Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel

I was in awe of the Berkeley from the moment I walked into the mezzanine, picturing how beautiful the wedding pictures would be. The Crystal ballroom and rooftop were also spectacular and we knew this had to be our wedding venue. Unfortunately, this is all the Berkeley has to offer. Our experience working with the Berkeley throughout our planning process and wedding weekend was awful. There were multiple issues with guests’ rooms (I won’t get into that here-reviews of the hotel on other sites speak to this). There was a lack of organization and care from the staff the entire time. We had multiple points of contact throughout the process which was frustrating because the new person never seemed to be properly briefed and it felt like we were constantly starting over. Our room block was not managed properly. We regularly followed up for updates and not once did they send over an accurate list–there were many errors we had to “catch.” Parking was a nightmare (even in October); you have to pay a large amount to reserve spots that the hotel can’t even accommodate and the staff were not helpful when guests had questions. This is particularly frustrating when the guests are elderly. The worst part of the wedding weekend was the man who worked at the front desk: he was extremely rude to us and our guests, he gave someone a key to my hotel room without my knowledge or consent, and he was overheard by multiple people badmouthing me in front of guests. At one point he was heard saying “I have bigger things to worry about than some woman’s wedding” on his cell phone behind the desk while our guests were in the lobby! He clearly had no interest in giving us a positive experience. After taking our pre-ceremony pictures, I was directed by the Berkeley staff to enter the hotel through the side door so our guests wouldn’t see me; when I walked in this door, our guests were right there. They ended up sticking us in what was basically a closet for the last moments before our ceremony. Part of our agreement included having the bridal suite cleaned after the groomsmen got ready there during the day. When we got back to our room after the wedding we found the room was never cleaned and we had to clean it ourselves, along with two Buona Sera staff (who were amazing!). We also got in writing that we would offer our guests breakfast at the hotel and they knew how many people were staying because of our room block. Despite this, they were understaffed and there wasn’t enough food for everyone and no one to clear the plates off tables. We read reviews prior to our wedding that were similar to this but thought there’s no way it could happen to us, but unfortunately it did. Thanks to these reviews we were sure to get everything in writing beforehand which, if you choose to get married here, we highly recommend you do the same. They are deceitful and you will need this written record to refer back to after your wedding is over. If it weren’t for Ric, Abby, Mike, all of the other Buona Sera staff I would give zero stars. Buona Sera was incredible and tried to help resolve our issues with the Berkeley. The Berkeley thinks they can get away with not treating people with the great customer service they deserve for the most important day of their lives because they have such a beautiful, iconic venue in Asbury Park. I highly recommend Buona Sera and all of our other vendors, but I would not recommend the Berkeley as a hotel or wedding venue.

Unprofessional and Shady Staff, Random Charges First, I want to caveat this by saying the ballrooms are really pretty, and that Rick and Buona Sera Catering are phenomenal. If you can find another venue they're at, they're great. This review is specific to the hotel and their staff. I have worked in event planning for 10 years and have never encountered as rude, unprofessional, and downright shady staff as exists at the Berkeley. Overall, every single charge is a moving target and their only goal is to maximize the amount of money they're making off of you. If you are booking with them, get EVERYTHING in writing and ask as many questions as you can before you sign any contract. Once your contract is signed, their answer to everything will be "tough, we're a seasonal high traffic business." Hotel Blocks: Their attrition rate is 100%. Meaning, if you don't book every room in your block, you as the couple are responsible for the cost for any rooms unbooked. They let you release 10% a month out, but if you have any cancellations then they'll charge you for that entire canceled stay. Along with taxes, they threw a "banquet fee" onto each room without any warning. Parking: Parking is a nightmare. They charge $35-$65 (which they seemingly decide at random) per day for hotel guests to park. We paid $1500 just for 25 cars max to be able to park during the wedding. Because of that, all of our hotel guests who were already paying $331 a night to stay were told there weren't enough spaces and "only VIP guests can park." Bar: As part of the premium open bar, they'll only give you two reds and two whites, which includes a sparkling. The champagne for the toast was undrinkable, so swap for Prosecco. The bartenders put out a tip cup. After spending tens of thousands to host a wedding there, my father was told he could not park. The day after the wedding, we went to the front desk to book a pool cabana after being told it was $100. A few days later, the hotel "realized it was a mistake" and added another $100 to the folio and produced a fraudulent pool waiver claiming the costs were agreed to. The hotel manager Robby (sp) was condescending and rude both in person and on the phone. When one of our handicapped guests was turned away from parking because he arrived before the Valet lot opened, he asked to speak to a manager and he hid in the back office and wouldn't come out.

