The Drake Hotel Reviews
Reviews
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![Molly]()
Molly Sent on 06/18/2026Get married at the drake!
Wowowow, if you're considering getting married at The Drake, you MUST! It's truly the best venue in the world. I could not recommend it more.
We got married 18 mos ago & are still daydreaming about it. & our guests are still raving about it. The Drake did an incredible job giving us our perfect day.
We worked with Ali Foster (The Drake’s Coordinator) who was absolutely amazing. She answered alllll of our questions w/ knowledge, grace, & kindness. She gave plenty of tours of The Drake, helped us brainstorm different options for the layout, head table, ceremony, etc. We had a ton of ideas to make our day special, & Ali was always willing to chat through & add her knowledge. She understood the importance, but also added some jokes & lightness that made each of the tastings, tours, & walkthroughs more fun.
Plus, she worked really well with our wedding planner - Kelly from Shannon Gail. If you're getting married at The Drake, use Kelly! She is incredibly knowledgeable on the space and worked really well with the whole team. I highly recommend both Ali and Kelly.
We loved getting married at The Drake, because it is such a timeless venue, with a central location, & a super seasoned staff. The venue is incredibly historical & magical, which made for an amazing guest experience & wedding photos. The central location allowed for out-of-town guests to explore Chicago, like shopping on Mag Mile. And the seasoned staff worked with us to make the dream wedding - brainstorming how to make the venue feel like “ours” while adding expert advice.
The venue was such an incredible vibe. The gold, marble columns, & old architecture looked so incredible in all of our photos. Plus, it made it really easy to pick a wedding vibe (classic, timeless Chicago) & wedding colors (black, white, gold). I was considering adding turquoise into my bridal colors, but The Drake had just enough light touches (The Gold Coast Room columns, the robins egg blue cocktail room).
The staff was amazing & we loved Ali. My husband & I are extremely particular & had a super specific vision. We visited The Drake almost weekly, checking out other weddings for inspo. We would walk The Gold Cost room as other vendors were setting up, so we could see what we liked & what we didn’t. I was really torn over where to put the head table. We checked out a ton of different layouts & could see which head table spot had the best view of the party (so I could see my guests as the bride) & which had the best view for the guests (so each guest felt like they had a view of the bride and groom). This sounds so specific, but it was something that was important to us - & The Drake made it important to them. We ended up with the perfect layout for our vision.
One important piece I hadn’t considered before wedding planning: The Drake includes tables, linens, flatware, etc. Many venues require you to bring in outside rentals, but we were able to avoid an incremental cost & the headache of working with more vendors.
One more thing - The Drake does a Champagne Parade, serving every person at the head table champagne at the exact same time. Ours got a little messy, so I would recommend a run-through with the servers ahead of time based on your layout, but it is a super cool concept & makes for fun pictures/vibes!
I cannot recommend The Drake enough. It was our fairytale wedding & we love reliving it through stories from our guests, photos, & the memories.
GET MARRIED AT THE DRAKE!!! You will love it -
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![Barb]()
Barb Sent on 12/13/2024Fabulous Wedding Venue!!
Five stars is not high enough for The Drake Hotel Chicago! Every aspect of my daughter’s wedding planning and celebration was truly extraordinary. Within minutes of meeting our main contact, Sydney Waclawik, we knew we were in the best hands. From the first planning meeting to the final moments of the wedding day, Sydney was a steady, knowledgeable, and reassuring presence. Her professionalism, organization, and attention to detail were unmatched. Her fabulous support team of Sonya Ward and Shalinee Abraham assisted in seeing that all of our needs were met and executed flawlessly.
Sydney and her team truly listened to my daughter’s vision and brought it to life with care and precision. They worked seamlessly with our vendors, ensuring everything went smoothly. Sharon Johnson, the Director of Reservations, made the guest room block process effortless, with prompt responses, clear communication, and kindness.
The historic French Room set a stunning stage for the cocktail hour, and the timeless beauty of The Gold Coast Room wowed our guests as the reception venue. Unique traditions like The Drake’s renowned Bookbinders soup and the celebratory champagne parade added memorable wow factors that our guests are still talking about.
The cuisine was extraordinary—every dish was delicious, artfully presented, and served with impeccable care. Under the direction of Georges, the Director of Banquets who oversaw the setup, the Banquet Captains Jorge and Lino delivered a dining experience that exceeded all expectations, making every guest feel celebrated.
The guest rooms were spacious, immaculate, and luxurious. Floyd, the bellhop, was always on hand with a friendly smile and efficient service, further enhancing our experience.
