Greta Sent on 09/06/2020

5 out of 5 rating

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Welcoming, beautiful, and fun

Noor and Bobby and Chef Josh created an environment that was welcoming, beautiful and fun. They were careful and safe (zero reports of illness, 4 weeks later), flexible and responsive to our many different special requests. The food was delicious, the space was wonderful - including the patio, and the bartenders and waitstaff couldn't be more helpful and accommodating. It all exceeded our expectations in every way - just a wonderful day and evening.

Joanne Sent on 01/26/2020

5 out of 5 rating

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Perfect Wedding Reception Vendor with incredible food, expert wedding planning help, and convenient connected hotel

The Gillespie Center was the perfect vendor for our daughter's wedding! With help from Noor, LeAnn, and their staff, the day was incredible! They helped with every step of the reception planning, and did everything that needed to be done for setup and tear-down on the wedding day, including staying for most of the reception to help. The food was spectacular! The appetizers were amazing, as well as the half beef and half chicken plated dinner. Servers were timely, accommodating, and friendly. To have the hotel accommodations available to our guests in the same building and offered at a very reasonable rate was very nice, also. We were extremely pleased with the Gillespie Center and would recommend them to anyone planning an event.

Amanda Sent on 06/25/2012

5 out of 5 rating

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The venue was wonderful. We held our ceremony in the graden area, along with the cocktail hour and reception inside. Katie was such a pleasure to work with she went above and beyond. It was like you had a personal assistant. The food was amazing from the cocktail hour food to the dinner to the late night snacks. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect place and staff.

A9E7251B8650Bba8788Fd5E88722955446374C1F Sent on 09/09/2023

5 out of 5 rating

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Absolutely AMAZING!!

I want to start by saying, Allison is absolutely FANTASTIC. We loved working with her the entire planning process. She was responsive, helpful, and patient with all our changes and questions. The whole team we had to help with set up, serving food, and tear down at the end of the night were awesome as well. We got so many compliments on how great the food was, and how beautiful everything looked. I couldn’t imagine planning our wedding without the help of Allison and I am forever grateful for how amazing she was. I can’t recommend The Gillespie enough!

Jack Sent on 08/03/2020

5 out of 5 rating

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Happy Times at the Hilton.

We hosted a wedding for our daughter at the Hilton Garden Inn and the adjoining Gillespie Conference Center. Everything went very, very well. Noor, Leanne and the staff were responsive and helpful, the hotel was great and convenient, and everyone had a great time. I can easily recommend this venue to anyone. The ballroom can be spruced up very nicely, and there is a very nice outdoor section.

Megan Sent on 07/18/2016

5 out of 5 rating

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Our wedding reception was perfect thanks to Krista and everyone at the Gillespie Conference Center! As a bride planning her wedding from out-of-town, Krista was a dream to work with -- attentive, responsive, organized, professional, and experienced. Because of her expertise and attention to detail, our wedding reception went off without a hitch. Krista worked with my other vendors to set up the ballroom (it looked amazing!), and the evening flowed smoothly from start to finish. Our guests raved about the delicious food and impeccable service. I was not the least bit stressed on our big day knowing that everything was in Krista's able hands - she knocked it out of the park! I could not recommend Krista and the Gillespie Conference Center enough. We would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

User2662188 Sent on 06/26/2016

5 out of 5 rating

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We had the most wonderful experience with the Gillespie Center/Hilton Garden Inn. Krista was always available and quick to answer email questions/concerns. She was familiar and experienced with all our vendors so did much of the "behind the scenes" detail coordination. We received so many compliments on the food, atmosphere, and overall experience of the wedding. As the mother-of-the bride, I think the best compliment was when my daughter (the bride) saw me towards the end of the evening and proclaimed, "This is the BEST night of my life!!".....Thank you for making that happen!! Deb T.

Nicole Sent on 09/20/2015

5 out of 5 rating

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Megan and the Gillespie Center helped make our dream wedding become a reality. Megan was great to work with through day one. She was extremely helpful explaining our options and costs and how the day would. She was quick to answer all my questions and helped guide me in the right direction on making choices for our big day. Although the food and beverage minimum is quite high, the total package deal is so worth it. When it came down to the big day Megan was right there with us and helped make our evening absolutely perfect.