The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel made planning the wedding so easy! We only looked at a handful of venues and knew almost straight away that this venue was the one. The venue is stunning and ideally located, but it was the staff who really made this a five star experience. I planned the wedding from a different country and they didn't bat an eyelid at my mostly email communication and very specific times I could meet with them. We even switched wedding coordinators at one point throughout the planning process and the switch was seamless. In fact, our wedding coordinator Dominique spotted an error the previous one made with our pricing which allowed us to fit in a few extra food options within our contracted price. The hotel also went above and beyond to cater for my guests who stayed with them, especially the out-of-country ones! The catering that the Berkeley works with, Buona Sera, was unreal. Their food, staff, and demeanor were awesome. Between the venue and the caterers, there was no missteps. All of the guests we have spoken to since have complimented the wedding venue and food over and over again. I highly recommend booking here!

I've been debating writing this review for a few months now. Let me start by saying my wedding was amazing, I wish I could relive the night over and over again. Many guests have told us it's the best wedding they have ever been to! Nobody wanted the night to end. There are a few factors that contributed to that, none of them being The Berkeley. Buona Sera is the main reason why my wedding was so amazing. The food and organization with them was impeccable. The vendors I chose made this wedding what it was (special shout out to Marquis Florals, Reel Productions, Captured on Canvas, and SCE Events). If it wasn't for Buona Sera and these vendors, I would have regretted choosing The Berkeley Let me start by saying I went through 3 different contacts at The Berkeley in the year and a half I was planning. Very frustrating. If it wasn't for my organization and communication, everything would have been done last minute. Night before the wedding- Arrived from rehearsal dinner at 11 PM to check in. I was told we had to park our own cars across the street in the rain (keep in mind we had my wedding dress and about 10 different bags between my bridal party and I). No bell hop to help with luggage, nothing. Not to mention- the staff is unprofessional and completely unhelpful. The Berkeley knew (or 100% should have known) there was a wedding party checking in that night, why was no one there to help? Day of wedding- Woke up at the crack of dawn to get ready. No coffees, juices, pastries NOTHING. This hotel literally will not throw one extra in as a 'thank you' for dropping thousands of dollars at their venue. In fact- they thanked us with horrible service. We were short a chair while getting ready and it took them over an hour to deliver one. NO attendant to help with anything. Planters outside the lobby were empty- you would think the hotel would try to spruce up the place a bit before a wedding. My mom mentioned something to the front desk and instead of going to pick up planters to fix the issue, they did nothing... Post wedding- You thought the terrible service ended there? About 4 months after the wedding I received a room charge from The Berkeley. Turns out they forgot to charge us a night for our wedding suite and took it upon themselves (without notice) to charge my card. Bottom line- the hotel is a mess. They have no clue how to treat a bride, a groom, and their guests. They need to seriously take a look at their staff/what they can offer and see whether or not they should continue with weddings. If they decide to continue hosting weddings, things need to change. There are way too many venues in the Shore area to choose from where service is top of the line. Thank you Buona Sera for making this wedding spectacular! Our wedding will be talked about for years to come.

PERFECT for a laid back couple...We experienced some turnover in staff during the planning process which was frustrating but it all worked out in the end. The Buona Sera staff is who really brings it all together from the rehearsal to the breakdown— Rick and Mike are pros. You just have to be very detailed with everyone to make sure your vision is seen/heard. Molly was our bridal attendant and she AMAZING. Ask for Molly! The hotel staff does their best to accommodate you but you really need to be assertive for them to go out of their way. My husband and I love Asbury Park, couldn’t see ourselves getting married anywhere else, and the Berkeley has that old charm that no other venue in AP has.

We had our wedding reception at the Berkeley Hotel. We had cocktail hour in the Oval and Versailles ballrooms and our reception in the Crystal ballroom. All three spaces are beautiful, with great views of the ocean and boardwalk and plenty of space for guests. Our guests loved the outdoor patio space where they could mingle with a cocktail and enjoy our cigar bar at the end of the night or get some fresh air - what a nice touch! I am giving the hotel 4 stars for lack of communication in booking hotel rooms. The prices constantly changed from one year before our wedding and the month before our wedding. What we were told and what we signed in our contract differed as the date got closer. All I can say is get everything in writing and try to figure out as soon as possible how many rooms you will need. I was also not happy with the $35 parking fee that was added to guests check out fee for staying overnight. I think that should be included in your overall reception cost. Other than that, we loved who we worked with and had an amazing reception. I would book there again, it truly is an amazing and unique wedding space.

