Miami Lakes Hotel

While the overall experience was positive, we did have some hiccups along the way. First and foremost, I’d like to state that this review would be all 5 stars if it wasn’t for a representative that seemed to enjoy giving us a tough time. The general staff is amazing, from the catering department, to the hotel, and the directors involved. In the beginning, we went through a few representatives (Paul & Amber) that were very classy and professional and we signed with Shula’s because of their superior service. It was unfortunate, when both left during the planning process. Everything was dandy until Amber left and we were introduced to Martha, that we began having issues from day 1 with her. She seemed to make everything into a road block. It began when we asked simple questions about our wedding day that she began to state that we needed a wedding planner, although we were 10 months in without ever needing one. Up until that point every representative supported us with our plans and vision of what we wished our wedding to be. She always mentioned we needed a wedding planner, even after telling her we had things under control. We even considered a florist because she had no interest in helping us put down our centerpieces. She was not helpful with trying to coordinate the reception early to give us enough time to put down decor and bring in our wedding arch. She would take several days to respond to calls or emails and when she did respond, she would be very condescending and gave us ill mannered, witty comments. When we got closer to our wedding date, her customer service skills were non present. She would be very dry and whenever we had asked a questions she would always say “next question”. Her customer interaction skills are practically non present, to the point that if she was employed anywhere else her contract would certainly not be needed. Overlooking our interactions with her, we must say that the Shula’s staff was able to turn around our terrible perception of Shula’s. Just two days before the wedding, we had lost so much patience that we contacted the catering manager Dana. Dana, Ellioth and Oliver made our dream wedding come true! I can’t believe that with such short notice, they were able to pull off such a perfect day for us! Everyone that day exceeded our expectations!!! We were indeed treated like royalty! Anything we asked Dana & Ellioth, it was given to us immediately, any obstacles that day were handled with ease and even things we didn’t ask for were just given to us! Ellioth brought these beautiful flowers which meant so much to me! I can’t believe that day Ellioth and Oliver went as far as bringing us Hors d’oeuvres because we were too busy in our photo sessions or brought us a beverage every time so we would have time to mingle during our reception! Or the time they reminded me that my food would get cold and to at least grab a bite! From the bottom of my heart, I thank Dana, Ellioth and Oliver for giving us the best wedding day anyone could ever ask for! Please don’t be discouraged to having your wedding here. There are wonderful representatives ready to help you! I will never take back how perfect our wedding day was even if it meant enduring 3 months with an unhelpful representative. Thank you Shula’s!

- The brides name was misspelled on door. - The coordinator did not attend the rehearsal. The mother of the bride did admit she told them not to come but you should know better! We practiced entering a completely different way than the day of the wedding. We’re lucky the confusion didn’t delay the wedding more than a few minutes. - There was also a table place at the arch of the ceremony space. It never should have been there. Thankfully I asked them to move it on my own. Where was the coordinator on this? - The coordinator was not around during the day and only one person came to check on the bridal party. We had to request water in the room, we had to find the florist to get the bouquets and boutonnières. Why wasn’t someone connecting the dots? - Your recommended photographer needs to work on her professionalism. She immediately made the bride anxious with her communication style. The bride wanted to get dressed and the photographer kept telling her to wait until she got all her shots. Show up earlier if your can’t do you job in a timely manner. You don’t make the bride wait for you. Making jokes about it doesn’t make things better. - The flowers from your vendor were amazing, really it was the only impressive work we saw from any vendor. Unfortunately their arch was poorly made. I have photos from the wedding showing the duct tape and plastic buckets that held up the arch. Why wasn’t this covered up???! This kind of work is unacceptable as these are in every photo from their ceremony. Reflects so poorly on your venue! - If you ever want to be a classy venue, NEVER offer the DJ. He was THE most unprofessional DJ who made fun of guests, played horrible music from a middle school dance, made the bride feel bad during the bouquet toss, made fun of the grooms hair cut, and the worst of all, allowed some lady from the wedding to request that the last dance be between her and the bride!!! The last dance should be with the bride and groom. When the family went to ask for a an additional last dance for bride and groom he said no because he had to stop at 11:00 on the dot. Not acceptable! They paid the bill such despicable customer service!!! - Why did the coordinator leave before the wedding was over? If I had t been there all the their personal effects wouldn’t have made it home. I had to find the box for the glasses, ask for the cake topper etc. the coordinator who knows all these details needs to stay through the end. Poor service once again. - I understand serving 120 guests can be difficult and hard to keep the food warm but Undercooked veggie and over cooked chicken for the price per person they paid is unacceptable. Risotto is one the the hardest side dishes to serve to a massive party. You shouldn’t be offering it if it’s going to taste like it did, so bland and hard chunks. Offer something that will sustain the time you have to service. This is industry standards. Why isn’t Shula’s on top of that? - Even the ballroom had this Awkward lighting at outer tables. Do you not know how to set the scene? Who can enjoy a party with basically a spot light on them. Thankfully we found the wall switch and changed it ourselves. I will be sharing this review in every way possible because it’s important for future brides and grooms to know what they’re walking into. These examples are my take on the wedding, I’m sure there were other instances other guests experienced that were also unacceptable.

We loved working with Shula's. The grounds are breathtaking. The FOOD is phenomenal (the mash potatoes are like a gift from heaven #obsessed.) Nearly everyone that talked about our wedding said how AMAZING the food was. As a company, It shows that they care not only about their customers but also their people. Everyone we encountered was so happy to be working with them and they were happy to be at work and helping you. Dana and Amber are AMAZING! Their attention to detail and care with our wedding made us feel like we were working with family! We had some issues in the beginning, but after Dana took over we quickly forgot all about them and could not have been more at ease. They took great care to make sure that everything was set up how we wanted. They even went as far as to help us find a last minute vendor to hang some of our decor. We would definitely HIGHLY recommend asking to have them oversee your event.

I had searched Miami far and wide and found Shula's Hotel. Right in the middle of a quaint shopping district in Miami Lakes. Easy for out of town guests to have dinner without renting a car. We were married in the Courtyard it came out lovely. Cocktail hour under a trellis area and dinner and dancing in the ballroom. The grounds are green and lush - extremely well maintained. It was honestly more beautiful then I expected. Dinner was on point! As I looked around the room dinner plates were empty. Bar was flowing and my guests were dancing. Finally found what I was looking for and what I thought was a very reasonable price after again searching Miami far and wide. Go see it for yourself - pictures don't do it justice.