The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center

We design the experience, you create the memories!

Dakota Dunes, SD

Sioux City, Dakota Dunes, Elk Point

Service area

Holds ceremonies and receptions

5.0

Praised by couples for:

Amenities

Helpful staff

Guests comfort

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with the Holiday Inn Express in Dakota Dunes! The staff was so helpful and the venue was absolutely perfect for what we had envisioned for our reception! Highly recommend!

Elizabeth F.

5.0

I could not say enough good things about The Holiday Inn Express & Suites at the Dunes. Not only is it a beautiful setting for the wedding. Alex (our coordinator) was awesome, as well as the other staff. Everyone loved having the wedding at a place that had such great accommodations for our guests. We had many people stay overnight and we had a wonderful time.

Patti M.

5.0

Marie

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

AWARD WINNER (2X)

Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center offers couples a stunning space to host their wedding in Dakota Dunes, SD. This venue's team will go above and beyond to make your visions come true This hotel caters to any size wedding, accommodating up to 450 guests. Their grand ballroom features a modern style and neutral colors, creating an elegant backdrop for your big day. Here, you and your guests will delight in tall ceilings and grand windows, flooding the space with natural light. Whether you are planning an intimate gathering or large celebration, this space can be configured to fit your vision. Their charming patio allows you to host a cocktail hour around a cozy fireplace and dazzling string lights. Beyond providing a beautiful space to celebrate your love, The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center staff strive to make wedding unforgettable. Approaching each event with warmth, and special attention, they ensure that no detail is left unnoticed. At The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center, an event coordinator will work with you to create the wedding of your dreams. Their friendly team will assist with setting up tables and chairs in the event space. They offer linens, tableware, and colored napkins to create a personalized dining experience. The hotel's on-site catering offers flexible menus to suit your taste and budget. At the end of the night, couples will enjoy a complimentary King Suite. Take the next step towards "I do" and reach out to this hotel's team to discuss how they can make your big day magical.

7+ years in business

Speaks English

2 team members

Amenities + details

Amenities

Ceremony Area

Covered Outdoors Space

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

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

Ballroom

Hotel

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks

Bar Rental

Food & Catering

Planning

Wedding Design

Rentals & Equipment

Service Staff

Awards and Affiliations

2-Time 'Best of Weddings'

2023.2022.

Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding

Meet the team

Marie

Director of Sales & Marketing

Cheers to the Future Mr. & Mrs.! I am ecstatic to be able to work with you to plan your big day! Watching a wedding reception unfold from start to finish after all the planning has transpired is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I love creating unique, customized dream weddings for each and every couple so that you know that your day is unlike anyone else's. Every detail matters when you're planning the first day of your forever!

5.0

out of 5.0

21 reviews

Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

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Whitney K

Highlighted review.

7/12/2023

I’d rate it more than 5 stars if I could! I can not begin to explain how beyond amazing the staff is at Holiday Inn! Alex was absolutely incredible to work with ahead of wedding da...

y and she went above and beyond on our day. She was professional and timely in all communication when wedding planning. Any questions I had she answered or found the answers for me quickly. The day of the wedding we had an our seating arrangement picture frames break and she quickly got it taken care of and redisplayed without being asked. Anything that we did ask for was taken care of quicker than we could’ve imagined. All staff that worked serving, cleaning, etc was so polite and helpful. I would rate Holiday Inn as the top wedding venue I’ve been to in the area!

Elizabeth F

8/08/2026

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with the Holiday Inn Express in Dakota Dunes! The staff was so helpful and the venue was absolutely perfect for what we had envisioned for...

our reception! Highly recommend!

Any questions?

Patti M

12/12/2023

I could not say enough good things about The Holiday Inn Express & Suites at the Dunes. Not only is it a beautiful setting for the wedding. Alex (our coordinator) was awesome, as...

well as the other staff. Everyone loved having the wedding at a place that had such great accommodations for our guests. We had many people stay overnight and we had a wonderful time.

Haley S

11/22/2023

My husband and I got married at the HIE Dakota Dunes Event Center. We had the PERFECT day and PERFECT experience!!! Staff were amazing. Alex did phenomenal with everything and made...

sure everything ran smoothly. She went above and beyond to make our day so special. We cannot recommend this venue enough!!