We loved our wedding at the Berkeley. Its a fantastic location and Berekely Neis, our coordinator really went above and beyond. Would recommend this to to all brides. It has a perfect mix of traditional wedding vibe, and edge.

My husband and I are absolutely thrilled and still can’t get over how perfect our day was!! We got married Memorial Day weekend and the planning process with the Berkeley staff couldn’t have been better: every one did an amazing job. Mike and Megan , the caterers are absolutely fantastic As well. Our guests loved the food and also the hotel Rooms. The staff are so friendly and our whole weekend was beyond perfect!! too.

We had the perfect NYE wedding at The Berkeley! From the very beginning, planner Berkeley was able to connect with us and make us feel completely comfortable choosing The Berkeley for our special day. She helped to bring our wedding dreams to life; guests loved the charm, history and cleanliness of the hotel. Our photographs are beautiful; simple and elegant with the backdrop of this hotel's charm.

My husband and I got married on November 10th at the Berkeley and we have no complaints. We arrived on Thursday night and the heat was too high, they sent maintenance right up and it was fixed. The room was spacious and beautiful for our wedding weekend. The views were amazing too! We got very lucky and worked with Berkely Neis! She helped us with everything and was very responsive to emails. She checked on me in the bridal ready room and wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. We had a little trouble booking a breakfast, but it all worked out because of Berkeleys commitment to us. The wedding itself was beautiful and magical. Each room is unique in its own way and the vendors we chose all knew each other and that made the day even smoother. My husband and I would recommend this venue to anyone! It was the best day that is unforgettable. Thank you to all of the staff and especially Berkeley Neis!!!!

We had our wedding October 20, 2017 on the roof! Berkeley and te staff at The Berkeley were amazing! We ran into a couple hiccups and it was taken care of right away with no problems at all. Everyone was very accomidating and understanding with what we wanted and the venders we used. Would absolutely recommend to future brides/grooms!

INCREDIBLE. There aren't words to express our experience with having our reception at The Berkeley. I wish we could give 6 stars. We had gotten engaged right across the street on the boardwalk and joked how funny it would be if we ended up getting married at The Berkeley not realizing it would actually be the venue of our dreams. Venue: The location makes the reception like a mini vacation for all guests. With it being the in the beautiful and buzzing Asbury Park, there is plenty of places for guests to visit and explore on top of being right next to the beach. The Berkeley beautifully keeps their old charm with gorgeous touches like the chandeliers. By having three rooms for the event, we were able to comfortably fit 240 guests. The ceilings and windows in the ballroom are just spectacular and it was the perfect place for charm and character with elegance. Service: Top notch. The staff at The Berkeley truly are in their positions because of the love for hosting events and weddings, not just for a job. They put in the extra time, effort, and flexibility to make our event absolutely perfect. From Amy and Berkeley in management to Lisa as the maitre die, we were in the best hands from beginning to end. They were over accommodating, calm and always ahead of the situation. They allowed for me to come in with all my crazy ideas and made them reality. Both professional and friendly, it felt like we were working with family throughout and we couldn't be more thankful. Value: Amazing. Going in to planning our wedding, we really wanted to have stations for the event rather than sit down to keep the party going and allow people to eat the whole night, not at all, or on and off whenever they'd like and that was hard to find. Having the Berkeley venue semi-separate from the caterer allowed us the flexibility to keep to our budget with what we could have available. Over accommodating and affordable for the what we received and the location it was in. Recommend 100x!

When my fiancé and I started the venue process for our wedding, there was something about the Berkeley that stood out. It has that old, classic feel with a modern twist and is located across from the beach. We were in love just walking through the doors. Then we met with the team. Amy, Berkeley, and Sofia were AMAZING. They showed us the various rooms that could hold our event, they explained the catering options, and were able to suggest photographers. We left feeling certain this was the place for our big day! Fast forward a year later... The week leading up to our wedding, I had so many questions! The line of communication between myself, Amy and Sofia was so very clear.They were also able to assist my guests! Their response time was immediate and always positive. They were able to ease my worries. A day before the wedding I was able to drop ALL of my stuff off at the Berkeley and the girls along with Buona Sera Catering put it all together for us the day of the wedding! There are really are no words to describe how they were able to coordinate the day for us. The day of the wedding, Amy and Sofia were present. They weren't just there, they were genuinely there to help us in anyway we needed. The bridal ready room is to die for! It was spacious, with two bathrooms, a refrigerator, a Keurig, large mirrors, and natural sunlight. The day of, the girls from the Berkeley brought in fruit and champagne to make the day extra special. I cannot say enough good things about the venue and the sales staff there. If I had to do it all over again, I'd choose the Berkeley. They offer the whole package: a beautiful venue AND a staff that is experienced, passionate, and dedicated!

