4.2
Verified reviews from real couples
An Icon of Elegance and Intimacy
Holds ceremonies and receptions
I recently got married back in October and having my wedding at the Handlery was a dream come true. Their garden terrace and crystal ballroom are just stunning and felt like it came out of a fairytale. The food and service were outstanding! Marcela was amazing to work with! She made the entire planning process very easy and stress-free and anytime a question or a concern came up, she was there to bring forth a peace of mind. Thank you to Marcela and to the rest of the Handlery staff for making our wedding memorable.
Krista T.
5.0
The Handlery is a beautiful all inclusive very affordable option. I just had my wedding there last weekend, and comfortably fit 100 guests and could have fit more. Their crystal ballroom is beautiful and their terrace garden is stunning. Not to mention all the employees were lovely! So nice to all of our guests. Top service.
Not to mention food and drinks were amazing ! Our guests couldnt stop raving.
Yazmin D.
5.0
Handlery Hotel San Diego is an independent, family-run wedding venue located in San Diego, CA. Situated by the luxurious Riverwalk Golf Course, this stunning hotel boasts an alluring Ranch-inspired architectural style and an inviting ambiance. Brimming with West Coast charm, this charming city gem has been welcoming happy couples for generations. Their seasoned staff is passionate about maintaining their hotel’s illustrious legacy and trademark hospitality while realizing your vision.
This enchanting getaway has become a beloved staple of the local area. Originally constructed in 1954 by Harry Handlery, the property has remained a romantic refuge ever since, manned by four generations of the Handlery family. At the Handlery Hotel San Diego, grace and sophistication are its bywords. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by rows of tall palm trees and pristine lawns that add to its curb appeal. The lavishly decorated lobby is sure to impress, replete with contemporary-style furniture and stately design pieces. The tranquil outdoor Garden area sets the scene for an idyllic al-fresco vow exchange. You can say ‘I do’ surrounded by quaint greenery, and the gracious pergola is a fitting photographic focal point. You can enjoy a reception in one of their palatial ballrooms before retiring to your guest suite.
Handlery Hotel San Diego offers a variety of wedding services and facilities designed to see you wed without a care. Their experienced planning team will be on hand to assist you with any queries throughout the process and is dedicated to bringing your dream celebration to life. A mouth-watering bespoke menu can be arranged between you and the professional catering manager. Able to accommodate up to 300 attendees, this hotel has an abundance of event spaces you can choose from. From a ceremony in one of San Diego’s only private outdoor patios to celebrations in the Crystal Ballroom, you can enjoy your entire day here. Their 217 deluxe rooms provide you with everything you need for an overnight stay. With a talented staff dedicated to the upkeep of these sublime surroundings, this esteemed hotel is symbolic of Southern Californian luxury.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Backyard
Ballroom
Garden
Hotel
Restaurant
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Destination Weddings
Food & Catering
Service Staff
Any questions?
Meet the team
Showing slide number 1 out of 2
- Marcela TraylorSales and Catering ManagerMarcela Traylor has over 10 years of experience turning dreams into reality, one wedding at a time. She brings a personal touch to every celebration, ensuring each event is unique and deeply special. Known for her exceptional customer service, Marcela is always available to her clients and consistently goes the extra mile to exceed expectations. Born in Costa Rica, Marcela is fully bilingual and takes pride in serving the Latino community. She loves helping couples create the wedding of their dreams, blending culture, tradition, and personal style into every detail.
- Ann Marie RamosDirector of SalesWith over 25 years of experience in the San Diego wedding industry, Ann Marie brings expertise and meticulous attention to detail to every event. Her deep local knowledge and commitment to excellence ensure that each celebration is flawlessly executed and truly unforgettable.
Reviews
4.2
out of 5.021 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Yazmin D
Highlighted review.
5.0
11/23/2021
The Handlery is a beautiful all inclusive very affordable option. I just had my wedding there last weekend, and comfortably fit 100 guests and could have fit more. Their crystal ba...
llroom is beautiful and their terrace garden is stunning. Not to mention all the employees were lovely! So nice to all of our guests. Top service.
Not to mention food and drinks were amazing ! Our guests couldnt stop raving.
Response from Handlery Hotel San Diego on 11/23/2021
Thank you so much Yazmin. I truly enjoyed working with you.
