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San Diego Wedding Venues

Island Palms Hotel & Marina

Affordable Waterfront Weddings and Receptions
4.8 out of 5 stars and 17 reviews
·
San Diego, CA
San Diego
Service area
4.8
Praised by couples for:
Amenities
Unique aesthetic style
Guests comfort
I can’t speak highly enough about our wedding venue! Lillian was exceptional at what she does, her attention to detail and organization made the entire planning process seamless. She worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of our day was perfect, and I truly felt like all my requests were met with enthusiasm. The cake vendor provided by the venue was fantastic, and the cake itself was not only beautiful but delicious! The catering team on the day of the wedding did an outstanding job, and my family couldn’t stop raving about how delicious the food was. It was truly a highlight of the evening! The venue itself is stunning—a beautiful space that provided the perfect backdrop for our celebration. A special shoutout to the bartender, Ramon—he was a hit with our guests, especially my dad! Everyone loved his drinks! Overall, the venue and team exceeded our expectations, making our day magical. If you're looking for a place to host your wedding, I wholeheartedly recommend this venue! Thank you, Lillian and team, for making our dream wedding come true!
Martha B.
5.0
Great hotel on Shelter Island. The Sunset Garden is perfect for an outdoor wedding. Our guests loved the whole experience especially the outdoor cocktail reception. Great price for a wedding on the water.
Rebecca C.
5.0

