The Odyssey

ly. Very unprofessional. For me to spend over $15,000 on a reception, I’d rather deal with a business that has the decency and respect to verbally communicate with their clients. However, what I was given and made to feel, was that my little fraction or tiny piece of business they were losing with me was very insignificant. The venue is very beautiful. I can’t take that away from them. However, I need the service from the staff to match it!!!

. We had our wedding ceremony & reception planned (pre-COVID). When COVID "hit", they put us in a situation that forced us to agree to an addendum that ultimately did nothing to help and allowed Odyssey to keep a sizeable amount of our deposits. Understandably, Odyssey had to follow guidelines that led to restricting events to 50 guests (our contract was for 300). Ultimately, the addendum forced us to make a decision between canceling and losing deposits, going forward with 50 people, hope a cure for COVID was found and restrictions be lifted, or reschedule. At this point, with new couples scheduling weddings and other "COVID weddings" frantically rescheduling, Odyssey essentially only had winter 2022 available to reschedule. With much of our wedding planned and vendors booked, there was too limited a time frame to change almost every detail of our event. The addendum forced us to make this decision 60 days before event. With guidelines rapidly changing, we requested Odyssey allow us to make our decision 30 days before, rather than 60. We wrote an appeal to a faceless and nameless "board of directors" and our request was rejected. What makes Odyssey's business practice laughable (honestly, disgusting) was that not only was our request rejected, we were informed that even if restrictions were lifted ~2 weeks prior our event date and we opted to go forward with the original contract, the Odyssey would not have been able to be prepared to host our contracted event because they did not having sufficient notice to plan and coordinate... yet they somehow expect us to have made decisions to completely alter our wedding plans over 60 days in advance... to top it off, they would have also forced us to pay the full amount of our original contract for 300 guests, even though they at maximum could only host 50! Even the experience of canceling our event was difficult. The employee we met with offered no help or sympathy. Rather we we were told how difficult it was for to be the only employee on premise and there was nothing she could do for us personally, her hands were tied, etc.. When we requested to be put in contact with someone who could actually help (i.e., owner, member of the board) we were were not referred to anyone else. Rather, she stated the nameless and faceless "board of directors" are the decision makers, but that we could not be put in contact with them. We don't even know if this "board of directors" exists because we never received a formal response to our appeal. We were only told by another employee our request was denied. Is there a board of directors? Did our appeal ever reach them? Who knows? We surely do not. Overall, our experience with the Odyssey was truly terrible. To summarize what they did for us: printed a contract, blocked a day in a calendar, emailed an addendum, kept a sizeable chunk of our money. The level of work and effort put forth to think its reasonable to keep any of our money is absolutely ludicrous. They never even held a tasting for us. We ended up having a beautiful wedding at a different rockstar venue and are incredibly happy with how our day turned out. But our memories will always be dampened by The Odyssey, a shady venue, and its utter lack of respect for customers.

the food!! We truly had no issues at all and would pick this venue a million times over if we could

pt having typos in my email address so I wasn't getting information they thought they were sending, and because we never dealt with the same person twice it seemed like there was constant confusion over who told us what & who was handling things. When we came in for our final meeting the week of our wedding we were told that our remaining balance was actually more than what was printed on the final bill they had sent to us, which also speaks to the disorganization. On the night of our wedding we had three issues: (1) we were in the Terrace Ballroom downstairs and were told that cars could use the circle drive near the bag drop for guests who couldn't take the stairs (like our elderly relatives). When it came time for them to leave, cars had been parked in the circle drive making it impossible for pick-ups to happen at the downstairs door. This was a HUGE inconvenience. (2) the door to the Bridal Suite would not unlock with the key and it took 5 employees and 30 minutes to finally get it open so our bridal party could get our stuff out. They were so casual about this that they made it sound like this just regularly happens (3) Our cake topper was returned to us after the wedding broken. Not only was it broken, but someone tried to glue it back together and no one said a word about it to us, so they just tried to pretend that it didn't happen. We got a lot of compliments on the reception - the space was beautiful, the bar operated well, the food was fantastic, and this was a great venue to take bridal party pictures. If you can handle some stress and a few unexpected mishaps, go with Odyssey. If your experience will be ruined if everything isn't perfect, look elsewhere.

for. It was a relief to deal with them and really feel like communication was open and honest.

t could not have gone better. The day of was perfect. The staff could not have been nicer, and we were complimented on the food ALL NIGHT! Leading up to the day of, I could not have been more assured in my choice of The Odyssey. Every annoying question I had, was met with a patient and RAPID response. The response time of emails was an most an hour. For an anxious bride, this was HUGE. The venue is beautiful, the staff is amazing, and the food was delicious. I highly highly recommend.