Krista T
5.0
11/10/2025
I recently got married back in October and having my wedding at the Handlery was a dream come true. Their garden terrace and crystal ballroom are just stunning and felt like it cam...
e out of a fairytale. The food and service were outstanding! Marcela was amazing to work with! She made the entire planning process very easy and stress-free and anytime a question or a concern came up, she was there to bring forth a peace of mind. Thank you to Marcela and to the rest of the Handlery staff for making our wedding memorable.
Response from Handlery Hotel San Diego on 11/10/2025
Dear Krista,
Thank you so much for your kind review. It was truly a pleasure working with...
you and being part of bringing your beautiful wedding vision to life.
Wishing you a lifetime filled with happiness, love, and countless blessings as you begin this exciting new chapter.
All the best, Marcela Traylor
Any questions?
Catherine G
4.0
9/13/2018
We thoroughly enjoyed having our wedding at the Handlery Hotel! We were drawn to the atmosphere of the garden for our ceremony and liked the convenience of having a ballroom for ou...
r reception nearby. We held our rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception at the Handlery. My husband and I stayed the night after the wedding and a lot of our guests stayed there as well. The Handlery did a great job accommodating our requests, however, response time from staff during our planning process wasn't always very timely. The biggest downside was that we didn't have much time for set up the day of due to the ballroom being booked for another event. AnnMarie was a pleasure to work with and helped us make our vision a reality. She paid attention to details, offered suggestions when needed, and helped us maximize the space for our large guest count. The Handlery made planning our wedding convenient and we heard a lot of positive feedback from our family, bridal party, and guests.
Response from Handlery Hotel San Diego on 09/13/2018
Hi Catherine, Thank you for taking the time for the review. It was such a pleasure workin...
g with you and Tony on your Special Day and I am so happy to hear how much you and your guests enjoyed their time here. If we can be of any assistance in the future please feel free to reach out. Kind Regards, Ann Marie
Ashley M
5.0
5/09/2018
Annmarie was an amazing coordinator and made everything a breeze! We had our wedding here and everything was a dream! The site is super beautiful and honestly for the price I think...
it was well worth it! I would recommend this hotel to everyone! The only issues I had were minor which was the room the night before wasn’t saved for us however they compensated for that and found a better solution anyway and they threw away the box to my champagne flutes which wasn’t a huge deal and I suppose my fault anyway since I left it in the room but everything g else was perfect. If I had todo it all over again I would still choose this venue!
Melissa P
5.0
4/19/2018
Ann Marie was such a pleasure to work with. The package deal to do the ceremony, reception & catering through them was the best decision we made; or only did it simplify a lot of...
things, but it saved us money compared to doing everything separate. The ceremony in the private garden was beautiful & surprisingly quiet considering it's in the middle of San Diego off Hotel Circle; it really felt like our very own intimate, private event. The garden fit perfectly with the Fairytale, fantasy, tea party vibe we were going far. The food was amazing...we had our wedding on Easter & lamb is a big tradition with my family for that holiday, they went out of their way to special order it for us & my grandmother commented that it was even better than hers! The rest of the food was equally delicious, we also got the coffee & Smores stations which were a huge hit with our guests. The staff was super friendly & very accommodating, the head banquet guy we had (I wish I could remember his name) even walked me through the buffet, fixed my plate & carried it to my table so I wouldn't get anything on my dress. I will definitely be recommending this venue to everyone I know that's planning a special event in the San Diego area & use them again myself for our next family event.
Dala H
5.0
10/18/2017
If you are planning a wedding in San Diego, look no further, Handlery Hotel is fantastic!! I planned my daughters wedding completely on the phone, (she lives in another country), (...
I live in Wisconsin). I recieved the most outstanding service. Starting with Estella, then Annemarie, and ending with Maria. Not once did these people get bothered by me calling, alot!
We had people from all over the world meet us there, some stated a few days and others the whole week. Every single employee was exceptional.
My daughters wedding was like a fairytale. Annemarie made it so beautiful and so petfect. People are still commenting on how perfect everything was. The food at the Handerly is the very best, so tender, so flavorful. The staff serving us was very professional and did a excellent job. The Terrace Garden is where the ceremony took place, so so beautiful. We had it in the early evening, it was like a fairytale. We didn't decorate, we didn't have to, it is that nice!!