About this venue

Island Palms Hotel & Marina is an idyllic wedding venue in San Diego, CA. Set on the picturesque shore of Shelter Island, this spectacular waterfront location is the perfect setting for a day of wonder and romance you'll remember for the rest of your life. Island Palms Hotel & Marina offers a choice of fabulous event spaces, including two magnificent tropical gardens and five elegant ballrooms. The Grand Marina Garden and Sunset Gardens, located just steps from the water, look like something out of a dream and are ideal spots for a spectacular sunset ceremony. The Grand Marina Ballroom can accommodate parties of 150 people and features floor-to-ceiling windows that provide breathtaking views of Point Loma. The adjoining patio is a great place to unwind and enjoy a relaxing cocktail hour. The slightly smaller Sunset Ballroom has a maximum capacity of 102 people and provides million-dollar views of San Diego Bay. The 1,100-square-foot Santa Barbara room provides panoramic second-floor views and hosts intimate weddings, rehearsal dinners, and after-wedding brunches for parties of up to 80 guests. The Harbor Room is a delightfully cozy space with a private deck and enough room for 60 guests. The beautiful Bay Room is the venue's most intimate event space and can seat up to 60 guests. Island Palms Hotel & Marina offers various wedding packages, covering everything from the rehearsal dinner to the reception. Their garden ceremony packages include an archway, carpet runner, white folding chairs, and a PA sound system. The venue's talented in-house catering team will also work with you to create a delicious menu for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Island Palms Hotel & Marina promises a wedding experience that is nothing short of stellar. Send them a message telling them a bit about yourself and your wedding vision, and a member of their sales team will be in touch shortly.
36+ years in business
Speaks English, Spanish
Small team (2-10 members)
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Ballroom
Beach
Waterfront
Hotel
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Cakes & Desserts
Destination Weddings
Food & Catering
Planning
Rentals & Equipment
Service Staff
Circle Message
Any questions?
Meet the team
  • Vendor
    Steve Schell
    Director of Sales & Catering
    20 plus years creating memorable experiences.Working with couples on making their wedding day special is my motivation. I have been with the BWP Island Palms Hotel and Marina for over 3 years, our waterfront venue helps us create an environment that will exceed your expectations.
Reviews
4.8
out of 5.0
17 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
AvatarM
Highlighted review.
10/22/2024
I can’t speak highly enough about our wedding venue! Lillian was exceptional at what she does, her attention to detail and organization made the entire planning process seamless. S...
he worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of our day was perfect, and I truly felt like all my requests were met with enthusiasm. The cake vendor provided by the venue was fantastic, and the cake itself was not only beautiful but delicious! The catering team on the day of the wedding did an outstanding job, and my family couldn’t stop raving about how delicious the food was. It was truly a highlight of the evening! The venue itself is stunning—a beautiful space that provided the perfect backdrop for our celebration. A special shoutout to the bartender, Ramon—he was a hit with our guests, especially my dad! Everyone loved his drinks! Overall, the venue and team exceeded our expectations, making our day magical. If you're looking for a place to host your wedding, I wholeheartedly recommend this venue! Thank you, Lillian and team, for making our dream wedding come true!
AvatarR
3/23/2018
Great hotel on Shelter Island. The Sunset Garden is perfect for an outdoor wedding. Our guests loved the whole experience especially the outdoor cocktail reception. Great price for...
a wedding on the water.
Circle Message
Any questions?
AvatarA
3/23/2018
This review is long overdue! My now husband and I got married at the Island Palms this past Fall and everything was perfect. Such a great hotel. We created a custom buffet and our ...
guests loved the food. This is not your typical hotel ballroom. Nothing stuffy about the Sunset Room with the views of the marina. Also a great place for out of town friends and family to stay for the weekend. We had a group of 15 rooms and it made the whole weekend seem like our wedding day. Thanks Island Palms!
AvatarB
8/22/2017
We originally booked our wedding (after very thorough research and comparison) 10 months out, but we found out we were pregnant and moved the wedding up sooner. I planned this wedd...
ing in 3 months and Kristen K was AMAZING. I had no idea what I was doing and she listened so well and had great intuition about what I'd like best or how to do certain things, just great all around! She was patient, very informative and sensitive to my needs and style - I couldn’t have done it without her. :) The venue is gorgeous and my photos are amazing (partly because of the photographer) but you can't go wrong with the view! The food was unforgettably delicious (we still have guests telling us it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding), and guests also noted how wonderful the service from staff was!!! Our families felt extremely welcomed when they checked into the resort and loved all of the amenities that came with staying as a guest. This place has it all, great package options for all budgets, room discounts for guests, and breathtaking views of the bay, downtown and the point. Our day was simply amazing and couldn’t imagine any other way. Thank you!
AvatarL
7/06/2014
My fiancee and I began the wedding reception venue search at San Diego's bridal bazaar for our March 8th wedding. We just happened to pick up a brochure from the Island Palms Hotel...