Erin L

7/12/2023

I would highly recommend this event center if you're planning a wedding! great size room that we had them divide into 2 spaces and held the ceremony on one side while the tables we...

re all set and decorated on the other side for the reception. we used the pre-event space and patio for a happy hour so no need for a party bus. the guest rooms are large and well furnished and very quiet. the staff is the BEST you could ever hope to work with! Alex and her team were beyond helpful every step of planning, decorating, and granting our every request. They watched out for everything and kept things running smoothly. This was the second time we have held a wedding here and it's simply the best value for your money. we didn't have a single thing we would have changed, it was perfect

Jolie S

3/29/2023

I catered desserts for a wedding at the Dakota Dunes Events Center and everything went perfectly. Staff was above and beyond helpful, very clean and organized! Property is beautifu...

l as well!

Kenzie & Caden C

12/30/2022

This venue was beautiful! Very up-to-date and elegant. It was a very large space that more than accommodated our guests. The food was also amazing! When we first booked our venue, ...

we had the absolute pleasure of working with Sam. She was very detail-oriented and made us feel so calm and prepared for the big day. She sent regular emails to touch base about details and timelines. We were so sad to see Sam leave 5 months before our wedding. After Sam left, we sadly felt out of the loop without any contact from the person temporarily taking over Sam’s place until 2 weeks before the wedding. We also did not feel like a priory those 2 weeks leading up to the wedding day and felt like we were bothering the staff. It added extra stress for us. With that being said, the temporary “fill-in” said that a replacement Coordinator was hired and started a week after our wedding. If she is anything like Sam, I know future couples will be taken care of well! This temporary lapse of a coordinator, with a fill-in that did not seem happy to be filling in, is the only reason for 4 stars. It was unfortunate for us, but we did want to leave an honest review. All said and done, things ran smoothly on our wedding day and we could not have asked for a more perfect day. I would still recommend this venue!

Felicia B

12/22/2022

Everyone at The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center were very friendly. They listened to what I wanted, helped with everything and were very professional. I would recommend t...

hem to anyone because they made my day so very special!

Jasmine K

11/07/2022

Holiday Inn and Event Staff were a dream to work with! We had both our ceremony and reception here and it was beautiful. They walk through everything a couple weeks prior to holdin...

g the event there and they are SO accommodating! They are pros at what they do. We had so many compliments with the venue and the staff. We would have our wedding here 100x over!

Abby B

7/11/2022

We can not say enough good things about the Holiday Inn as our wedding venue. We chose this venue because their layout is perfect for a big wedding without it being crowded! Our ex...

perience with Alex helped ease so many fears and questions leading up to the wedding day-I probably sent her at least an email a day for two weeks & each time, she answered so fast and it was things she already had under control! I cannot praise the staff enough with how well organized they were throughout the day (especially during dinner), and how welcoming, nice, and attentive to our guests they were! The staff took care of every little detail the whole day. From ensuring people came in the right doors, to taking our gifts and cards to a secure room throughout the evening. This venue really makes you a priority from leading up to the wedding all the way until the next morning.

Jared B

7/11/2022

At the Holiday Inn Express in Dakota Dunes you will find nothing but the best. Alex is amazing and she was a blessing to work with. When planning a wedding, it is hard not to worry...

about how every little detail would work out, but the HIE Dakota Dunes blew us away with every detail of the reception. It was beautiful. We were treated like royalty and every thing we asked for was exceeded. We had approximately 300 people at our reception and all 300 were through the buffet line in 30 minutes at most! I had multiple guests refer to it as the "Chick-Fil-A of wedding receptions." Everything about the reception was perfect and we could not have asked for a better event center to help us celebrate our special day!

Brittnie W

5/03/2022

Sam and Alex made our wedding perfect, easy, and seamless! I highly recommend them. They respond quickly to questions and coordinate well with other vendors. We basically didn't ha...

ve to lift a finger. They didn't miss a single detail! In the morning, they had everything locked up on a cart in the office for us to just roll out to the car and easily load up.

Logan L

11/10/2021

We recently had our wedding reception here and it was simply amazing! Everything was handled so perfectly by the staff from the beginning to the end. Sam and Lauren did an incredib...

le job, gave us great suggestions, and made us feel comfortable every step of the way! The event space itself is so impressive and the outdoor patio space was such a hit among our guests! We 10/10 recommend to this venue!

Rich J

7/12/2021

We have been to a few events at the Event Center (weddings, company event, meeting) and have never been disappointed. When it came time to pick site for our rehearsal dinner, it w...

as an easy choice and we were never disappointed. Sam and the staff took great care to learn about the wedding couple and what would be special for them as part of the dinner and helped us every step of the way.