The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel was the first venue we looked at for our wedding and I fell in love with it from the moment I walked in. The lobby has an old school southern/modern charm about it that I knew guests would love. You walk up a large staircase to the mezzanine with checkered marble floors and huge windows. My photos here are incredible! You can have an rooftop ceremony, beach ceremony or indoor ceremony! The rooftop has an incredible view of the city of Asbury Park as well as the beach/ocean. This was my top pick but unfortunately it rained!! My Plan B room, the Oval room, was just as incredible! Huge doors that look out onto a balcony set the perfect backdrop for the ceremony! The reception rooms are equally as gorgeous with some of the most incredible chandeliers! Some are the originals! The bridal sweet has a large mirror with chairs and lighting that are perfect for getting hair/makeup done and look fabulous in pictures! The feel of this venue is elegant, classic and timeless! The service and staff at the Berkeley are equally as amazing! We worked with Berkeley who was so friendly and helpful from day one. She showed us around the Berkeley and was able to answer all of our questions. During the entire wedding planning process she quickly responded to my 8 million e-mails and always had a pleasant as well as professional attitude! I don't know what I would have done without her!! The days leading up to the wedding and the day of the wedding went so smoothly due to the service of the hotel staff, Berkeley of course and my go to bellman, Theo Brown! The wedding itself was beautiful and perfectly laid out. We had the premium liquor with two bars during the reception!! We had zero complaints!

I would highly recommend the Berkeley Hotel! We did not have our wedding reception here, but did just about everything else . All of the members of the sales team were hugely helpful in coordinating our guest room block, pre-wedding cocktail party, wedding party photos, and post-wedding brunch. My bridesmaids and I got ready in a large suite with a view of all of Asbury Park. Everything was beautiful! Everyone at the front desk was pleasant, professional, and eager to accommodate any of our requests throughout the weekend. This hotel housed one of our two guest room blocks, but in retrospect, we wished we'd arranged for the Berkeley to do it all. They were the best!

Amazing! Our wedding went off without a hitch. Amy, Berkeley, and Sofia from the Berkeley are definitely to thank for that. Everyone was always happy to answer any of my questions and were always available. Besides the great staff, the venue lends it to itself. All of our guests were in love with the hotel and ballrooms and were so impressed by everything! The venue is a GREAT place for some fun pictures. The new bar in the lobby was also the perfect after party place. We can't wait to come back to stay here for future anniversaries :).

Amy at the Berkeley deserves an award!! From start to finish in planning our wedding, we felt like Amy was a friend doing everything possible to give us the wedding of our dreams. Our NYE wedding at The Berkeley was magical. We have gotten so many compliments about the venue and it was so easy for our guests who were able to stay overnight. The hotel staff was so accommondating and made things less stressful. My dad keeps saying be would reccomend The Berkeley 100x over, and so would we!!

My husband and I planned our wedding in 4 months. We looked into a few venues- The Berkeley actually be the first venue! I couldn't get the venue out of my head. We loved everyone that came with the Berkeley. They were like a family here and we knew it would be easy planning with them. Amy was absolutely amazing throughout the process. I feel as though she became part of our family while planning. The day of she went above and beyond for me and I am SO thankful for her- she did more than she needed for me and made me feel extremely comfortable and at ease the day of. If you are considering this venue BOOK IT! You can't go wrong. From Amy to Bueno Sera Catering they make for an awesome team and a SMOOOOOTH wedding day! You're in the best of hands here. Thank you to everyone at the Berkeley for making our wedding day so special !