and Marina and boy was it a blessing! After inquiring about prices, we set up an appointment to meet with Michael Da Silva. He was laid back, yet listened to what we were looking for in a venue. We looked into other venues, but what sold us on the Island Palm is their willingness to negotiate several things with us, and even allowed us to bring in our own wine and champagne (with a corkage fee, but it still saved us money). Our entire planning process was smooth, stress free, and they kept us on point with when to do certain things (order linens, sash, etc). Half way through our planning process, Michael left and our event was given to Lauren Miller. Now, we had heard nightmare stories from other couples about this happening, but the transition was so smooth it's as if Lauren had been working with us from the beginning. She picked up exactly where Michael left off and was amazing and easy to work with. They have incredible vendors that you can choose to work with, which made coordinating the cake and flowers super easy. Anything we needed they were there to help us out. The venue is beautiful and combine that with amazing service and San Diego weather and what results is a beautiful wedding. Our guests loved the food and the service was on point. We received so many compliments about the location. Our families stayed in the hotel the entire weekend, and they loved the rooms and beautiful views. They even gave us a discount on rooms without been tied to a particular number of rooms. Island Palm is a hidden gem! They are super good at getting back to you and ensuring that all goes right on your special day. We are so happy we picked them as our venue. Thank you Lauren and staff at the Island Palms for making our big day so incredible!
AvatarV
10/24/2013
From the get-go we knew that this venue would be beautiful, laid back and easy to work with. We had our ceremony in the Sunset Garden and the reception upstairs in the Sunset Ball...
room. It was perfect for our group of 80 and beyond affordable for what we received. Our coordinator, Lauren, was always direct, up front and responded to inquiries right away.
AvatarK
10/15/2013
The Island Palms is a hidden gem for weddings. It is a beautiful setting and my day was perfect. The staff was so good to my husband and I and all the guests that attended my wed...
ding. Lauren was awesome, she coordinated everything for the hotel and made sure I was completely taken care of. I couldn't be happier
AvatarA
9/18/2013
We had some difficulty working out a deal with this hotel because we got married on Labor Day weekend, but we were able to get a few of our guests rooms there. The gentlemen who he...
lped our guests check in was friendlier and more helpful than the folks who originally arranged things for us, so that was a nice turn of events. The shuttle and location were much appreciated by our guests, though, and overall everyone liked it.
AvatarL
9/28/2012
We used their garder for our ceremony, Marina Ballroom for the reception which includes the food catering. We also rented hotel rooms on a discounted price. If you are a bride wit...
h not much time to think for vendors and need a fast and convinient place for your special day Best Western is really "THE BEST." They have great packages that perfectly fit our budget. The venue depicts intimacy. I love everything about Best Western. They did a superb job! The reps are able to answer questions anytime. The food was awesome. I wouldn't choose other place if I have to do it again. It was very convinient for me and my guests. From parking to the main venue.
AvatarJ
9/17/2012
I loved working with Michael DaSilva and the staff at Island Palms Hotel and Marina. From the start everyone was professional, kind, and attentive. Michael was always available to ...
discuss details of my wedding reception. As an out of town bride I required a certain amount of accommodation. Michael and staff had no problem working with me. My guests are still talking about the amazing view, food, and service. I was very fortunate to find the Island Palm Hotel and Marina. I cannot imagine my wedding at any other venue.
AvatarK
6/15/2011
I had 3 weeks to plan a wedding and Chris helped my mother and me pull it together. It turned out so perfect I can't even tell you! It was a beautiful ceremony in the garden and ...
we could just walk to the reception hall, which had a big window view of the marina. Also, there is a bar in the hotel for the "after party". The food was super delicious as well. I wasn't expecing anything great, but it was amazing!The hor d'ourves were a huge hit, the Sea Bass was amazing, and everyone loved the Filet Mignon.
AvatarM
3/17/2011
great place
AvatarS
2/16/2011
Everything about doing the wedding at the Island Palms was amazing! Rachael was the coordinator (we originally started with Martha, but she moved) and she was so helpful! We orig...
inally planned on having it in a smaller room, but when the bar would have to be outside and we were concerned, they upgraded us to the medium-sized room at no extra charge with the same food & beverage minimum! Everything went off without a hitch, they really went out of their way to make our wedding special. And it was. Definitely. Prices were also extremely reasonable, and it was nice to have an opportunity in the package to have centerpieces, cake, and alcohol all included!
AvatarK
12/01/2010
Our venue was gorgeous, the food was amazing, and the staff there were very accomodating!! We had a great experience
AvatarV
11/10/2010
The food was amazing. The filet mignon was very tender and it was amazing that they were able to provide such high quality to 150 guests. The service was great and after the weddin...
g I heard really great things from everyone. The only disappointment I had was with the cake not everyone got any cake and we lost the top portion of our cake. I think they should have done a better job of handing over the top portion of the cake. I'd suggest having them physically handing it to you and then giving it to someone you trust or making sure someone gets it at the end of the night. Other than that everything was fabulous! Mike DaSilva did a really great job!
AvatarS
10/26/2010
I had my wedding at the Kona Kai, but had all my guests stay at the Best Western Island Palms because their customer service & rooms are SO MUCH better. Every single one of my ...
guests commented on how nice their rooms were, and the people that they met at the hotel. I personally worked with the Director of Sales, Chris Bartholomew, to get my rates and wedding room block set - and he was amazingly friendly and helpful. He showed me the different rooms available and helped reccomend the right size rooms for people that were sharing - the suites could fit 4 people so comfortably and had a full kitchen too! So great for people staying longer and traveling far away from home. Their customer service completely beats out the Kona Kai (who were very difficult to work with and didn't offer any decent rates) and I would reccommend them very highly for your guests. You won't be disappointed! Great pools too and bars.
AvatarJ
9/05/2008
We wanted something fairly intimate and this was perfect. It was tucked away in an alcove of the hotel and it has these beautiful vaulted ceilings and was just across the road ...
from the ocean.;It was more of a motel than a hotel which wasn't a bad thing I was just surprised. It's a very very fancy motel.

Service area & Contact info

2051 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA
2051 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA
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