From start to finish, the entire team at The Drake Hotel was impeccable. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect venue or team to host this special occasion. Thank you for making our daughter’s wedding a dream come true! -
Mary Sent on 01/10/2023
Everything Perfect
My daughter had her wedding in the Gold Coast room and every little detail was perfect. Service and food both impeccable. She was treated like royalty. We worked with Ali as the catering director and she was friendly and so helpful. The evening went off smoothly and we had to worry about nothing. The champagne parade was delightful and a wonderful addition to the festivities. The hotel rooms provided for Bride, groom and parents were amazing and my daughter couldn't get over being able to stay in the Princess Diana suite. I am so happy we chose this venue and the night could not have gone better. We also had the rehearsal dinner here in the Camille room and the food was incredible. -
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Stephanie Sent on 07/21/2022
The Drake Hotel Was My Fairytale Wedding!
There are not enough words to describe how wonderful our 200 person wedding was at the Drake Hotel in Chicago a few weeks ago. It had always been a dream of mine to get married in the Gold Coast room and Antoinette and her team made that come true! Not only was the venue itself absolutely stunning, but the staff made the wedding process easy and day of they were truly a well-oiled machine. They were there for everything we needed, whether it be room deliveries, vendors, security, etc. they were phenomenal. I want to get a personal shoutout specifically to Antoinette - with all of the covid weddings getting pushed into 2022 I don’t think I’ve ever seen a business person and she somehow managed to stay on top of everything for us. She was readily available by text/call whenever I had questions over the course of the last year. She was able to get us everything we needed and handled our wedding craziness with ease. She even was able to set up some time to allow us to take some pics on the roof in front of the famous Drake sign! Thank you Antoinette you truly are amazing at what you do! And also shoutout to our captains - Jorge, Lino, and Andy! You guys were top notch!
All in all, if you’re debating booking the drake for your wedding venue I would highly recommend you do so ASAP! Could not have asked for a better day! Thank you Drake team!! -
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![Lena]()
Lena Sent on 04/08/2020My Dream Wedding!
We got married on February 22, 2020 at The Drake Hotel in the Gold Coast Room and our wedding was beyond perfect! I had the absolute pleasure of working with Shaun and from day one he was incredible. No matter what time I emailed him, he always has a response for me within minutes (seriously!!!). He was so attentive and truly made us feel like our wedding was just as important to him as it was too us.
Shaun made my crazy dream of a 35 person head table come to life and made sure our wedding day went off without a hitch. His incredible team including Holly, Jose and Sarah were all so helpful, patient, and responsive. I felt so comfortable putting my wedding in their hands!
Sarah worked closely with my father-in-law to plan our Friday night welcome party in the Palm Court. She closed off a space for our 80 guests to kick off our wedding weekend and it was absolutely perfect!
Chris was an absolute all-star helping unload our cars, transporting various items between all of our rooms, and making sure we were always taken care of.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Shaun, his team and everyone else at the Drake who made our wedding weekend and absolute dream!! It was more incredible than I ever could have imagined! Thank you!!!!!
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![Mary]()
Mary Sent on 01/22/2020Best Wedding Venue!
From the minute we walked into the Drake when looking at venues for our January wedding, we knew the Drake was for us. Every member of the staff was excellent, especially our catering director, Shaun. Our guests LOVED the venue and said our wedding was the most beautiful, organized, and fun wedding they had been to. The weather was terrible our wedding weekend but you wouldn't have known because guests had everything they needed from a bar, cafe, coffee shop, even a florist, inside the Drake. Also, getting to use the Princess Diana suite *complimentary* was an absolute treat! It was magic and I highly recommend it to anyone looking at Chicago wedding venues! -
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![Brooke]()
Brooke Sent on 12/29/2019Classic Chicago Wedding - 10/10 Recommend!