The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel was our FIRST and ONLY choice for our wedding reception and we had such a wonderful experience from beginning to end. The Berkeley is stunningly, beautiful with so much historical charm! There are no other venues in the area that can offer so much historic authenticity! Everyone was so taken back by the event space. Our overnight guests were very happy with their hotel stay as well. It was not only convenient for our guests to stay right at the reception location, but the rooms were spacious and clean and the beds were very comfortable. The Berkeley Wedding staff--- including Amy, Chris, & Francesca---were top-notch. They were friendly, easy-going, kind, enthusiastic, and very accommodating. Awesome hospitality! But putting all that aside, they were simply good-hearted people that wanted nothing but the best for us. They made the entire wedding planning process fun and memorable! Five Stars across the board :)

My wife and I looked at a handful of venues in the area but chose The Berkeley because of its art deco aesthetic, location near the boardwalk and catering manager, Jena. She was responsive, kind and easy to deal with. Unfortunately, she resigned after we signed our contract. Her replacement, Ryan, tried charging us $1,000.00 for something Jena said was included. Ryan said it was her manager’s decision and many couples were complaining. She finally agreed to waive the charge against her manager’s wishes. Then she resigned. Her replacement? Her manager, Stephanie. We were worried so many details still needed to be finalized and we were on our third catering manager. At our first (and last) meeting with Stephanie, she explained “how hotels make money”. Seriously. She also demanded written proof that Ryan had waived the fee, which we had. She begrudgingly gave us the room for free. She is extremely condescending, with an unfriendly face to boot. My wife and I are educated professionals and she spoke to us like we were idiots. My wife was so angry, she stopped talking about halfway through the appointment. The only time she contacted us after that was to ask for more money. Thankfully, Heather and Lisa of Falco’s are AMAZING! They picked up all of the slack left by Stephanie. They answered every single question we had in person, by phone and email. Lisa coordinated our ceremony and reception perfectly, even entertaining our rambunctious ring bearers. She truly went above and beyond. Falco’s has worked at The Berkeley through all of the management changes and they know how to host an event there. Stephanie didn’t even bother telling us this happened. Falco’s did, which tells you all you need to know.http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2015/12/landmark_jersey_shore_hotel_employee_stole_7k_from.html That all being said, The Berkeley is a beautiful, historic space. I wish they had different management, but if you use Falco’s, you can expect a day as perfect as ours.

Horrendous experience with this hotel staff. They are so lucky that the venue is beautiful and that they have Falco's Catering to carry them. We had FOUR staff changes and were never notified, we had to start from scratch each time because they never knew what was previously planned. We also had a MAJOR headache with the rooms - they basically bait & switched us. Having a wedding in mid january, they told us that there would be no issues with rooms. We were having a wedding of 250+ and they advised us to block 25 and they would let us know when to extend. They never did, they acted like everything was fine, until my brother-in-law tried to book and the entire hotel was SOLD OUT. No one told us that there was a music festival the same weekend, so instead of letting us know, they sold the rooms to random guests for $250 as opposed to the wedding guests when the room block was $109. they would not credit the rooms back, they gave us a chair upgrade instead. WTF?! so we had to have a 2nd block at the sheraton and hire a shuttle; an extra expense that we were not planning for nor did the Berkeley offer to help us with after screwing us over. Totally unreliable, my mom and I had to be on their backs every step of the way to get what we wanted. Luckily, the day went off with out a hitch due to our due diligence and to Falco's Catering staff who was with us every step of the way. My advice, take the caterer and pick a different venue!!!!!

I had a block of rooms for 15 here and over 10+ rooms booked out privately with a lovely lady named Ryan.That was the end of the good experience. We had gone there for our food tasting and were given a tour of the hotel, at that time we were told we could take pictures inside the hotel assuming there were no other events booked that day. We checked into the hotel the night before our wedding and at that time we said we would see them tomorrow for pictures. A nasty lady popped her head up and barked that we were not allowed to take pictures at the hotel. Another woman, Stephanie came sauntering down the hallway asking if we needed to speak to her. I didn't think we needed to speak to anyone considering on multiple occasions we were told we could take pictures, they had even shown us where we would take them. Stephanie was nasty and unaccommodating just standing there with her arms crossed saying no sorry there's nothing we can do, claiming that's not their policy and we couldn't take ANY pictures there. This wouldn't have been an issue if there wasn't a hurricane the following day for my wedding. It was a shame to see nobody could do anything to help out at all the night before the wedding and considering the circumstances. The morning of we were able to use the lobby ONLY to take pictures which is great they allowed us to do that, but my guests checking in we're watching me take pictures. That defeated the purpose of having everyone see you for the first time at the ceremony. The reason they are getting the 1 star is because of the run around they put us through. When you have 25+ rooms booked it was a shame that was all they could do knowing a wedding is such a special occasion. I used to love the Berkely Hotel but it's not the same as it used to be. I would never book another room there just from the bad taste they left in my mouth that day. My guests were also disheartened to hear that during a hurricane they couldn't do a little better to help me out. Unfortunately, none of the other 25 rooms of people will be rebooking at this hotel either. Just beware before you make your wedding block here clearly the staff is all misinformed on what the actual rules are and if you need a fallback place for pictures your chances are slim of having that happen. Luckily the owner of my caterer called in a favor for me.

