The Magnolia Hotel Omaha

y type of wedding you are looking for. Dana was our coordinator and she was such a breeze to work with. She helped us with our diagram, appetizers, dinner and drinks. Dana helped lead a spectacular day and we wouldn't change anything. All of our guests loved the venue and the fact their hotel room was just an elevator ride away. No one had to leave. This was very important since most of our guests were from out of town. The food, drinks and ambiance was spectacular. I appreciate everything Magnolia & Dana did for us and so happy we chose them for our venue. You won't be disappointed with the perks of having everything in one space. We loved Magnolia.

teer clear. The event coordinators were great, but notice how there was more than one. Within a year, we went through THREE different event planners because they couldn't keep up with the quota the Magnolia's corporation had set in place. The hardest part was that the event coordinator that left did not relay to the new one replacing them with clients, so we often found ourselves reiterating what we had discussed multiple times. It made the service feel unreliable and frustrating. If one event coordinator said that such and such was ok, the next one would say it wasn't. So we'd have planned for what the first planner had mentioned only to have it messed up by the one that came in. There was an immense amount of miscommunication between management and its event coordinators. The coordinators had no responsibility so there was a lot of, "well...I'll have to see" or "oh, I'll have to check with managers (who were usually out of town)". I don't blame the event coordinators at all because no one was helping them and I think that hurts their chances of securing more weddings in the future. The last issue was probably the biggest. In July 2021, Magnolia experienced flooding that wiped out the bottom floor. We were told that it would be cleaned up and we could have our assigned rooms by the wedding in October 2021. We went to do a final check of the venue and NOTHING was fixed. Their solution was to put black tarp with painter's tape over the walls. For as much as we were spending, it was unacceptable and made the venue look horrendous. We changed our rooms, but there was no compensation or forewarning, so management didn't care about the wedding. All in all, I would be cautious about booking the Magnolia for a wedding. The staff is great, the food for the wedding was phenomenal, but with it being so inconsistent I wouldn't recommend it.

ge our wedding plans. We had a lot of requests in order to make it a safe event with lots of care taken to mitigate the risk of illness to our friends and family there with us that day. Prior to the day, Sarah was SO great with guiding us through the planning process, was very prompt with communication, and took great care to understand our needs. I am beyond thankful for her for taking a stressful event during a stressful time and making it easier for us. The venue of course was historical and beautiful. The other staff at the hotel were lovely to work with and did a great job being flexible with the plans when things got a little off course during the reception. Sarah and the other staff members were so great about accommodating our ceremony and reception all being outside on the patio. At the end of the night, Coco and the other wait staff were proactive in helping us gather up the table decorations and really made that process easy and seamless at the end of the night. I could not have asked for a better experience and I would recommend this site/venue to anyone looking to have a good wedding experience.

the big day and the process was so smooth. The reception hall was amazing, well organized, so elegant and as we asked for. We stayed the night at the hotel and our guests as well and it was a comfortable stay. Thank you again Emily, you were great.

arlson was extremely responsive, helpful, accommodating, and kind in making sure that everything was in line for the weekend...anything from our block of rooms to a lovely catered brunch at the hotel. The King loft suite was an ideal place to get ready with my bridesmaids, and the Magnolia courtyard and entryway provided a quaint, whimsical background for our wedding portraits. Definitely recommend the Magnolia as a home base for wedding festivities!

rustrated at their lack of concern and ownership in any of the problems. There were so many issues across many departments. It should have been a red flag when I saw on previous reviews that they had a problem with event coordinator turnover. That trend continued after we booked. There were three different coordinators within 14 months. The hotel failed to notify us either of the times that our point person had left. We were only informed after our (personally hired) wedding planner found out and let us know. Then there was the issue with the room block. The "special" rate they gave us was 50% higher than through other, third party sites. And when our guests tried calling in, several were told our block was completely full or the hotel itself was full. This was five months prior to our wedding so neither were close to full. The hotels response: "Your guests were probably trying to book for dates outside of your block." They weren't; I checked. There were at least a dozen people that had issues; that isn't coincidental. Another HUGE issue was the food. We selected a dual entree with steak and chicken. We specifically requested the chicken not be dry (we had heard concerns from past customers) and for the steak to be cooked medium. What we got was the driest chicken we've ever had. They didn't provide steak knives either, so most people couldn't cut into it. I will give the chef the credit that the steak was close to medium, however, it was literally gray and not seasoned. The potatoes were soggy. And everything on the plate was lukewarm, at best. I was so embarrassed. The hotel's response, "We're surprised to hear this. We had someone going around asking how the food was and no one said it was bad." The largest issue: we brought in a cake riser that's been in my husband's family for years. We told the hotel this before the wedding. Apparently the coordinator forgot to write it down. When our wedding planner went to retrieve it, the kitchen lead, Greg, refused to let her take it, saying it belong to the hotel. After back and forth between my wedding planner and Greg, my mother-in-law was eventually consulted for help. She told (admittedly more forcibly) Greg the same thing, that it was the family's cake riser. He told her she was a liar and he would call the cops if she tried to steal it. The hotel's response, "Greg said your mother-in-law was unprofessional. You didn't give us enough time to check our supply." We told them before and then we told them three more times. That seems like plenty of time. They couldn't even admit this was handled inappropriately. Tables started being torn down at 10:13 even though we booked the room until midnight. We had assigned seats. That meant people lost their seats, including my mom. The hotel's response, "That was to make more room because the room was tight." The morning after, a housekeeping member yelled at myself and a handful of guests to get out of our rooms, even though we had permission for late check out. The hotel insists everyone brought their very best service. These aren't even all of the issues but I've hit the limit. Bottom line: if you want to feel special on your wedding day, if you want your guests to be taken care of, and if you want a place that's accountable, don't go here.

