201-250 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 250 guests
About this vendor
You Can't Have a Ball Without a Proper Ballroom
*2025 Wedding Dates Available*
Jan 4 Jan 18 Jan 25 Feb 15 Apr 26 Jun 28 Jul 5 Jul 26
Aug 2 Aug 16 Nov 15 Nov 22 Nov 29 Dec 6 Dec 13 Dec 27
For Friday and Sunday availability, please reach out to haley.franti@chicagoathletichotel.com.
The Chicago Athletic Association hotel is a stunning wedding venue located in Chicago, IL. Celebrate with your nearest and dearest in this painstakingly-restored 1893 Venetian Gothic hotel with its breathtaking views and historic event spaces. This urban setting offers the perfect backdrop to launch the next adventure with the one you love most.
Built in 1893 to coincide with the World's Fair in Chicago, this building was originally home to its namesake elite athletic and social club, one of Chicago's most beloved landmarks. It has been transformed into a uniquely inspired boutique hotel as an iconic destination for travelers and locals alike. The Chicago Athletic Association hotel, part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, offers 17,000 square feet of iconic spaces that effortlessly meld past with the present. Inside this 1890s monument that overlooks Millennium Park, you'll find plenty of room to spread out with 240 guest rooms & suites, 7 unique event spaces, and 7 award-winning bars and restaurants. At every corner, restorers and designers married original stained glass windows, mantels with extraordinary bas-relief wood carvings, and restored marble staircases with contemporary sophistication.
Various customizable wedding packages are available to suit your wedding style and budget. The talented culinary team will work with you to create a menu to perfectly match your personal preferences. Menu tastings are also available to ensure you're confident with the final decision. This hotel can also accommodate rehearsal dinners, brunch gatherings, wedding showers, and much more. Reach out to the team for more information about their packages and services.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
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Ceremony:
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Bar services:
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Catering:
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Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Outdoor Event Space
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 250
Settings
- Ballroom
- Historic Venue
- Hotel
- Library
- Religious Setting
- Restaurant
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Food & Catering
Reviews
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5
out of 5.021 reviews
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Chicago Athletic Association is highly praised by multiple reviewers for hosting weddings. It is described as a luxurious and magical venue with stunning ballrooms, exceptional service, beautiful historic architecture, and delicious food. The event and catering staff are recognized for their helpfulness and professionalism, especially notable individuals like Hannah and Budi. Despite a minor issue with finalizing orders, reviewers were extremely satisfied with the overall experience, making it well worth the high-end price point and highly recommended for couples looking for a fairytale wedding venue.Review photos
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Our experience hosting our wedding at the Chicago Athletic Association was nothing short of fantastic. Darcey and her team were incredibly responsive and helpful. Anytime we had a question or concern it was addressed promptly. At our tasting, we were blown away by the quality and choice of menu options we had. Both the food and wine were amazing. Our guests have had such wonderful things to say about the evening. They raved about how good the food was and how attentive the staff were for allergies/food restrictions. The entire dinner service was fantastic. We had our reception and ceremony in the White City Ballroom and our cocktail hour in the Madison Ballroom. Both ballrooms are beautiful and we cannot wait to see our photos from our photographer because our portraits had beautiful backdrops all around the CAA. I could go on and on about how wonderful the experience was. If you’re considering hosting your wedding at the CAA, you definitely should do it - you will not regret it!
We loved the CAA. Communication wasn't the easiest at times because they were changing event managers but the new event manager was excellent and got right on with the organization.
The food is the best wedding food we have ever had - the chef was creative and many guests commented on how delicious it was. The rooms are beautiful - incredible spaces that photograph brilliantly, some of the most unique spaces in Chicago and definitely not your usual hotel ballroom. Staff were so kind and helpful and worked hard to accommodate everything we wanted. Highly recommend this special location.
We recently hosted our wedding at the Chicago Athletic Association and are still fawning over how amazing the venue was for our special day. The hotel itself is stunning, with two beautiful ballrooms, smaller private rooms, and historic architecture. All the staff we interacted with went above and beyond for us and our guests -- reserving spaces for pictures, helping with our luggage, giving suggestions and directions.
The event and catering staff for the wedding day were also incredible. Guests kept telling us how good the food was, and the event manager was on site and ready to assists. Leading up to the big day we worked most closely with Hannah, who was extremely helpful and always quick to respond to questions via email.