We had our wedding at the Berkeley on June 19, 2015. From the moment I saw the venue I knew I wanted to get married there! The place is so beautiful with each room having its own unique charm. The upstairs lobby is fantastic for pictures, the room with the balcony overlooking the ocean for cocktail hour was a treat and the ballroom is breathtaking! When I got inside and saw all the tables done in my colors and flowers-WOW! The bridal suite for getting ready is a HUGE PLUS as well. I was able to get in there early and hang with my girls, relaxing getting make-up done and taking some great pics! When Jenna left the Berkeley for another job 2 weeks before my wedding I thought OMG! but Ryan stepped right in and assured me everything was still going to be just as everything was planned. Chris the catering manager was FANTASTIC as well-if we had a concern or issue he was on top of it! Also, I was hesitant at first to book due to the fact that they use an outside caterer but Falco's was absolutely fantastic. The food was amazing-i have people STILL talking to me about the cocktail hour :) Alissa is the bomb-everytime we chatted we would be on the phone for over 45min talking about other wedding and helping me choose the perfect food. I never felt like I had to track anyone down or make phone calls to anyone. It was such a beautiful day and I don't have one single complaint. If you need something you just need to call them-early check in? room change? Don't be afraid to ask if you have a problem and get mad over it-most likely it will get resolved and you will be just worried about getting to the church on time ;)

We had our wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel on May 30, 2015. I cannot say enough about how great the Berkeley and their staff were! Our day went perfectly thanks to the help of the staff, especially Jenna. She was wonderful to work with! She answered all of our questions (even the ones we didn't know we should be asking), was always quick to respond, and handled any potential issues with ease. Our day turned out more perfect than we even thought and we thank Jenna and her staff for making that happen.

We had our weddings at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel on March 21, 2015. I can honestly say it was the best day of my life. Everything ran so smoothly. Jenna was so helpful and easy to get in touch with prior to the big day. She made planning our wedding less stressful. We had a lot of out of town guests that stayed in the hotel, all of whom found it very accommodating. The day of the wedding my girls and I got ready in the bridal ready suite. What a great feature of the hotel. A wall of mirrors, bright lights, studio chairs, couches, refrigerators, a place to hang all the dresses for photos. It was a great space to get ready in. Even my hairdresser and makeup artists commented on it. As soon as we entered cocktail hour, Jenna and Chris made sure we had everything we needed and let us know Chris would be there for the rest of night. The oval and Versailles rooms were beautiful for cocktail hour and my guest really enjoyed going out on the balcony. The Crystal Ballroom looked stunning. It was everything I dreamed it would be. Chris was constantly making sure everything was great for us. I believe Falcos is the exclusive caterier of the hotel now. We had options when we booked our wedding and we chose Falcos. The food and service were amazing. I worked with Alissa when planning the wedding and Lisa was our Maître D' on the big day. Alissa was very helpful in selecting the menu. We chose a duet plate with crab stuffed flounder and sirloin steak. I had worked in catering in the past I highly recommend this option for many reasons. You don't have to send menu choices to your guests, chances are they will enjoy at least one of the options if not both, and it makes it a lot easier on the kitchen when everyone gets the same thing, which equates to quicker service and more time on the dance floor. Our Maître D' Lisa was absolutely fantastic, she made sure we always had a drink in our hand, ran the timing of the whole night with the dj, and was just a lovely person to work with. After the reception the hotel kept the hotel bar open for all the guests until 2am, which was awesome because most people were staying over. I could not have asked for a better wedding day. The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel team especially Jenna and Chris were great to work with and I would recommend them to everyone. Falcos did an amazing job with absolutely delicious food and amazing service. They work very well together and it was evident on our wedding day!