l get ready in before my ceremony. While I did not have my wedding reception there, the staff was great at accommodating any requests we had that morning. I would definitely recommend checking this hotel out if you're looking to have someplace to stay the weekend of your wedding or just having a stay-cation!

dealt with 3 coordinators throughout the planning process, 1 of which was absolutely terrible who was no longer there a month before the ceremony. Kindra did a great job with what was handed to her and I feel like had we been working with her the whole time this review may have been different. One thing that got screwed up was the meal the day of. During our tasting we chose long grain wild rice and grilled vegetable medley as our sides and our guests wound up with mushy yellow rice (think Uncle Bens) and steamed veggies so that was disappointing given what we paid for. Overall the day turned out beautifully and the venue like I mentioned is absolutely stunning! So while I would recommend the venue I would also recommend to be consistently on top of the details.

give much insight. However, after the rehearsal, we walked through the ballroom and how things would play out the next day, which was a relief. Our wedding day was the most perfect day. We were so pleased with how everything came together and how everyone from the hotel made sure everything ran smoothly. The staff was amazing. We are so happy we chose to spend our wedding day at The Magnolia.

ed many many problems. Everyone seems nice as long as you don't ask them to do anything. Initially, I told them I could not consider this venue because it was way out of our budget. Kyle promised numerous times that he would work with whatever our budget is. After the taxes, ridiculous fees, and 26% service charge, we ended up paying over $7000 extra. We struggled to meet such a high minimum so it was suggested by Valerie we do a day after breakfast. After we changed all of our plans and notified guests, we were told that was not allowed. We were promised things would happen, such as they would wipe down all the chargers or mirrors to help get ready day of, then we were told it was an extra fee for all of that. If you ask for ANYTHING special they want to charge you a fee. We almost didn't get set up for the reception on time because the staff was not prepared with tables on time. Communication with Magnolia staff is a whole different issue. I would email 4-5 times before I would get a response. I asked the same SIMPLE question SIX times before I got an answer. I just think its common courtesy to respond to a voicemail or email in 1-2 business days, especially when I'm paying you THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars. There are too many beautiful venues in Omaha for me to recommend the Magnolia Hotel for your wedding.

ervice so we moved elsewhere.

ost important. That being said, we had FOUR different wedding coordinators throughout the 9 months we worked with the Magnolia. This was quite exhausting and frustrating at times. I understand this is out of the hotel's control (somewhat, but if they have so much turn around, perhaps it's something the management is doing wrong?). The last coordinator we ended with, Kyle Steeson, was AMAZING. He is absolutely incredible at his job. He completely made up for the constant turn around we had prior to his arrival. The bad news is he's leaving/left also. The price for this venue is very high, but the service is also great. I would definitely not have it listed in the "moderate" price range, as the food minimums were much higher than other venues we looked at. It was really great that everything was located in one place, especially since we had to fly in for the wedding. We were able to do our rehearsal dinner there, as well as stay there before and after the wedding. The presidential suite isn't included and it's pretty spendy. You'll definitely want it f you'd like to use the balcony to enter the ceremony space, plus it's incredible for bridal getting-ready photos. The service fee is also very high and it's paid on everything, even the rental. All-in-all, service was great, but you'll pay a hefty amount for that. Even with the high cost, I don't regret our choice, as The Magnolia is the most beautiful venue we looked at in Omaha.

th! It made planning and organizing a lot less stressful knowing that everything would be under control.