One minor complaint we had difficulty finalizing the final order. We kept receiving incorrect invoices that included missing items, the wrong number of guests, and/or wrong prices listed. It took several days and the help of our planner to finally finalize the order the day before our wedding.
Overall, we are so thrilled with our choice to host our wedding at the Chicago Athletic Association, and it was well worth the high-end price point.
Any questions?
The Chicago Athletic Association was truly a dream! The hotel from the ballrooms to lobby to all the spaces is truly gorgeous, and our guests were wowed by it. The ballrooms are so gorgeous on their own, which sold us, and your wedding is stunning no matter what. Our experience with the CAA was great from the beginning with Darcey and her team. She was super communicative, flexible, and helpful in giving us ideas for the wedding. The rest of the staff is amazing - they were so hands on during the wedding and our guests were so well taken care of. The food is incredible! Truly the best wedding food we've ever had. With the extra courses above a typical wedding package, stunning rooms, and amazing location and old world Chicago feel, the CAA was our dream venue and we had the best experience!
CAA was an incredible venue for our Indian-Western hybrid wedding ceremony and reception. Everyone in the staff, from our event leads to the front desk to the bellhops went above and beyond to be warm and friendly to our guests and provide flawless service. Hannah Chmela was our primary point of contact and was an incredible partner in planning (her email response time alone was amazing - our questions never went unanswered for more than a few hours at most). She was super accommodating and creative, from the contract to the day of, to make our vision a reality. The catering team was also fabulous. They worked with us to craft a reception menu that included Indian and Western dishes that were really delicious. On top of the service, the venue itself is gorgeous -- really nice rooms for guest accommodations and stunning ballrooms for ceremony and reception (online photos really don't do these rooms justice - especially the panoramic view of Lake Michigan from the White City ballroom). We are super grateful to the whole CAA team!
Thank you SO much to the kind staff at the Chicago Athletic Association for their hand in making our wedding such a special day! We would like to specifically thank the event coordinator, Budi, who's professionalism and industry expertise always made us feel like we were in good hands (which we certainly were!) We are so thankful to him and his wonderful team.
Every visit we had at the CAA during the planning process was such a joy! The staff is welcoming, accommodating, and friendly. From our initial visit, to the tasting, to the final walk through, each and every interaction we had was a pleasure! Every corner of this hotel has its own bit of history, and the intention behind the its beautiful restoration is felt.
On the day of the wedding, the Budi and his team did not miss a single detail! They took great care of our guests, and handled all of our special requests with care. The synchronized dinner service was perfection, and we are still getting compliments on how amazing the food was!
This beautiful hotel will always hold a special place in our hearts! I cannot recommend working with the CAA enough!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Tara
Thank you. It was our pleasure being part of such a special day for you and Trevor. Continued best wishes from the entire team.
Budi
The Chicago Athletic Association is hands down the most incredible venue on the planet. We had the most luxurious, beautiful and magical wedding experience, and we could not be more ecstatic about the entire day. We worked with Hannah, who was kind, amazing, attentive, and incredibly professional. She is an absolute dream to work with, and made our planning experience and wedding day perfect. From the tour, tasting, and the day itself, Hannah was so incredible to work with and made everything a seamless and easy experience. The staff at the CAA made us feel like royalty throughout our entire wedding experience. We are so grateful for everything, and could not be happier with how beautiful our day was.
My daughter's wedding at Chicago Athletic Association can only be described as a fairytale. She had toured many venues and fell in love with CAA the moment she saw it. The Madison Ballroom was the perfect spot for the cocktail hour, and the White City Ballroom was absolutely STUNNING for dinner and dancing! The views of Millennium Park, the lake, and fireworks were breathtaking! We have had many guests tell us that it was the best wedding they have ever been to! The food was phenomenal and we loved that our guests were able to choose their meal tableside. But the thing that really sets CAA apart is the people...Hannah and Betty were so incredibly helpful and patient (as the mother of the bride and this being my only daughter, I asked a MILLION questions). They helped guide us throughout the process and gave us suggestions that we didn't even think were possible. They continued to follow up with us throughout the process and were always wonderfully responsive. They always made me feel comfortable to ask questions and make changes. They were very accommodating with the special late night snacks we wanted to bring in, some special signature cocktails, as well as décor including a very large mirror for the bride and groom's seating chart.
