely cared about our happiness and satisfaction and was flexible with so many things from menu, to timing and other details. I am forever grateful to have gotten to work with such a wonderful person to plan my daughters wedding. We had a fabulous wedding day and night. Everyone there loved the setting and raved about the wonderful food, which is rare for wedding dinners. Finally on Sunday we had a farewell brunch. All of our friends and family has told me that the whole experience of being able to be together for the whole weekend made for the memory of a lifetime. Thank you Pala Mesa for holding the wedding of all of our dreams!

My husband and I got married here almost exactly 1 year ago! Everything was so beautiful and exactly what I imagined! The food was amazing and the service before the wedding/during was more than I could have asked for! Such a beautiful venue ??

Having a hotel on site is what sold us. But the people were great. They managed everything we requested. They made the entire weekend perfect.

We had our wedding on April 2 2016. Best wedding venue. The staff is great! the food is awesome! The first place we saw and the only one i wanted to see after. Pala mesa is such a beautiful venue. Our guest kept saying how beautiful of a wedding venue it is and how we found it. I cant keep expressing how beautiful the venue is and how much i fell in love with this place! Dont think about it twice if you should have your wedding here. You will not regret it.

We had the wedding of the century and Pala Mesa was the place! The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous! And the coordinators (Lindsey and Briana) work with you every step of the way, always available for the many questions we had leading up to the wedding. The day of the wedding they were invaluable at keeping us all calm and only concentrating on 'us'....they handled EVERYTHING else. Always checking in to see if they could help. I highly recommend them for any events, we are 100% thrilled!

Since the moment I asked for more information on Weddings at Pala Mesa Resort, to even after our Wedding, the staff at Pala Mesa has been amazing!

We had three events for the Wedding Weekend at Pala Mesa Resort since most of our guest were visiting from out of town. We had a Welcome Cocktail Reception, our Wedding Reception (no ceremony since ours was held in a church) and a Farewell Brunch. Most of our guest even stayed at the resort which made everything a lot easier for our Guest.

All of the staff for all of the events were so kind and attentive. I have to say that Briana is truly amazing! She was so thoughtful and fun to work with during all of the planning.

I would highly recommend considering Pala Mesa for your Wedding and Events!

I am so happy we chose Pala Mesa Resort for our rehearsal dinner and wedding venue. The grounds are beautiful, the food is delicious, and the hospitality was amazing. We got married on 10.17.15 and I mostly dealt with Briana and Luciana. They were both such a pleasure to work with and helpful no matter what my crazy questions or requests were. We also had the rehearsal dinner and farewell brunch on site as well, both of which were a great time.

We got lucky and had our wedding just after the artificial turf was installed in the ceremony location and the chandeliers in the reception tent, both of which were fabulous additions.

My husband, dad, groomsmen, and other family members enjoyed a round of golf before the rehearsal dinner and they said the course was amazing. All of us girls took a little trip to the winery just up the street which I would highly recommend as well. Overall our entire wedding weekend was fabulous from start to finish!

Pala Mesa is the most amazing place in the world!!! There is no other place in Southern California that compares if you want to do your ceremony and your reception in one area. (and I looked at about 15 venues) The site is absolutely breathtaking and everything is right there!! The wedding site is on the side of a mountain tucked away from the golf course and it has a beautiful bell tower for the ceremony site and then a HUGE tent for the reception!! The Tent has a backdrop of a waterfall that was behind our sweetheart table where everyone took their own pictures in front of..It has beautiful drapings and chandeliers..The lighting was incredible for photos all day/night..the food was all incredible, my guests all raved about it! My guests were blown away with the sites beauty as well. The best part about having it there too was that all your guests can stay at the resort and walk to the wedding and reception! The resorts not too busy on the day to day so they don't run out of rooms too often and it'd super cheap so your guests will appreciate it!! As for service and the staff..OH MY GOSH, they were amazing! From meeting Luciana initially, then working with Lorena for the room block, and then Briana for everything else, we just had such an amazing experience!!! These people do probably 2-3 weddings a week so I have NO idea how they balance it all!! Briana was on top of EVERYTHING!! I would email her with 10 line items and she would get back to me within a few hours answering ALL my questions! It was like my wedding was the only wedding she was working on! Even if she wasn't working, she would let me know she got the email and would answer as soon as she returned! She was so amazing, I don't have room to write here but I put more on yelp! CHOOSE THIS PLACE YOU WONT REGRET IT!!!! Thank you Pala Mesa for an AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!

Searched high and low to find the perfect venue for our destination wedding - thank goodness we found Pala Mesa! It was the perfect venue to provide a mini vacation for everyone while at the same time hosting the perfect wedding for our guests. The Wedding Team (Cara, Briana and Luciana) were an absolute joy to work with. With planning a destination wedding, I had a million and one questions leading up to our wedding and probably sent just as many emails to Briana - she answered everything with detail, always in a timely manner. Cara hosted our tasting and rehearsal - both of which went smoothly as she organized and coordinated everything seamlessly. These two were a godsend the day of the wedding! They set everything out and ensured that everything went smoothly - for which I am grateful for! If you're looking for a wedding venue, look no further! The property itself is beautiful and the staff is simply amazing!!!

Our wedding was just on May 9, 2015. Pala Mesa was the first and only venue we looked at before we decided we MUST have our wedding here. The beauty is beyond breathtaking. Pala Mesa is so lush with tons of flowers and plants and is just overall extremely well kept. I knew that the beauty of Pala Mesa meant very minimal (if any) work needed to be done on my end to make sure it was a beautiful wedding. After we met Luciana (wedding Director), we were sold. She was so helpful, friendly and always made us feel like top priorities. Briana (wedding services manager) was also so helpful and attentive. She was always so prompt to respond to my (countless) emails! We also had our rehearsal dinner there, and Todd (restaurant coordinator) was the best! So sweet and did everything to accommodate our large party! Our wedding day ran SO smoothly. We had so many guests come up to us on our wedding day and say that they've never been to such a gorgeous and fun wedding. Which, as a bride (especially as Type A as I am), was the biggest and greatest compliment we could have received. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this venue and it's staff! If you are considering having your wedding here, just know that you will be in great hands and that you will have a phenomenal wedding day!

