DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago-Oak Brook

by greenery. The setting was very romantic! Our cocktail hour followed and was also outdoors on nice, large, newly constructed deck which overlooked the ceremony area and was attached to the ballroom where the reception took place. Our guests loved the deck which remained open with tables, seating and firepits during the reception. Dinner and dancing took place in the Riverview Ballroom which was also very romantic and elegant - incredible lighting from gorgeous chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows/glass doors with a beautiful view of the deck and ceremony area. The food: amazing! We offered a chicken, fish and vegetarian entree and each was delicious. Everyone was extremely complimentary of the food. Even the most critical family members (lol) said this was the best wedding food they have ever had! The meal packages are generous and included wonderful butler passed hor d-oeurves during the cocktail hour and an appetizer, salad, fresh rolls, vegetable dish, and starch dish with the dinner. No one went hungry! Every dish was prepared perfectly, fresh, unique and well presented (nice touches with garnishes and plating!) The package included a cake from one of the hotel's contracted local bakeries (we recommend the Baking Institute). The drinks were great as well. The package includes an open bar during cocktail hour and most of the reception, wine with dinner and a champagne toast. A substantial coffee and tea bar after dinner was also a nice touch. The cost: This venue is very affordable. We did a ton of research ahead of time and having a formal and elegant wedding in the Chicago area while remaining within budget is difficult. This place is a great value especially considering the location and quality of services. The packages are very reasonable. The staff: everyone surrounding our wedding event - from the reception staff to the waiters and bartenders - was kind, polite, and attentive. The wedding coordinator, KHULOOD was simply the BEST. I can not say enough positive things about her. From the day we visited the venue, she was on top of everything! Communicating with her throughout the year of planning was easy as she is very responsive and organized. She has a ton of experience and exquisite taste which makes for great advice! I can not imagine how the big day would have turned out without her. She was there for the rehearsal dinner, helped set up EVERYTHING according to our plans on the day of, and coordinated all the guests, vendors (DJ, florist, baker, photographer, videographer), and bridal party flawlessly. She was attentive to details that I had forgotten about and thought about things that didn't even cross my mind! Her genuinely warm personality, attention to detail and calm demeanor kept me worry-free on the big day. She was also very attentive to me and the groom - bringing us drinks and water while taking photos (while the guests were enjoying cocktail hour), saving us appetizers since we missed many of the them while mingling and taking photos, helping me with my long veil and making sure we had everything we needed. The wedding went to smoothly thanks to her!! I highly highly recommend this venue especially because of Khulood :)

were the first to experience) and the rooms/service are also great. However the main reason I would recommend this venue is because of the wedding coordinator, Khulood Alfadhel. Khulood is simply the best for so many reasons. She is so detail oriented and organized. We had so many meetings with her to go over many fine details for our wedding, and she did not miss a single item when it came time to execute. She ensures that you get exactly what you want, and will work with you to find the best solution for any desire you may have. Another reason is that she is so patient. I cannot tell you how many times we went back and forth on items or made changes to what we wanted (some minor, some major) and Khulood always treated us professionally and kindly. She was willing to do whatever it took to get us the wedding of our dreams, and never lost her cool, no matter how many demands we had or changes we made. I think the most important trait of Khulood however is that she just truly cares about everybody attending the event. She really works hard to ensure that on the big day, the bride/groom have everything they need, and so do the guests. From making sure we stay on time, to making sure we are able eat at least a little bit, to managing any issues that arise...Khulood just wants to make sure all the guests have the best time possible. I could not be happier about how my wedding went this past weekend, and a large part of that goes to Khulood. I would highly recommend this venue, and know it will deliver for anybody who wishes to have their wedding here!

loved the place. We worked with Khulood. After our very first meeting I knew we have found the place and planner that I would like to work with to plan my son's wedding. She was very supportive, organized and professional with a personal touch. She was always there for us when we wanted to meet her in person or had any questions. She went over the details with us so many times to make sure everything is clear to us and there is no room for misunderstanding. She worked with us to accommodate the special requests we made. She was always ready to help us in any matter. She made sure all my vendors delivered what I asked for. She kept a close eye on them. I was at ease on the wedding day knowing Khulood will take care of everything. Whenever I asked for her opinion she gave very honest answer. We build a very trusting relationship with her. She is genuinely an amazing person. I know in my heart I could have not found a better person/planner to work with. THANK YOU Khulood for making a mother’s vision come true. I already miss talking to you I highly recommend this venue for your wedding.