I would highly recommend Chicago Athletic Association and especially working with Hannah and Betty 10/10! It truly was an incredible experience from start to finish!
Response from the Vendor on 09/21/2023
Sue - you are such a gem! Thank you so, so much for your wonderful notes about Ally & Ben's big day with us. Your whole family was so sweet - it was a pleasure to host you. Hope you are having a wonderful rest of your year relaxing after all of...
the planning you did! Hannah
CAA was the venue of our dreams. It was everything we envisioned and more. The team was absolutely INCREDIBLE. Hannah was such a fabulous event coordinator and I felt so confident in our wedding having her in our corner. She is truly the best. Chef Juan created and unbelievable tasting experience and a custom menu that highlighted our favorite food and tastes. And as that was brought to life at our wedding, it was simply amazing. We have dozens of guests tell us it was the best food they have ever had at any event.
And overall, the space is simply a dream. I cannot recommend it enough!!!
Response from the Vendor on 09/21/2023
Thank you so much for your note, Abby! It was so great to get to know you and Cal through the planning process. I hope you two are having a wonderful first year of marriage! Hannah
The CAA was a clear choice from the start to host our winter wedding in Chicago and I am so glad we did. Every space in the hotel is stunning and the team made it so easy to utilize the entirety of the hotel for our events. The planning team (huge shout outs to Hannah and Maddie) made logistics as painless as possible and were incredibly communicative and responsive. The food was absolutely delicious and the catering team did a fantastic job listening to our requests and making small alterations to the packages to best meet our needs. The hotel rooms are unique and comfortable and our guests were raving about the location and, most importantly, how kind and helpful all of the hotel staff were.
Response from the Vendor on 06/27/2023
Thank you so much for your note, Laura! You and Nathan were wonderful to work with and had an absolutely beautiful wedding. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together! - Hannah
We hosted our wedding reception at Chicago Athletic Association and couldn't have dreamt of a more perfect venue to celebrate our marriage with all our friends and family! We can't speak highly enough of the Chicago Athletic team, who was incredibly kind, supportive, understanding, and flexible when helping us reschedule our wedding date multiple times because of COVID-19. Having a venue that was willing to work with us through pandemic postponements was a huge relief. Throughout the planning process, Budi and Betty were readily available to answer questions and provide guidance. Working with them made the planning process enjoyable and stress-free.
We had our ceremony in the Madison Avenue Ballroom, our cocktail hour in the foyer, and our reception in the White City Ballroom. The venue is elegant, unique, and stunning. However, the staff made it particularly special, especially the bartenders and waiters. The CAA staff made sure our event went off without a hitch. The food and service was truly top-notch. Our event went seamlessly and we couldn't be more appreciative of CAA for everything they did for us!
We had our wedding at the Chicago Athletic Association hotel and it was absolutely perfect! When hosting a wedding at the CAA, you get the entire 8th floor of the hotel and you do not have to share the space with any other weddings/parties which I think is a huge perk. We had our ceremony in the Madison Ballroom and our reception in the White City Ballroom - Both spaces are STUNNING and so elegant!
The food was so delicious and was so upscale compared to the banquet style food you receive at many venues. The reception was also restaurant style, which meant that our guests were able to order their entree selection at the actual reception rather than having to choose a beef or chicken option in advance - This was such a nice touch to our day!
The CAA was also able to accommodate extending the hours in their Game Room until 2am for us so we could host an after party for our wedding guests, which everyone loved!
The hotel in general is so beautiful and there's so much history behind it. It was extremely convenient being able to have our hotel room block, ceremony, reception and after party all in one building.
Overall, we could not recommend this hotel and venue more - Budi Tanzil, the Director of Catering, was amazing, along with the banquet and culinary teams! Our wedding day was seamless and it would not have been that way without the help of this amazing team.
When Chicago Athletic Association first opened its door, I did a tour with the Chicago Architecture Center and fell in love with the White City Ballroom. The lighting, deco details of the ceilings and fireplaces, and view of this space is GORGEOUS. I immediately asked one of the CAA representatives if it was accepting reservations for weddings (despite being single at this time). A few years later with a fiancé now in tow, we toured CAA as a potential venue. We were greeted by Budi Tanzil and it was from the first interaction we felt completely at ease and like we had known him a while. He answered all our questions and was able to accommodate our random requests. I can’t emphasize how crucial Budi became as part of our wedding team! Another person we want to highlight and rave our praises about Hugo Martinez!!! We ADORE him- he is one of the Banquet Captains and completely led the way when various things that occurred during the day (i.e., we needed to photograph at another location inside due to rain and he ushered people to the side). Additionally, you can see the passion he has for his work and how much he enjoys having couples truly capture their vision for their wedding day.