a very ineffective coordinator which caused countless issues during the big day to include: charging our guests during a complimentary cocktail hour (totally unscrupulous!!), insufficient food during the cocktail hour (in spite of an approved guest count) and a completely improperly cut wedding cake (like they literally shaved all of the frosting off). More so, despite my staying in the Presidential Suite the night before for ease of coordination, I had to reach out to Ron to receive guidance and assistance on the wedding day. These mishaps continued into the evening when Ron even left before all the reception events had concluded which is contrary to what he will tell you. His replacement was nowhere to be found for the rest of the evening and could not be bothered to introduce herself to the groom and I! This is simply NOT the type of service expected from a supposedly 5 star hotel. It is really unfortunate given Magnolia's steep 23% service charge that you may find yourself having a less than perfect wedding like I did. I would not suggest this wedding venue to other brides - the staff was rude, untrained, inconsiderate and unaccommodating. You can certainly find a nicer venue for a better price in Omaha.

the loop. All the staff at the hotel were so friendly and accommodating to me and my guests. I got married in the courtyard and I received so many compliments at how beautiful of a wedding it was. No decorations needed for the ceremony, the courtyard has EVERYTHING you need in its own charm. HIGHLY recommend Ron and his staff at the Magnolia.

all of my bridesmaids to get ready. Our food was amazing and the bar service was wonderful! The Aquila Court was a beautiful place for a ceremony. Everything was wonderful!

ng day went off without a hitch and everyone loved the venue. I couldn't be more pleased.

insight and suggestions without being pushy. I'm a bride who has a hard time letting go of the reigns but with rob you can be sure you are in good hands!

ntown bars. Perfect spot for a bachelorette!

se wedding coordinator who knows his stuff. We have had many compliments about the food, one person said it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. Trust me they have really, really good food choices. The courtyard is beautiful and customizable to what we wanted, the reception turned out fantastic, and my husband and I as part of the rental stayed in their absolutely gorgeous Presidential Suite. I don't think our wedding could have been happier with how everything turned out. You have to book early for the date you want, because they book up quick! We also had many great photo ops because it's a historical building with many beautiful details all over. Our photographer had a blast too!

for a wedding. We had the pleasure of working Ron as our coordinator and he did a tremendous job from start to finish! I sent him countless emails and had several phone calls through the planning process-some with very detailed and important topics to cover, and others with minute details only a bride cares about. No matter what the topic or question, I was always treated with respect and like I was the only client they had (which is FAR from the trust-they are always booked!). It never took longer than a day to get back to me, which was very important! They were accomodating with details, vendors, timing...everything! For our guests, booking the hotel was an easy process they were able to do online or via phone. The staff was always professional and helpful! I always felt welcomed even if I showed up unannounced if I was nearby. The big day came and I was super confident in the coordiantion. I did not have to worry about a thing-Ron and his staff had it taken care of! I was able to focus on the day and enjoying and remembering every second of it! It was organized and went off without a hitch! All the guests were in awe of the beauty of the place as well as the comfort of all areas! They loved it as much as we did! If I had it to do over again, we would still go with the Magnolia!

e and classy venue and for the rain they upgraded us to the presidential suite for the night which is gorgeous! You will not be disappointed with this venue, amazing food, amazing staff, unique venue!

ls promptly and did an amazing job making sure everything was perfect that day. We originally planned to get married in the outdoor courtyard but due to the cooler weather, it was moved indoors. The indoor ceremony room was beautiful! We were able to get ready in the Presidential suite. The room was perfect. The outdoor courtyard , the indoor ceremony room and hotel in general provided many beautiful areas for all of our pictures. We received so many compliments on the hotel and the ceremony. We had a very small, private ceremony. Ron and the staff seemed like family to us. Made us laugh and feel very relaxed on our special day. They were very happy to shuttle us to a local resteraunt that we chose to have dinner at as well.The Magnolia was very affordable! I am recommending the Magnolia to anyone I know looking to get married.

l. It was also somewhat challenging to add more rooms to the block when the original number had been filled by guests. Some guests also said that they found it challenging to book under our name as the hotel said they were already full. When I personally called the hotel, there were rooms available. The shuttle service was one of the main reasons we booked at the Magnolia. They promised shuttles to and from our church and the reception. Unfortunately, the shuttle was unavailable for the time that we needed service. We reserved the two shuttles for transportation after our reception, yet only one shuttle arrived and guests waited for hours to get a ride back to the hotel. The complimentary breakfast was great and the hotel bar was excellent for our guests after the reception. The rooms were beautiful and were offered at a reasonable price with the block.

our main contact left the Magnolia mid-way through our plans. It is hard to get a hold of the "right person." Any time you go into the Magnolia, the service is superb! There were also inconsistencies with pricing. My friend's wedding received an $89 rate, while my wedding block received a $129 rate. I don't understand why there was a difference and was disappointed to here this after the fact. All in all, if I could do it again I would absolutely still have our guests stay here! The best bonus was that we got a gorgeous suite for our wedding night because of our block of rooms!!! It was the perfect way to end our wedding weekend/evening!