Brian Sent on 05/05/2014

5 out of 5 rating

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Our entire wedding experience at the Gillespie was absolutely perfect and exactly what we envisioned for our perfect day! Our coordinator, Megan Lesar, was very organized and kept our best wishes in mind while ensuring our wedding would go without a hitch and allow everyone to enjoy themselves! She was very responsive through phone and email, and her focus is very precise in making sure your special day is fun and truly remarkable! The Gillespie itself is a beautiful venue, and we were especially fond of the all-in-one location, allowing our guests to reserve rooms, come down for the ceremony and reception, and enjoy themselves all night, only to have to simply take the elevator back up to their...

Our entire wedding experience at the Gillespie was absolutely perfect and exactly what we envisioned for our perfect day! Our coordinator, Megan Lesar, was very organized and kept our best wishes in mind while ensuring our wedding would go without a hitch and allow everyone to enjoy themselves! She was very responsive through phone and email, and her focus is very precise in making sure your special day is fun and truly remarkable! The Gillespie itself is a beautiful venue, and we were especially fond of the all-in-one location, allowing our guests to reserve rooms, come down for the ceremony and reception, and enjoy themselves all night, only to have to simply take the elevator back up to their rooms (definitely a must for a winter wedding in South Bend)! The staff was a pleasure to work with, and the food was phenomenal! My wife and I would definitely recommend the Gillespie to anyone looking for an exceptional venue and service to host their wedding or event of a lifetime! Megan and the Gillespie were paramount to creating the perfect wedding and the night of lives!

Jennifer Sent on 10/03/2012

5 out of 5 rating

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The Hilton Garden Inn and Katie Sill were magnificent! My wedding reception was magnificent! The food was fantastic and the event went off without a hitch. We also had our send off brunch there with an omelet station and tons of good breakfast foods!! It was so nice and a perfect way to end the entire weekend with family and friends!

Maureen Sent on 08/31/2010

5 out of 5 rating

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Nicole was very willing to work with us during the sales process to give us the wedding we wanted. They were not stuck on providing a fixed package like other venues in the area.

Also, one of the main reasons I decided to hold my event here was because we were an out of town wedding and I loved the convenience of having all the events (welcome party, reception, and brunch) in the same place that guests were staying. This ended up working out so well especially because of the convenience to campus. I was very happy that Nicole and the staff were able to work with us to create an entire weekend of events exactly as...

Nicole was very willing to work with us during the sales process to give us the wedding we wanted. They were not stuck on providing a fixed package like other venues in the area.

Also, one of the main reasons I decided to hold my event here was because we were an out of town wedding and I loved the convenience of having all the events (welcome party, reception, and brunch) in the same place that guests were staying. This ended up working out so well especially because of the convenience to campus. I was very happy that Nicole and the staff were able to work with us to create an entire weekend of events exactly as we wanted them.

Also, the food was outstanding! I know this is a concern for brides because there are not many good caterers in the area. We went with a duet plate of filet mignon and crab cake and we got outstanding reviews from all our guests.

Lastly, Nicole and the entire staff's attention to detail was impeccable. They went above and beyond to make the whole wedding weekend better than we could have imagined and we are so thankful for their hard work and all their help!

I would highly recommend considering the Fleur De Lis Ballroom as your reception site if you are having a Notre Dame wedding or wedding in the area. I especially recommend it to all out of town brides.

Tara-Jo Sent on 05/21/2012

4.8 out of 5 rating

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We had such a great team who helped us with our wedding reception! It went off without any huge problems, our coordinator at the Gillespie Conference Center was amazing and made sure we had everything that we needed!

Jessica Sent on 02/06/2012

4.8 out of 5 rating

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The Gillespie Center is a beautiful location to have your reception and is very convenient if you're getting married at Notre Dame. It's so nice to have food and alcohol included in your reception price so you don't have to go around looking for everything. It was also good to have a hall attached to a hotel (where they gave us a free bridal suite for Saturday night) so that guests who may have imbibed a bit too much can just walk right back to their rooms. But the real selling point was working with Jamie Bibler. She was what convinced me to go with Gillespie. She was the most friendly and helpful person, possibly ever, and she would...

The Gillespie Center is a beautiful location to have your reception and is very convenient if you're getting married at Notre Dame. It's so nice to have food and alcohol included in your reception price so you don't have to go around looking for everything. It was also good to have a hall attached to a hotel (where they gave us a free bridal suite for Saturday night) so that guests who may have imbibed a bit too much can just walk right back to their rooms. But the real selling point was working with Jamie Bibler. She was what convinced me to go with Gillespie. She was the most friendly and helpful person, possibly ever, and she would bend over backwards to help with anything to make our wedding day great. For example, my mom and I were in South Bend a few days before the wedding and we were asking when we could get to the room to put the place cards in the holders and set them out. Her response was "Oh don't worry about that, just give it to us and we'll do it"!!!! So incredible. Definitely made our lives a lot easier than they could have been the week leading up to the wedding.