My son and daughter-in-law had their ceremony and reception take place at Pala Mesa Resort and I can truly say that the day was Perfect!

We knew our experience was going to be flawless from the moment we booked based off of the wonderful relationship we built with Luciana. She thoroughly went over the packages being offered made the process very easy when it came to signing a contract and moving forward with their dream wedding. She was also able to assist us in get our room block set for our guests which our family and friends loved. The room rate was very reasonable and it was so great knowing our guests could stay to enjoy the entire evening without having to drive home.

They also had the opportunity to work with Briana who was so detailed, organized, and just a doll. Briana ran the rehearsal and was the day of coordinator. She checked in on us regularly throughout the day and also set up the decorations. She met up with the vendors and made sure everything was running on schedule and being set correctly.

The ceremony and reception were perfect. Everything ran so smoothly and on schedule. The dinner was delicious and the servers were professional. A captain take over for the evening when it was time for Briana to leave. Briana introduced him to the my son and daughter-in law, my husband and I, and my daughter-in-laws parents.The transition was seamless and he was very helpful. He checked in on us frequently just to make sure we were doing ok and assisted in getting all of our items picked up.

Pala Mesa provided such wonderful service not only to my son and daughter-in law, but to our family and friends. Everyone had such an amazing evening and we just kept hearing how perfect the night was. Thank you Pala Mesa for the unforgettable and amazing experience!

The venue is perfect for a wedding or any celebration. I was shocked when I saw the beautiful grounds. I had no idea that it was hiding off of old highway 395. As soon as I pulled up my mouth dropped. I was excited to find this hidden gem. I used Pala Mesa Resort for my wedding and I am glad that I did. Every guest enjoyed the grounds and being able to stay on site. Pala Mesa was very accommodating and made my wedding a breeze. I enjoyed the service I had in the bridal suite and having a honeymoon suite for the evening. If I was to have the wedding again I would pick Pala Mesa. I was more than pleased with the grounds, the service and the smiles on all of my guests faces.

This venue is BEAUTIFUL! Briana Gesswein was my wedding coordinator from the venue and she was just a doll to work with. So polite, professional and on-top of everything. The food and the portion size they provided to us and our guests was perfect. Nobody left hungry! The bar staff was courteous and professional to everyone. The food service staff was attentive to all my guests and kept the reception very tidy. Loved it! Pala Mesa Resort was all-around the BEST place to have an outdoor ceremony and walk a few feet to our tented reception. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!

Pala Mesa is an outstanding and beautiful place to get married! I love how convenient it was to go from the ceremony straight to the reception, which was in a beautiful tented ballroom! The wedding coordinators were so incredible helpful and professional. They listening to my family and me intently and they provided responsive and valuable feedback. My wedding day overall was so incredibly organized and put together. They also catered our event which was great! The food was delicious and the service was efficient. Prior to the start of the wedding, Pala Mesa also provided a bridal suite for me and my bridesmaids to have lunch and get dressed in. After the wedding was over, my husband and I were also provided a honeymoon suite there at the resort. This venue was literally a dream come true. Everyone enjoyed the natural beautiful of the resort and it definitely made for great pictures!!!

Wow! My husband and I got married here April 26, 2014 and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! We booked a year in advance and were in constant communication. It was so easy to get a hold of them and they were so accommodating throughout the whole process. We wanted an open bar for the first hour and then just beer and wine the rest of the time. They have never done that before, but made it happen and the price was extremely fair.

The food at the wedding was delicious! Guests continued to tell me how great their meals were. For appetizers, we had cheese tables, jalapeno poppers, and mini pizzas. I had one friend tell me they were following around the jalapeno poppers just to get more! The food was seriously delicious and the service was great! Someone was always there to get me or my husband a drink as well... we never had to leave the dance floor! When we left the wedding to change before the after party, there was a cart there ready to take us to the suite and also water as I requested.

A week before the wedding we decided to rent the chardonnay suite for an after party. They gave us a great deal! We got to bring our own drinks and appetizers in and decorate as we wished. We had around 60 guests at the after party and the hotel made sure to put some of our young guests, as requested, near the chardonnay suite since we were probably going to get loud. The after party lasted until 3:30 in the morning and there were no problems!

The next morning we had a huge group come to breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. They were not expecting us as we had around 50 people. However, they were so accommodating and set us up in our own room for breakfast!

The wedding venue was beautiful. My husband and I just received the photos from our wedding and they are gorgeous. Guests keep talking about how amazing the reception tent was and how beautiful the ceremony was! I highly highly recommend Pala Mesa!

We hosted my daughter's wedding at Pala Mesa Resort. The Garden Pavilion wedding venue is stunning, and there are beautiful places around the grounds for photos. The Cliff Terrace reception venue is also very nice. Briana, the wedding coordinator, was very efficient in helping us plan the day. I was unexpectedly thrilled with the banquet staff and the help we got the day of the wedding. Every detail that came up was beautifully handled by Leah or Ben. I felt free to enjoy our guests. The day was perfect.

This venue was absolutely beautiful. Waterfalls at the ceremony site and in the reception area. Lush green grass and trees. All the guests loved the venue. I had a lot of family members to help me with getting the tables ready and assisting guests. The food was delish. We had Salmon and Chicken and it was really good. I look forward to going back in a year and celebrating our Anniversary.