My fiancé and I booked the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in 2013. Soon after, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Every dollar we were saving for our wedding, we put into getting second and third opinions, treatments options and such. We struggled with the possibility of having to cancel the wedding but instead decided to try to contact all of our vendors to see if they’d postpone to September 2014. They did. We didn’t want cancer to steal happiness. The BIG Day: A bit before 6pm, right before cocktail hour, the fire alarm went off. Everyone had to evacuate the building – first into the pouring rain and then management allowed us to stand in the lobby. Firefighters arrived and cocktail hour was only 45 min. Then, the air conditioning stopped working. It was hot and unbearably humid forcing some guests to get sick, many to leave without even having dinner and most weren’t able to even dance! Cem Erenler, the manager, got on the mic, said they were fixing the prob, opened the windows. Prob was never fixed. I emailed Steven Goldman at the corporate office, Amsterdam Hospitality (NYC). Mr. Goldman responded: “I have reviewed the situation with the Hotel Team Members that were present and while yes, we did have some minor AC issues in the building at the time of your event (my apologies for that happening), we don’t feel that they justify a refund of your event.” No mention of cocktail hour being cut short. The fact is, our entire party was witness to the fact that there was no air conditioning. When we said that we would provide statements by guests, we got this reply: “After further discussion, I am prepared to offer you a refund of $1000. Please let me know if you would like a check…or a refund to the credit card on file.” We didn’t take the $1k as we felt it was an insult meant to put a band-aid on bullet wound. We pleaded with him. We explained how much this had meant to us, given my diagnosis and how unfair that the day had turned out as it did. We called the office many times, leaving messages with the secretary, Megan, but never heard back. The least they could do, especially since they didn’t apologize until we reached out to them, was to give some of our money back. The money was meant to secure a properly working venue, not a broke down palace, and an event that was supposed to start at 6pm.

I had to constantly stay on top of them to find out what guests reserved, how many were in room block, etc. They never told me I needed to increase my room block. They also didn't give my gift bags to all guests, even though I asked them to on multiple occasions. They also gave me a hard time about checking in early even though I was the bride, and had 20 guest rooms reserved. We were only asking for a 12:30pm check-in. If you don't mind constantly having to reach out to them, or not being confident your guests will be taken care of...

I was looking for a unique venue, near the beach, for my fall wedding. The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel was everything and more - unique, beautifully restored, historic, spacious, grand. The Berkeley was the first venue I toured, and no where else compared!! We had the use of 3 rooms on our wedding day - a room for the ceremony, a room for the cocktail hour that overlooked the ocean, and the ballroom. The rooms were beautiful, but the ballroom was absolutely stunning with high ceilings and more than enough room for our family and friends to talk and dance. We had approximately 165 guests, but we could have fit a lot more. It's been almost 3 weeks since the wedding, and our family and friends are still raving about the venue. Even our local guests, who were familiar with the hotel, were awed at the beauty and historic architecture in the banquet rooms at The Berkeley. Jenna, the catering manager at The Berkeley, was amazing during the entire process!!! She answered all my questions, big and small, and did not seem bothered in the least with all of my emails. Jenna was so kind and so calm and so able - even a high stress person like myself was able to give up some worrying because she was so capable in handling anything that I asked. And if you're at all hesitant about having to use an outside caterer, do not worry! Falco's Catering, who is now exclusive with The Berkeley, was amazing! The Berkeley and Falco's worked seamlessly together, hand in hand during the entire process. I would highly recommend this venue - you're not going to find a more unique venue, with such history, near the beach in this area!

When first planning my wedding, we started off a little rocky due to the planner I was working with (whom is no longer there) But once I was in the right hands everything was PERFECT. The new management and staff is amazing and they really helped plan the wedding of my dreams.

Wedding of our dreams! Coming from a large family we knew we needed a venue that would host over 200 people for our wedding and wanted to be overlooking the ocean for our central Jersey wedding. We looked and every venue that fit our requirements and were truly speechless when we first walked into the Berkeley! What a beautiful Art Deco designed building that kept the feeling of when it was built but was also recently renovated. At first we were apprehensive to book with the Berkeley as they had a storied past of management changes, but in the end we could not have been more at ease with the entire wedding! Jenna was our main point of contact and by the end it felt like she was a good friend of ours we wanted to invite to our wedding! She and the team she worked with were always very responsive and helpful every step of the way, no matter how crazy the request may have seemed. The hotel rooms and lobby have been updated in the past year and our guests were extremely happy with their accommodations. The staff did an excellent job of catering to our guests from the very start. The valet and door attendants were some of the nicest and always greeted with a smile. The front desk staff was available for any questions and helped pass our of gift bags for our guests. Onto the main event, if you are even considering a wedding in this area you MUST see this event space! Wow wow wow! We used four different rooms during our wedding, two for cocktail, one main ballroom, and one for bar/photo booth. The building as you will see was built in the 1920's and the decor is from that time period. You will not find a more beautiful timeless venue than the Berkeley. The wedding staff was wonderful and our guests were very pleased with their services. We highly recommend the Berkeley for your wedding!