We loved the way CAA hosted and highlighted us as a couple for our wedding. This venue is truly one of a kind- they create a unique menu based on your food preference as well as gets to you as individuals. Chef Juan Hernandez is brilliant- we absolutely loved our menu for the cocktail hour as well as dinner. Guests have texted us after saying that was the best meal they have had at a wedding. Brian and I, as we left CAA, after our wedding said we will be missing working and getting to know the CAA staff members. Do not hesitate to use them as a venue- you will not regret it.
My wife and I were married at the Chicago Athletic Association Labor Day Weekend on 2019. We have had the venue booked since September of 2017. Every step in the process was a phenomenal experience that made us feel truly valued. Every team and staff member provided such wonderful service that gave off an impression of a group of people who love what they do.
Thank you to the team (literally every employee we encountered) at CAA for making our special weekend so perfect.
We had an outstanding experience at the Chicago Athletic Association! We were looking for a timeless, elegant venue to host our ceremony and reception and CAA was perfect! Many of our guests told us it was the best wedding they had ever attended. We loved the historic architecture, stunning chandeliers, and classic wood and marble floors. While the venue on its own is stunning, it would certainly not be the same without Budi Tanzil and the wonderful staff and directors at CAA. We worked directly with Budi, and his passion and talent were evident in every interaction.
Coordinating with outside vendors was easy and limited because so much was already included. We loved that the linens, tables, chairs, china, etc. were included and especially loved that they matched the venue and our aesthetic perfectly.
The staff are so attentive and well trained that you never see the effort that goes into their service. The synchronized service was balletic and mesmerizing, and the food and wine were divine. We continue to dream about the truffled potato gratin.
Budi and the outstanding staff and directors made us feel so special and made our day truly unforgettable.
Chicago Athletic Association turned my dream wedding into a reality! Budi and his team went above and beyond to make our special day perfect. He is so responsive, knows what he's doing, and they put on flawless tastings and meals the day of. In addition, all of our friends and family stayed at the hotel and loved all that it had to offer! While you may be paying for the luxury, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.
I cannot recommend the CAA enough to any bride& groom! Every step of the planning process was so easy, stress free and seamless. Everyone we worked with was hands on and there to help from beginning to end! I was beyond impressed at how they were always one step ahead. As a bride I couldn’t have been more grateful and happy. Budi was so easy to work with, the food was amazing like unreal and every staff member was so generous and helpful! It was such an amazing day I can’t thank them enough!
Response from the Vendor on 12/19/2018
Thank you, Caitlin!! Congratulations again on your big day!! We loved being a part of it!
It is hard to put into words just how extraordinary my wedding was at the CAA. The catering team, specifically Budi Tanzil and Betty Fregoso, made the planning process such an enjoyable one and I had complete trust in each person involved. The ballrooms are unlike any in the city: elegant and historic with gorgeous views. We had our ceremony and reception in the White City Ballroom, overlooking Millennium Park and the lake.
The Executive Chef, Josh Miyake, and Pastry Chef, Jove Hubbard, are extremely inventive and I can assure you that this is not your typical hotel wedding plated dinner. The tasting was such a fun day and it became so clear that I had picked the right venue for my wedding. The team made us feel so special and personalized the whole experience for us. My wedding guests are still gushing over the dinner months later!
They also offer table-side choice of entree and synchronized service, which was truly incredible to watch! The servers were so dedicated to proving the best service. The Director of Banquets, Julia Paprocka, and Banquet Manager, Kate Cooley, went over the top to make sure this was a stress free day for me. I never had to worry about a thing!
We had an after party in the Game Room, which is also at the CAA. It was great to have such a fun spot to go after the wedding..in the same building. My guests loved it!
I am so grateful for the whole team at the CAA for making my wedding a dream come true!
Response from the Vendor on 12/19/2018
Thank you so much, Liza!!! We love our White City Ballroom and glad you did, too! Can't beat those view of Millennium Park. Congratulations, again, and thanks for letting the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel be a part of your special day.
We had our ceremony and reception here a month ago. It is hard for me to write up this review because words can't describe how great of a job everyone at CAA did and how much we appreciate everyone there.