ted it because of the "all in one" packaging - ceremony, reception and hotel. It flowed really well and all of our guests had a blast. Although it was a little more expensive, the hotel provided everything that we needed and that was worth the extra cost. HIGHLY recommended!

eryone said that the food was wonderful and the hotel was beautiful. their preferred vendors are also very high quality. we did have a few problems with the rooms though - our room wasn't ready on time for us to get ready in and several of our relatives had problems with their rooms.

hour every evening for guests and also free breakfast. Our only issue was our guests were given the price of $129.00/night booking with our wedding. Turns out some other people, also with our wedding, got rooms for $89.00/night. We had some very unhappy guests when people found out.

more than a month ahead and the hotel would not hold the block of rooms for that long. Otherwise very fun! Bar was a fun place to meet up before going out, the milk and cookies were adorable at night, and breakfast was great. Nice rooms too!

s and our pictures turned out amazing! The cocktail room and reception/ballroom are justs as nice. The staff was so friendly and included in our package was an event coordinator. Ron Bradstreet was our coordinator and he did such an amazing job! He made the entire process easy and painless. For rehearsal and the wedding day he did EVERYTHING!!! Told people where to be and when, set up my 5 boxes of decorations I brought, made sure I ok'd everything even if certain family members told him differently. He was amazing along with the rest of his staff. I can not say enough good things about the Mangolia! Such a beautiful place to have your day!

pinion. Our ceremony was amazing and went off without a hitch!

ay, and then the formal reception in the Magnolia ballroom. The hotel has so much character and charm, it's got some antique style mixed with some modern touches. It was so nice to have the hotel, ceremony, and reception in one place so no one had to drive. Everything went smoothly, they had plenty of staff on hand to help out, they set up everything and tore down everything. Ron is the wedding coordinator. He's really laid back and flexible so that helped a ton. My only complaint was that there were so many details to go over the day of the wedding. It would have been nice to sit down a day or two before the wedding and go over all the details. So my amazing groom really took charge and helped Ron get everything set up the way we wanted it. However, I think if you had a personal attendant that day who could be your eyes, ears, and voice that day with Ron that would be a good idea. Or, have a detailed list of what needs to be done and what it should look like. The food was delicious, the drinks were strong, and instead of a wedding cake we did a dessert display which the Magnolia offers and it was beautiful and delicious. We had an ice sculpture at the bar which was a neat touch! We used an ipod and their sound system which worked well. Then, after the ceremony, we got to stay in the Presidential suite which is included in the package, it's a loft style with a huge living space for everyone to get ready in, a kitchen, and a jacuzzi tub and bedroom upstairs. I know everyone had fun and really enjoyed the day. All together it was around $11000-12000 but it includes SO much.... plated dinner, open bar all night, our dessert, an extra hour of bar service, the presidential suite, chair covers, linens, cutlery, sound equipment, we even got to include our rehearsal dinner in the deal so we just had dinner there after the rehearsal Thursday which was sooo nice to cut that extra cost!

te night snack, and a grand ballroom for dinner and dancing. The place speaks for itself and requires very few decorations. Everyone at the wedding loved the location. Best of all, the people at the Magnolia are wonderfully accomidating. Any request I made was answered with "Yes, we'll take care of it!". That made my life so much more enjoyable during our engagement. LOVED IT!

Magnolia. What a gorgeous location. The elegant outdoor courtyard was the perfect combo for me (I wanted outdoor) and my hubby (loves big, beautiful, cathedrals), and the reception was the perfect modern and fun setup. And Ron, the hotel's coordinator did a fantastic job. I have no regrets!

res of previous weddings that they had done to reassure me. I just wasn't sure that they could set up everything the same way I would have. Also I would have liked more steady communication. Automatic messages stating what to expect and what I should be working on would have been awesome. (ex: It's 2 months to your wedding and we need to schedule a time for our food tasting! If this has already been done please disregard this message.) So leading up to the wedding I wasn't sure what I should be doing and when which made me end up e-mailing them a lot and I felt like such a nag. I think everyone can agree that it's better to have too much communication in this instance that not enough. It really creates a lot of unnecessary stress. Finally, I wasn't sure that they were going to hold up to my high expectations... Boy did they blow me away! They set up our candy bar and it looked phenomenal! They really CAN deliver on what they promise. And the staff were AMAZING. We had one guy even party with us at the end of our wedding! The front desk staff were very accommodating and on top of every thing. The day of our wedding there was only one problem (besides the bar weather!) - the bar tenders charged a couple of people for sodas that were supposed to be on our tab. That was sorted out quickly and wasn't a problem again. Overall: Great service - could use some additional communication.

and lined up shuttles to take our guests to and from the wedding/reception.

because it all flowed well and went flawless. I could go on and on about how every detail was done right, but I will just say that all the staff was friendly and professional, the service was impeccable.

le that use walkie talkies to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Very pleased:)