Annemarie Thornberry went above and way beyond my expectations. She helped me as if my daughter was the only bride in the world! I cannot express how grateful I am to have given my beautiful daughter the wedding of her dreams, Annemarie is the best!
I hope this helps you brides make your decision, Handlery Hotel San Diego 950 Hotel Circle, is fantastic!
Dennis F
5.0
7/14/2017
My now husband Michael and I chose the Handlery for our special day. From the beginning, I knew I was in good hands with AnnMarie. Everything from the first warm and friendly inter...
action, emails, phone calls, and final dress rehearsal; AnnMarie was ON IT! Our evening wedding was a dream come true! The tables, chairs, and decorations were set to perfection. The gazebo in the terrace garden had beautiful white sash embellishments draping elegantly amongst the lush garden landscape! She helped me orchestrate a beautiful wedding paradise for our guest, down to the outside bar glowing with candles!!! AnnMarie THANK YOU; it was a fairytale wedding!
Megan R
5.0
7/05/2017
The Handlery Hotel was amazing! It's very quaint and quiet. Looking from the front, you think it's just another hotel, but wait until you see the garden! I was IN LOVE the very fir...
st time I saw it. My husband and I decided right then and there that's where we wanted to say "I do."
Ann Marie was so helpful and nice! The staff was awesome and so accommodating! The rooms were clean and comfortable. I can't say enough about this place! It made my dream wedding into a reality. Thank you so much Handlery! We'll be back in the future for anniversaries!
Jennifer J
1.0
5/01/2017
BE AWARE: We were promised by Ann Marie Thornberry that we would have plenty of time for photos before and after the ceremony. We were concerned because she said there would be a w...
edding before and after ours. The problem with this place is that it is a hotel right off the freeway so the only good places for photos is the terrace garden, where the ceremony was. Well, we couldn't take photos before the ceremony because of the previous wedding, which was upsetting but I figured afterwards we could. Well, after a few photos we were KICKED OUT because the next wedding had to set up. My photographer had to scramble to find another place to take photos. I didn't get all the photos I wanted because they triple booked. WHEN I WAS PROMISED BY ANN MARIE THORNBERRY. She lied to us. She also told us that 3k for alcohol would be PLENTY. She stressed all the weddings she had done where 3k was more than enough. We ended spending THOUSANDS MORE than that. We explicitly asked because we had a budget and SHE LIED. She is essentially just trying to make a quota by selling the venue. Had we known this about the photos and the alcohol WE WOULD HAVE GONE ELSEWHERE. Seriously, go somewhere else. Ann Marie also never kept in contact with us at all, would respond to our emails days sometimes a week later and always seemed like she had better stuff to do. Because of her misinformation my wedding photos are not to the extent I would have liked. My photographer, who has been doing weddings since 1989 said he had never been kicked out of a venue 15 minutes after the ceremony. I am in tears writing this review and it is because of Ann Marie Thornberry. Had we known this we would have gone elsewhere. Also, you think that you are getting a venue for a good price considering it is San Diego, but with the extra alcohol, the inability to take pictures and the fact that Ann Marie forgot to mention that the hotel bar and restaurant would be closed for renovation, we would have gone elsewhere!
Lisa S
5.0
5/30/2016
We had our wedding at the Handlery Hotel. From the initial contact over a year before our wedding, to the goodbye hug at the end of our wedding night, Ann Marie (Catering Sales Man...
ager) was absolutely perfect the entire way through. She was extremely responsive anytime we reached out to her, whether it was through call, text or email. She made sure that she kept us informed and up to date the entire time, which made us feel very comfortable and in good hands. Our wedding exceeded our expectations down to every single tiny detail. It was absolutely gorgeous and the most fun we’ve ever had. We genuinely never had to worry about a thing. We cannot say enough good things about Ann Marie and the Handlery Hotel. Ann Marie, we owe it all to you and we cannot thank you enough.
Melanie P
5.0
9/18/2015
The venue and the staff were amazing. My husband and I fell in love with this place and knew this is where we wanted to get married. My guests had nothing but positive things to sa...
y about the location, there hotel rooms and our wedding. I highly recommend this venue for your wedding ceremony, wedding reception or both.
Sianiu T
5.0
8/18/2015
There was a mistake with the rooms that they made up for (they gave my brother my room by mistake. Luckily, it was my brother). The hotel customer service was great. The only th...
ing I didn't like was that the suite had chairs and not one couch. Other than that, it was a perfect stay. I would stay there again.