Jenny Sent on 08/26/2010

4.8 out of 5 rating

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Having our reception at the Hilton was the best decision! Nicole had great ideas, always asked for our input, organized all of the vendors that we had at the reception, and just went above her job duties. It was basically like having your own wedding planner for the reception part. I did not have to worry about anything in regards to the reception.

Diane Sent on 08/18/2010

4.8 out of 5 rating

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Nicole Smeltzer worked so hard to make sure the day ran smoothly.....we were always in communication. She knew what I needed and had many good suggestions..things I would have never thought of. My advice, listen to the HILTON's advice...they know what they are doing. Top notch professionals. I'd do it all over again. Nicole and the Hilton were spectacular.!!

Erin Sent on 05/29/2015

4.7 out of 5 rating

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Megan at The Gillespie was amazing to work with when planning the wedding reception! She was organized, responded to e-mails in a timely fashion, and made sure my wedding ran smoothly. The reception was everything I could have wished for. The set up was perfect, the food was delicious, and everyone had a wonderful time. Moreover, the staff were attentive to myself, my husband, and our parents the entire evening; they were able to handle any request/troubleshoot as needed. They even prepared a plate of the crab cakes since I did not get to try one before they ran out during the cocktail hour. That personal attention really makes them stand out!

Alexa Sent on 11/17/2014

4.7 out of 5 rating

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The Gillespie is a great venue for those who want an all-in-one package. The price for the ballroom includes cocktail hour, passed hors de oeuvres, dinner, champagne toast, open bar, honeymoon suite, and basic linens. While it is expensive, it is very convenient and the event planner at Gillespie works with you and your vendors to plan your event. The food is amazing, the pace of dinner was perfect, the event planner keeps things running smoothly. We had a great experience with Gillespie! Our guests loved being able to use the patio when they wanted a break from dancing. Gillespie even let us have a Cigar Bar set up so our guests could enjoy a cigar outside on the...

The Gillespie is a great venue for those who want an all-in-one package. The price for the ballroom includes cocktail hour, passed hors de oeuvres, dinner, champagne toast, open bar, honeymoon suite, and basic linens. While it is expensive, it is very convenient and the event planner at Gillespie works with you and your vendors to plan your event. The food is amazing, the pace of dinner was perfect, the event planner keeps things running smoothly. We had a great experience with Gillespie! Our guests loved being able to use the patio when they wanted a break from dancing. Gillespie even let us have a Cigar Bar set up so our guests could enjoy a cigar outside on the patio after dinner. There were times when it took a few days to get a response from them but I would always receive a response. Megan Lesar did a wonderful job for our wedding, she tried her best to give us everything we asked for!

Olivia Sent on 06/22/2011

4.7 out of 5 rating

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We loved, loved, loved our food! Everyone is constantly talking about the crab cakes and the peppadews! The only complaint I had was the transition after Nicole left. Nicole was not the best at responding to us, and after she left I had to find out through a friend of mine. Once Jamie took over, she was amazing! However, because Nicole didn't keep good notes and made certain promises she might not should have, we had more stress than needed. Everything worked out amazing in the end, and Jamie was so thoughtful and attentive on our wedding day. One more small complaint, we were chastised for going down to what we thought was a continental breakfast, but it costs...

We loved, loved, loved our food! Everyone is constantly talking about the crab cakes and the peppadews! The only complaint I had was the transition after Nicole left. Nicole was not the best at responding to us, and after she left I had to find out through a friend of mine. Once Jamie took over, she was amazing! However, because Nicole didn't keep good notes and made certain promises she might not should have, we had more stress than needed. Everything worked out amazing in the end, and Jamie was so thoughtful and attentive on our wedding day. One more small complaint, we were chastised for going down to what we thought was a continental breakfast, but it costs 8.99 and everything else is like 2.00 so we paid 8.00 for bananas and tiny muffins. I did call Jamie, and she brought up anything we wanted! Also, I booked our suite the night before so I could have it for the entire wedding day and we were not given the room we were supposed to which was frustrating. Other than those small details, amazing experience.

Kathy Sent on 08/18/2010

4.6 out of 5 rating

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We had a wonderful experience at the Hilton Garden Inn for our daughters wedding. The entire staff was delightful to work with and very competent and accommodating. Nicole Smeltzer (who was our primary contact person) did an outstanding job in working for us and in making sure everything was the way we wanted it. She was truly delightful to work with! She contirbuted ideas and worked very hard to make sure everything was wonderful. The details were as important to her as they were to us!! The food was delicious. We had more postive comments about how good the food was, everything from the appetiziers to the entree. Nicole helped us work directly with the chef to get the...