the hotel itself is gorgeous and i looked at a TON of venues before finally finding the Berkeley and falling in love. the only complaint i have about the hotel is the hotel staff, as in the people at the front desk and the people who book rooms. the front desk is unhelpful, unaccomodating and not customer service oriented at all. throughout the entire time of planning the wedding when guests would call up to book a room they either said that the room block didnt exist (that actually was told to my mother in law) and if they did manage to book a room the names were all messed up and barely anything made sense. we literally had to stand at the front desk with a print out, going over the names of people who had rooms booked, and correcting the names and who they were supposed to be under -- half of my families rooms were all screwed up. the day before our wedding when we were checking in my fiance came in a separate car from me and our families, however we had already checked in the room. they gave us one parking pass for my car which was then parked. when he arrived he went to the front desk to get a parking pass and the girl told him that we got them all when we checked in. he proceeded to try to explain that we got one for our room and we needed two but she just kept telling him that someone else must have his. we were pressed for time and rushing to out rehearsal so he just said 'screw it' and went to park and pay for metered parking (ridiculous) - come to find out when he went back later and tried again, all he had to do was pay another $25 (or whatever it was) for another parking pass - but for some unknown reason the girl at the front desk couldnt tell him that from the start??! also on that day when i arrived i had a lot of stuff to unload.. but they were just putting in disorganizingly in a back room (which gave me anxiety) and there was only like one cart that we had to keep going back and forth with. the day after our wedding we were wanting to leave a car there and instead of just accommodating us (considering we just spent LOTS and LOTS of money on rooms and a wedding there) the front desk wanted us to pay another $20-$30 for a new parking pass for the next night. i find that absolutely ridiculous after we JUST had our wedding there. while i was planning my wedding i had 3 different point people because the catering manager kept changing. although, yes that was a little difficult and confusing i finally ended up with Jenna, who was from Falcos catering originally. she was AMAZING! responded so quickly, was on top of everything.. THE BEST! and the night of our wedding (jenna couldnt be there) we had the event person from the Berkeley with us (i believe her name was Caitlin) and she was very helpful and everything went perfectly. so overall.. great venue and great catering/event staff in the hotel. the only issue youll have is the hotel staff whos booking rooms and the idiots at the front desk.

We loved the Berkeley as soon as we saw it and we've always loved Asbury Park and I grew up at the beach so it was a perfect fit for us. The overall aesthetic of the hotel and the ballrooms were classically elegant. Everything was very organized the day of and we liked that we could use any caterer we wanted, even though we ended up selecting the hotel caterer. There was some confusion for our guests regarding their rooms. We received multiple complaints of a two night minimum even though that was not true. Also after one of our guests checked into their room, they discovered a bug and had to switch rooms. We also received some conflicting information because of the transition between event coordinators. The first event coordinator that was there when we booked the venue was mostly non-responsive, even regarding deposit information. While the new event coordinator was great day-of there was some confusion and lack of urgency leading up to our event. He had incorrect information about our event and did not send us a floor plan until the week of, but everything worked out in the end and we could not have asked for a more perfect day.

The hotel was a fantastic venue and the Caterer did a wonderful job. It is a beautiful venue and the wedding coordinator is extremely helpful and experienced. We had a vegan wedding with seafood - everything was delicious!

All I can say is thank god this place is beautiful and for Falco's Catering! Falco's made our special day AMAZING....not The Berkeley Hotel staff!! The hotel's service is less than stellar!!! They really need to amp it up not only with their reservations but also with their event management and hotel management. We felt like we were ignored right after we gave a deposit...the next time we seem to gain the event coordinators attention was about a month b/f our big day.....also so many guest complained to us about their experience trying to book a reservation with The Berkeley and when they tried to contact management they were ignored and felt avoided....the hotel is a bit unorganized if you ask me!!! And management definitely needs a real lesson in hospitality!!!

I cannot begin to describe the awful experience I had with this hotel. From trying to book the room block (disaster) to the actual stay, we had a terrible time. In short, the building was damp and moldy and the staff were rude. The power went out while I (the bride) was doing my hair and 1 of 3 elevators worked. The towels in the bathroom were dirty and the water kept stopping in the shower. Please do not patronize this establishment.

one of my best friends was married here and I have to say..although the place is very nice..the staff was terrible..parking issues resulted in guests having their cars towed...and they refused to take responsibility after they themselves called the tow truck. Management was very sketchy! brides, beware! I give 1 star because it's the minimum, the place is very nice and that is about all that it has going for it.