u it's not all cut and dry. We didn't end up using this venue the only reason is because we wanted an out door option also. I can't say enough good things she really made the experience enjoyable!

nts on how beautiful the room was as well as the delicious food! The hotel was very accommodating and we can not thank them enough for the perfect wedding !

r for our wedding and they were amazing at tailoring everything to our needs and wants. I highly recommend this venue for your wedding. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect location!

nything we asked for she accommodated without question. I was very impressed with her and it is rare you meet a true professional who sincerely cares. She genuinely cares and it shows. She is truly wanted us to have our dream wedding. My Husband and I had such a beautiful and stylish wedding. It looked like a movie set! People were coming up to our table stating this was the best wedding they had ever been to their entire lives. That was the impression we wanted to make and we pulled off this production thanks to Khulood. She was the one working behind the scenes to ensure every detail was on point. I can't say thank you enough honestly. If you choose this venue you will be more than pleased. Get ready for a private tasting with the Executive Chef and prepare to feel pampered from start to finish. The food, the presentation, everything was elegant and classically represented. Khulood, we feel forever blessed you were put in our path. We are sincerely greatful for your heart and passion for what you do. Thank you isn't enough! P.S. My Husband and I are very picky and we know if you are like us, this is the venue for you! Kimberly and Michael Wed: 5/29/16

d and was with us each step of the way to answer any questions we had. The ballroom was absolutely beautiful, and our guests raved about how good the food was. I am so pleased with how our wedding turned out and I could not have chosen a better place to have it.

lan. She brought me back down to earth when my ideas where out of control. On my wedding day she made sure that I ate. Khulood was amazing and rock !! The moment my husband and I first met her we knew we could trust her. I love that she never gave up even when I was being a hot mess !! Thank you for making my dream day come true with a hitch!!

e & refundable) that was available online for a single room. I called back to try and negotiate with the sales rep, even providing comparable quotes by other local hotels (which were much lower), etc. The sales rep wasn't interested. I am flabbergasted at their lack of care demonstrated by the responses I received as well as their lack of drive to highlight what their hotel has to offer, why they are the best option, etc. Many hotel options in the area, I would pass!

professional. You could tell she had a system for how she ran the planning process and it made us feel really confident that things were being done on time and in the right way. Her assistant, Christina, was also great and so helpful. She, possibly against her will, became our main contact person for my millions of questions, and she was always quick to respond to my many emails. The wedding itself went so smoothly. They're almost done with a complete renovation and will look great once it's done. The only area that wasn't completed for our wedding was the cocktail hour area/lobby. We had our ceremony in a smaller portion of the grand ballroom. During cocktail hour, the divider wall of the ball oom was taken down and the entire room was flipped for the reception. All of the spaces looked beautiful, but once the lobby renovation is completed, the cocktail hour space will definitely be up to par with the beautiful ballroom. We used the hotel shuttle service for our transportation to our picture location which was so convenient and saved on us having to arrange a limo for the short time that we were away from the hotel. We went to the nearby McDonalds corporate campus for our photo shoot (which I would highly recommend as the outdoor space at DoubleTree is definitely lacking) and the hotel was great about arranging pick up and drop off. The reason for four stars is that we thought the main entree could have been better. We were happy with our choices at the tasting, but the entree at the wedding didn't seem the same. We had a duet with asiago chicken and sirloin with a caramelized onion sauce. At the wedding, the onions in the sauce were pretty much raw. Our mashed potatoes were also disappointing as they were pretty hard and stuck in the shape of the scoop that was used to plate them. We also picked balsamic roasted vegetables at our tasting, but at the wedding they didn't have any balsamic on them. I realize with over 300 plates to make that stuff like that happens, and is really the only specific thing we would change if we could. Overall, we were really happy with our experience at the DoubleTree and their prices are reasonable in comparison to other hotels nearby. I would definitely recommend them!