We had a wonderful experience at the Hilton Garden Inn for our daughters wedding. The entire staff was delightful to work with and very competent and accommodating. Nicole Smeltzer (who was our primary contact person) did an outstanding job in working for us and in making sure everything was the way we wanted it. She was truly delightful to work with! She contirbuted ideas and worked very hard to make sure everything was wonderful. The details were as important to her as they were to us!! The food was delicious. We had more postive comments about how good the food was, everything from the appetiziers to the entree. Nicole helped us work directly with the chef to get the perfect combinations of delicious food. We also had our wedding brunch on Sunday after athe reception at the hotel for 100 people and on the Wednesday evening prior to the wedding we hosted a bachelorrette dinner. The food and service for ALL events where outstanding. Nicole worked hard with us to make sure it was a "win-win" situation for our budget as well as for the Hilton. I would HIGHLY recommend working with Nicole again and using the Hilton Gillesepie Center Faciltiies again. We alsio had a very large number of out of town guests who all stayed at the Hioton Garden Inn. They found the rooms very comfortable and clean, and all the staff to be very friendly and helpful and all of our guests commented to us how thrilled they were with their accommadations and their entire stay throughout the weekend.

User2264127 Sent on 08/10/2015

4.5 out of 5 rating

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Megan Lesar and team were PHENOMENAL to work with. Always helpful and easy to contact.

Our guests received the duet plate - it was great - no counting meals or orders!

The hotel is very accommodating and lets you work with any vendor you choose. They are honest and professional.

Would highly recommend Megan and her team. Just great.

User1215015 Sent on 06/25/2013

4.3 out of 5 rating

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4.5 out of 5 rating

We were so happy with our wedding reception at the Gillespie Center / Hilton Garden Inn South Bend. Megan Lesar took over for Katie Sill as our event coordinator a few months before the wedding, and she was great at making sure everything ran smoothly! I planned everything from out of town and only arrived two days before the wedding, and Megan took care of coordinating decorations with our vendors and making sure everything looked great.

Pros: Everything under one roof (catering, ceremony, reception, linens - everything can be provided), wedding coordinator is included, hilton honors points, discounted rate on hotel rooms, you can reserve different sections of the ballroom for different sized parties, outdoor area for cocktail...

We were so happy with our wedding reception at the Gillespie Center / Hilton Garden Inn South Bend. Megan Lesar took over for Katie Sill as our event coordinator a few months before the wedding, and she was great at making sure everything ran smoothly! I planned everything from out of town and only arrived two days before the wedding, and Megan took care of coordinating decorations with our vendors and making sure everything looked great.

Pros: Everything under one roof (catering, ceremony, reception, linens - everything can be provided), wedding coordinator is included, hilton honors points, discounted rate on hotel rooms, you can reserve different sections of the ballroom for different sized parties, outdoor area for cocktail hour, the staff was great - no long lines for the bar, food was served on schedule, etc.

Cons: Pay attention to the minimums, the ballroom carpets & decor are very conferency so hiring a lighting company makes a big difference, there were a few random charges (minor's bar for soda, etc) that I wasn't told about up front which could have been communicated better & earlier

Kari Sent on 06/15/2010

2.5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
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3 out of 5 rating

We had our 2010 wedding reception at the Hilton Garden Inn. It is very expensive and we did not feel like we got the value for what we paid. The banquet manager and event manager did not seem to have good communication prior to the event and several things we had planned in our schedule were completely omitted. Instead of enjoying our time and sitting back we had to make sure things were happening as we had planned. They took way too long to bring out the main course leading to some of our reception time being wasted. They did not cut our wedding cake correctly and two of our tables of guests did not get any. Also, the...

We had our 2010 wedding reception at the Hilton Garden Inn. It is very expensive and we did not feel like we got the value for what we paid. The banquet manager and event manager did not seem to have good communication prior to the event and several things we had planned in our schedule were completely omitted. Instead of enjoying our time and sitting back we had to make sure things were happening as we had planned. They took way too long to bring out the main course leading to some of our reception time being wasted. They did not cut our wedding cake correctly and two of our tables of guests did not get any. Also, the event manager is terrible about returning emails in a timely manner and when she did respond she rarely answered our questions. If you choose to go with the Hilton Garden Inn make sure you address all of these issues prior to the event.

Gillespie Conference Center Reviews

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Gillespie Conference Center