Everything about our wedding was near perfection from the very start of the process. Shaun was our coordinator and he is truly the reason everything was so special for our entire wedding weekend. We had our rehearsal and a welcome reception on Friday night, our wedding on Saturday and a brunch in on Sunday. To say that we are happy with our events at The Drake is an understatement! 10/10 recommend getting married here! You will not regret it :) -
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![Jeanne]()
Jeanne Sent on 11/05/2019Best Experience of our lives
Literally our experience at The Drake was incredible! Their entire team was so incredibly friendly and accommodating. We were so lucky they had a date available for our big day. Everything from the service, to the food, to the bridal suite, to the customer service was exceptional. They went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed! -
![Bridget]()
Bridget Sent on 06/14/2019The Perfect Chicago Wedding
We celebrated our wedding at The Drake on 6.1.19. From cocktail hour in the Palm Court (one of the most beautiful rooms in Chicago) to the champagne parade to the beautiful Gold Coast Room - everything about our wedding at The Drake was exquisite. Every time that we went to The Drake for planning, we received the best service and felt like family. We worked with Shaun Rajah who is absolutely incredible, knowledgeable, and a joy to work with. The Gold Coast room has great natural light, is beautiful and warm as the night goes on, and is a wonderful piece of Chicago history. The Drake was the perfect venue for us! -
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![Gena]()
Gena Sent on 05/14/2019Treated like a Princess
Words cannot express the level of excellence Shaun Rajah and his team at The Drake Hotel bring to every interaction. From pre-planning to the actual event, he was our personal Superman, saving the day every step of the way. We were probably one of the most high maintenance clients he has ever worked with LOL, because we kept forgetting to get our choices to him. However, Shaun handled us with grace and elegance, giving us gentle reminders of what the hotel needed from us at any given time. There is no detail that goes unnoticed with Shaun, so believe me when I say the day could not have been more perfect. I have seen him interact with other clients too, and all I can say is, he makes every person he interacts with feel like royalty. He made our wedding so incredible, our friends and family are still calling us to tell us that it was the most amazing wedding they have ever attended. -
Gail Sent on 10/19/2018
A Dream Come True
From my very first meeting with Shaun, I knew he would take care of me. (And he wasn’t even my wedding consultant yet.) My family and I love the tea service at the Palm Court, but we always had trouble getting reservations. When a passing service member asked how we were enjoying our tea and if there was anything he could do, we asked about getting in more frequently. Shaun gave us his card and said the next time we want to come in but can’t get a reservation, give him a call. We never did, but I was lucky enough to be matched with him when filling out an application online for a wedding quote at the Drake.
From the first day we walked the space until the last moment on my wedding day, Shaun went above and beyond my expectations. He was able to offer his expertise with vendors and provide options for our wedding day. Shaun was very responsive when it came to all my questions. He made me feel very comfortable and never steered me wrong in the selection process. For instance, I was initially skeptical about including a “champagne parade” at the beginning of my reception. However, Shaun knew that my family and I were champagne connoisseurs and told us to reconsider. A tradition at The Drake, white-gloved servers, each holding a bottle of champagne, trot out to lively music and pour every flute at once. We loved it.
Furthermore, Shaun was always in my corner, especially when unexpected issues occurred. The week before the wedding day, all of our hotels service members, including hotel housekeeping, doorman, and wait staff, went on strike. Shaun immediately told me not to panic and said he “had it handled.” He was able to bring in great service staff so that we didn’t notice a change in our big day. Furthermore, he made me feel calm and confident that things would run smoothly, and they did.
My wedding went beyond my expectations, and I enjoyed every minute of it. We had a hospitality suite that started on the Thursday prior to the wedding so guests could enjoy a glass of wine and a snack. I highly recommend doing this as it is great for guests to spend more time with friends and relatives that they do not get to see very often.
Shaun shows care, compassion, and professionalism in every detail. I left our wedding weekend wanting to celebrate my 5-year wedding anniversary at the Drake and do it all over again.
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Malka Sent on 03/25/2020
Absolute Perfection!!
We got married February 29, 2020 at the Drake and choosing the Drake was the best decision we made! We had the pleasure of working with Shaun Rajah, and from the first moment we met, I knew we had to have our wedding at the Drake because of Shaun. Choosing where to have your wedding is extremely stressful, and in addition to the overwhelming beauty of the hotel itself, Shaun was the deciding factor that ultimately led us to choosing the Drake. I was nervous because I didn’t have a wedding planner but Shaun put my mind at ease and said he’d be there with me every step of the way- and he really was! There was no email that wasn’t answered the same day (and there were so many from me!), there was no question that he didn’t have an answer to, there was no request that we had that was too big or too small, he was an absolute dream to work with and took almost all of the stress out of the planning process entirely!!! MOST IMPORTANTLY, the weekend of the wedding, Shaun and the entire staff at the Drake including Holly in catering, Jose who helped me so much with the rooms, Chris our personal concierge who ran around like crazy between our gigantic bridal party’s and family members’s rooms fulfilling various requests, and every other person who assisted us from the Drake that weekend were all so beyond kind and accommodating-it truly made it possible to have the most perfect weekend of all time!! I would recommend this venue to every single bride who wants a beautiful, exquisite looking space and amazing workers who will go above and beyond to ensure that everything you dream comes true! Thank you so much Shaun and everyone else :) I can’t say it enough, you created the most perfect day and weekend for us! -
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