Cynthia R
5.0
10/25/2013
I was looking for an outdoor venue for my September 2013 wedding and found that the Handlery Hotel was the perfect fit. Their Terrace Garden is beautiful and fit my vision of a gar...
den wedding perfectly. I have nothing but great things to say about their service and staff. Working with Ann Marie, their events coordinator, was an absolute pleasure (to the point that I actually miss our emails!). From day one she made me feel like we were in this together. I was the type of bride that needed constant reassuring and she was always quick to respond to my questions and doubts.
My guests loved the food and were impressed with their service. They provide a list of "preferred" vendors but are very flexible and will work with the vendor of your choice. They allowed me to have the cookie bar that I always planned for, which was great because I know some venues don't allow this when there's onsite catering only. The day of the event they were very flexible and allowed my florist to arrive early to begin decorating the garden with plenty of time.
I am beyond happy that I chose the Handlery Hotel for my wedding and would not change a thing if I could do it all over again.
Anonymous
5.0
8/07/2012
Couldn't have picked a better location for the price. The outside garden area is fantastic. Ask for Anne Marie she is the best.
Jackie M
3.0
3/24/2012
The ceremony site is beautiful! The ballrooms have potential if, unlike me, you dress them up! The food is average, but has better choices than most venues. same goes for the price...
.
My biggest complaints where for the hotel itself, the Guest rooms are outdated, parking is charged (but where isn't?)
The staff is friendly :)
Laura N
4.0
9/20/2011
Great venue. The event staff was very accommodating and easy to work with. The food was generous and tasty. The ceremony site is private and beautiful. My only negative comment is ...
the banquet manager. She was rude and officious. When we complained about her service to the GM, however, he handled it very professionally.
Marissa .
4.0
6/28/2011
The venue itself was great and was able to fit my 260 guests.
Our only challenge was the wedding coordinator. In less than a year, the hotel had turned out three different coordin...
ators. So it was a bit frustrating having to tell each person what we wanted, and each person told us something different. Luckily the catering director was very helpful so I usually sent all my correspondences to him. Because of all this confusion though, I didn't get the layout of the ballroom until two days before, and when we got it, it wasn't the layout we had discussed with the previous coordinator. So long story short... I was up until 2:30am the night before my wedding working on my seating chart, escort cards, and guesstimating where the tables would be set up. And because I was up so late, I didn't have time to finish putting the food option stickers on my place cards. So those guests were given a hard time by the wait staff, telling them that if they had no sticker, they'd get no dinner.
We were also bothered to hear that the hors d'veouvres were not passed trays like we were told they'd be. Instead, they were placed on a table and were eaten within minutes.
I do have to give the hotel staff and catering credit for putting up with the rest of the evening's complicated events. We had some wedding crashers who demanded a table (people who are no longer our friends), and the hotel folks calmed my stress by making it work.
Thankfully, the hotel offers their bride and groom a complimentary room!
Mika M
1.0
4/06/2011
There was no service. The room looked nothing like the pictures online. It felt dirty. I was soooooooo disappointed. Even the continental breakfast took FOREVER. HORRIBLE. DO ...
NOT STAY HERE!!!
Alicia H
2.0
1/18/2011
The Handlery had everything we wanted and was local. It allowed us to have our ceremony and reception at the same site. The original coordinator was perfect, but she left the pos...
ition when her husband got stationed elsewhere. Her replacement was nice enough, but had no communication skills and never returned calls/emails. I frequently had to go over her head. She was fired over two months before my wedding. The hotel did not find a replacement until about 10 days prior. Although the manager was very helpful a lot of damage had been done during the last person's reign. I thought they were going to go above and beyond on my day and I was wrong. Thankfully I had hired my own coordinator as the hotel coordinator was MIA all day. She did not attend my rehearsal either which I thought was strange as she was "in-training". I can say the banquet wait staff was amazing, bartenders amazing, and the hotel itself was awesome. The stress however with the lack of communication and consistency really ruined the venue for me.
CHRISTINA L
5.0
5/10/2010
It was nice to view the ceremony area at night from our reception area.
Melissa W
5.0
10/22/2008
It was a one stop shop. We had our wedding in their beautiful garden area and our reception in the crystal ballroom. The staff could not do enough for you and the food was great....
You could not do better for the value.
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