Molly K

6/28/2021

I’ll be the first to admit I was the most unorganized bride ever. Having to plan a wedding almost 900 miles away was a challenge to say the least. Thank god for Sam and her attenti...

on to detail and organizational skills! She was also so prompt in answering any questions we had and helped smooth out and streamline our timeline for the day. I don’t think anyone else has the skill to corral our scattered wedding party the way she did either. The venue is absolutely gorgeous, spacious, and clean and same goes for the entire hotel. We were also blown away by how attentive and kind the staff was. We highly recommend this place to any newly engaged couples in the area!

Morgan W

4/12/2021

We just had our wedding reception at the event center and it was PERFECT! The layout and decor of the room was beautiful and exactly what we were looking for. It was large enough t...

o space out the tables to help our guest feel a little more distanced from others. Sam and her team were amazing to work with. She answered all of my questions and wrote down every request we ever had and followed through the day of. Aggies is the caterer and we received so many compliments on how our food was the best wedding food yet! Definitely recommend this space for your next event!

Erin B

3/30/2021

From a couple who had to plan their wedding 3 separate times at 3 separate venues, we can honestly say that HIE Dakota Dunes is THE BEST! The team went above and beyond every step ...

of the way, made us feel SO welcome, and we could tell they truly cared about making the weekend special for us. This venue is worth every penny and more, it's beautiful inside and out, you don't even feel like you're in a hotel, and they are willing to work with any vision you have to make sure your day is the way you want it to be! 10/10 recommend Holiday Inn Express Dakota Dunes to anyone planning an event! Best example of the level of care... Sam (event planner) arranged for a special plate for me during dinner with my favorites since I'm a picky eater. I didn't have to ask for this, she remembered from past conversations and made sure I had something to eat during a course I didn't like. This made everyone who knows me laugh and really showed the level of care and personal touch that HIE provides!

Nicole H

12/02/2020

The whole team at the Holiday Inn Express did a wonderful job prior to our wedding and the day of. We loved that the hotel was attached so our out of town guest could stay. The ve...

nue was beautiful and everything went smoothly. We loved how friendly and helpful everyone was! We were happy with everything and so was our guest. Can't express enough how much we loved having our wedding there!

Ashley P

2/02/2020

Lauren, Tammi and their team were amazing to work with as we planned our wedding! We visited a number of places, but after seeing the venue and meeting with Lauren, our decision w...

as easy to make! The venue is gorgeous, elegant and spacious! The team was always available, easy to work with and accommodating! For us, the pricing was comparable plus we never felt like they were nickel and diming us on items. Being attached to a hotel was very important to us, as we had many guests traveling in, the service our guests received was top notch! We have heard nothing but great things from our guests regarding their stay! I will highly recommend the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Dakota Dunes Event Center, Lauren and her team to anyone looking for a venue!

Makenzie K

12/08/2019

June 1st, 2019 is a day that we will never forget! We held our wedding reception at the Holliday Inn Express & Suites in the Dakota Dunes and we could not have asked for a more pe...

rfect venue. The space is beautiful, immaculate, and easily adaptable to any theme! The staff was WONDERFUL - so courteous, helpful, and accommodating during every step of the planning, setting up, during the event, and even days to weeks afterwards. We worked very closely with Lauren - she is an angel! We would 12/10 recommend the Holiday Inn, Dakota Dunes - Event Center for your special day!!

Abbie H

12/04/2019

We had our our wedding here September 2019 and every step of the way was WONDERFUL. The staff was very helpful throughout the planning process. They allowed us to come in the day b...

efore and the day after to set up and tear down. They even brought our presents up to our complimentary room for us! They kept the night running smoothly, everything was clean and orderly, the food was delicious, and we receive many compliments throughout the night and the following days. There is a covered outdoor area, as well as a spacious meeting space outside of the venue, that was wonderful for older guests to hang out and relax. Highly recommend!

Response from The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center on 12/06/2019

Abbie - It was truly and honor to be a part of you and Michael's special day. You guys wer...

e great to work with. I loved your unique style and decor. It really transformed the event center space to an area that looked especially created for the two of you. From the old books, the dried flowers, the scrabble pieces - it really was such a perfect representation of the two of you, we loved it! We wish you nothing but happiness! Cheers to married life!

Service area & Contact info

885 Cottonwood Ln, Dakota Dunes, SD

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(605) 242-2999

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The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center

Marie

Director of Sales & Marketing

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The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Event Center

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