well.

ible and accommodating. She helped us through the entire process from picking out the food to making sure the day ran smoothly. The venue was absolutely gorgeous, everything I pictured and more. We have received so many compliments on how great everything looked and how good the food was! I have been bragging to people for months how amazing it is and they defiantly tasted what I was talking about! We had our ceremony outside by the gazebo. I was a little nervous with how everything would look (because it is pretty much in the parking lot) but once everything was decorated you couldn't even tell. Khulood did such a great job with everything! Everyone was very kind and helpful through the entire process. I was not stressed at all during the entire process. I would highly recommend the DoubleTree!

ne having our reception anywhere else. The service was amazing and done so professionally.

verything went according to plan and executed what our vision for our reception perfectly.

k absolutely gorgeous. I definitely recommend them!

about returning phone calls and e-mails. The day of the wedding, she was there making sure everything was exactly what we talked about. She assisted with our entrance and later had her colleague checking on my husband and I every half hour or hour. The group did a great job with the reception setup. Before the night was over, the on-site manager recruited some of my family members and moved our cardbox and gifts to our rooms. They were great at making sure our gifts were safe and that everyone was having a good time. We also had a Chinese tea ceremony at the Doubletree, and they were great at accomodating that. They also provided a small conference room for me to change into my traditional Chinese wedding dress. We also got a really nice suite for our wedding night for free with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. You can have a really lavish wedding or a simple wedding. We splurge a bit - we purchased table linens, chair covers, runners, a more expensive plate, but we didn't have to. The Doubletree does host more than one event at a time, which I'm not a huge fan of, but they do the best they can to separate the events. There was a conference a few hours before our wedding, so the lobby in the morning of the wedding was hectic. When it came time for our wedding, no one would know a conference was held there earlier. I would definitely recommend the Doubletree for any event.

guests that forgot to pack something, just walk across the street!) They were very generous with giving out warm chocolate chip cookies upon check-in, or anytime we were there for a meeting/tasting/etc. Elida was professional, responsive, and always had answers for me. The reception turned out lovely; everything was as expected and we received many compliments on the venue. Cocktail hour was in a smaller room across the hall from the ballroom, which made a nice refreshing entrance to our beautifully-set up reception. The food tasted great, not your standard "wedding food" (many compliments on the meal as well) and the chef came out to check on us, which was a special touch. The hotel's package includes a wedding cake from Rolf's Patisserie- and we LOVED our cake! It was gorgeous and was the perfect sugary end to our meal...and satisfied my sweet-tooth! The sports bar and wine lounge off of the main lobby provide some entertainment for down-time, either after your rehearsal dinner or for reception after-party! The other thing that sold us on this hotel is that there was a full buffet breakfast provided for hotel guests in the lobby cafe the following morning, not just a continental/quick breakfast. We have large families and quite a few out-of-towners and would have had to reserve a separate restaurant to seat everyone for a breakfast/brunch had the cafe buffet not been offered- this was perfect! There were a few hiccups, which is the reason I did not rate 5 stars: we wanted to use a different credit for the balance of the reception costs than we did for the deposits and gave the new card information 3 days prior to our event. The accounting representative charged the wrong credit card, which caused me to have to straighten it out with her and my credit card company on a conference call at the front desk. I was there for about an hour- which was wasted time the day before our wedding and almost made us late to our rehearsal! Also, we stayed there the night before our wedding and had requested early check-in for a few hotel rooms. When we tried checking in, they told us they did not have rooms ready for us and the request is granted on a room-by-room basis. After explaining that we were bride and groom for tomorrow's wedding reception there they were somehow able to find us clean rooms that were ready. Overall, it was a great experience of planning along with Elida that started a year prior and ended in pure happiness, and I would definitely choose DoubleTree if I had to do it over again!

ballroom is beautiful and we got so many compliments about how great the food was. It was definitely a great choice and a must see for planning brides.

s on the day of but the coordinator solved it as soon as possible.

e wedding.

d, our meal was not as we selected with staff, we received no cake (we had been promised it would be in our room), the day of the wedding we found out no one had reserved our included honeymoon suite, water was not left out during reception as requested, food and drink were cleared very quickly (too quickly)