We worked directly with Budi at CAA and he was the absolute BEST. He was EXTREMELY responsive and helpful throughout the wedding process. He made the wedding planning and experience better than we could have imagined.
We went to many venues when researching a place to get married at. The minute we stepped into CAA's ballrooms and met Budi, we knew it was the only place we wanted.
The team there is so hard working and you can tell all of them truly care about their guests. Our guests are still talking about the food, the service, the venue, everything. High class food, high class service, and stunning ballrooms - couldn't have imagined going anywhere else.
Thank you for everything - we are forever grateful.
Response from the Vendor on 12/19/2018
Thank you so much for letting us be a special part of your big day!!! It was absolutely beautiful!
Both my husband and I have lived in Chicago our whole lives and wanted to share the timeless, elegance we feel about Chicago with our guests- this venue made that happen perfectly. The pictures of both the Madison Ballroom (cocktail hour) and White City Ballroom (reception) are incredible, but you must see in person. The coordinators were incredibly helpful in making the day seamless; there was no need to hire a day-of coordinator because they take care of everything! Besides the venue itself, people raved about the incredible food (still almost a year later) and the impressiveness of the waitstaff all coming out at once to serve everyone and how diligent they were to making sure everyone had the best service with the meals/cocktails.
Response from the Vendor on 12/19/2018
Thanks for the glowing review, Emily! Your wedding was spectacularly gorgeous!
I recently got married at Chicago Athletic Association Hotel a few weeks ago. We had our ceremony and reception in the Madison Ballroom. The hotel speaks for itself with it's old charm and beauty. My husband and I are foodies so average typical wedding food was not an option for us. The chef at CAA went above and beyond at our tasting and created delicious and one of a kind menu items that our guests were raving about. One thing I did not know when booking this venue was how wonderful the staff of CAA was. We worked with Mari and she was absolutely incredible and so well organized. From little touches like an open ballroom to ourselves at our tasting to sending up coffee and croissants the morning of our wedding the CAA staff made me and my wedding guests feel like we were the only people staying at the hotel that weekend.
Response from the Vendor on 12/19/2018
Thank you so much for the nice review, Heather! We absolutely loved your wedding in the Madison Ballroom!!
Contact
12 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
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Meet the team
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- Darcey GerberAssociate Director of CateringMeet Darcey, our Associate Director of Catering, who joined the team in Spring of 2024. Her passion for weddings began in Maui, HI where she assisted a local planning company before moving to Chicago in 2006 to grow her experience in one of her favorite cities. She has transitioned throughout her career beginning as a wedding planner where she fell in love with overseeing the creative and unique details of a couple’s big day and then moving to venue management and catering where she can fine tune event logistics and cultivate a beautiful (and delicious!) menu to wow your guests. The Chicago Athletic Association is not only a stunning location and architectural gem but is proud to feature a talented culinary team along with outstanding banquet staff that will assist in making your wedding the true celebration it is. The wedding industry also brought Darcey the opportunity to meet a talented photographer who began as a wedding vendor and ended up becoming her partner in life. They now have 2 boys and spend their down time at the local farmer’s market, library, and walks in the nearby forest preserves. She is an avid reader (all genres!), but when her nose is not in a book you can most likely find her biking her favorite trails or researching new recipes to cook up.
- Hannah ChmelaCatering Sales ManagerMeet Hannah, our Catering Sales Manager, who has been an integral part of our hotel since 2018 when she joined our guest services team. As a part of her role, she conducted historical tours of the hotel's storied spaces, igniting her passion and appreciation for the building's rich history. Today, Hannah channels that love for these spaces into creating timeless and romantic weddings, as well as unique and memorable corporate events, regardless of their size. One of Hannah's greatest joys is getting to know each couple who chooses to tie the knot at the CAA. She takes great care in ensuring their personalities shine through on their special day by crafting custom menus, selecting the perfect decor, and arranging flexible layouts to match their vision. Hannah takes immense pride in being a part of the CAA team and goes above and beyond to connect clients with other talented local vendors, creating the dream-team for their wedding. When she isn't busy orchestrating events onsite, you can find Hannah indulging in her hobbies. She loves baking, taking leisurely strolls with her adorable mini-Aussie companion Dudley, and planning parties for her friends and family.
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Darcey Gerber
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CATERING
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Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
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