hat was it amazing wedding food. The odyssey has been at our access all year and a half we were engaged and answered all our questions promptly. They made wedding planning pretty easy. We also liked that we were able to put 1/2 of our total cost on a credit card to get points. :)

d saved us money on venue décor). The venue itself is very modern, and matched our vision perfectly. I had to plan this wedding from out-of-state. The girls at the Odyssey were great to work with, and were very responsive to emails. I was able to make all of my deposits online, which made it very convenient. I wasn't able to attend either their vendor fair or their tasting event, but I think these are helpful options for couples that are local. Overall, we had a great experience. It is a beautiful venue at a reasonable cost.

at the odyssey but I never thought I would feel like my wedding wasn’t “good enough” based on the service. First, you NEVER know who your going to talk to or what information you are going to receive when you email them. It was literally almost a different person every time I would reach out to them and somehow I would be told something different every time! For example: I contacted them (via email) about paying towards some of the balance and I was told I could pay with my CC since it was before their deadline. So I showed up and was told NO, I have to pay in cash, check etc, that whoever told me I could use my card was incorrect.… I showed them the email that verified I could pay but I was told they needed to speak with management regarding this. After waiting 20min, we left and said we will just come back another time with cash. Second, I was told when I booked my wedding (14monnths in advance) that I can call 2 weeks prior to my wedding and reserve a time to set up my center pieces if that day was available. ( I had confirmed this information numerous times in person) So, as I was told, 2 weeks prior to our wedding I contacted Odyssey to reserve a set up time. I was told that I cannot make a reservation for set up, that I now need to wait until the Monday prior to my wedding to see if a different event comes in. So on the Monday prior to my wedding, I called and was told they booked a rehearsal dinner in the room that my wedding was in. I was told that we can come in the afternoon of my wedding to set up. I was stunned that they would even think I would come in the late afternoon of my wedding day. My husband told them No, that he will be there at 10:30am to set up in which they said okay but not all the tables may be set. (that was fine because all we need was to put gems into cylinder vases that were all pre-bagged and flower petals down.) Thankfully, everything turned out beautiful because my husband and his groomsmen went there in the early morning. Unfortunately, we choose not to have the florist set up our center pieces because we have very basic but elegant center pieces that did not involve the florist having to set it up and it would have been a waste of money. The final fail of customer services would be that the day of the wedding, they not only did not have the fireplace lit (which I had asked/requested if they would and even offered to pay for wood and I was told it would be on) but if you take a look at Odyssey’s Facebook pages they show all these pictures of weddings they host congratulating the bride a groom and showing off there wedding. When I went to see if my wedding was posted or congratulated I found nothing (mind you, my wedding was the only wedding that night). It made my Husband and I feel as if our wedding was not up to “their” standards and that we did not spend enough for them to “show” our wedding the public. They should really rethink the concept of posting weddings to the public if they do not plan on showing everyone’s wedding. Overall, the Odyssey is a gorgeous venue and has amazing food and will make any wedding perfect! We will forever cherish all the effort we put in to make our special night perfect but we will not miss the poor customer service.

fectly from start to finish and exceeded our expectations! All of our guest can't stop raving about the food and how beautiful everything was! Our minds were at ease knowing that we were in good hands. We truly appreciate everyone that assisted us in making our wedding day so special, we can't thank you enough!

beautiful, the food was wonderful, and the staff the day of our wedding was nothing short of excellent. It was a perfect night and we had no worries thanks to the Odyssey!

ge Chicagoland area and we went and visited The Odyssey early in the search and knew it was the one. We had an enormous amount of compliments from our guests on the venue! The staff is very responsive and helpful throughout the process.

nd everyone loved the food and venue!

y had another table up in under 5 minutes and everything was perfect. Also got to use the Off Season discount which lead to a reasonable bill.

also reasonable, (fantastic for Illinois venue prices). The staff is kind and courteous. (Also, the chairs didn't even need covers because they looked so good.) I couldn't have asked for a better venue!

ole process easy and stress free. Their customer service was unbelievable. I would recommend this venue to anyone looking for a place to throw the party of a lifetime!

ing on course so that the couple enjoys their wedding. Looking forward in working in many events to come! Thanks, Extreme Sounds Entertainment & Lighting extremesoundsent.com

my husband get a filet even though everyone else got chicken, which was nice. The planners are very responsive to any questions you have along the way and always keep you posted on when things are due. The staff and servers were also great the day of, continuing to ask me if I wanted any hors d'oeuvres or any drinks and made sure I was taken care of. My ONLY complaint is that I wish they would help more with set up. I wanted to do my own centerpieces but in order to do so, I needed to have someone set them up for me, like my mom or someone, or do it myself. Since that seemed like a whole thing I didn't want to deal with, I just used the ones they provided. I was pretty low maintenance so it was fine, just something to keep in mind as you plan. They will set up your place cards and all that though. The balcony was also a big hit at the Odyssey, as a lot of people went out there to get air. Everyone stayed late and didn't want to leave, so I assume that means it was a big hit! Thank you to everyone at the Odyssey!

March and it is so classy and elegant. The service was great and the sales team was great at checking in with you so you don't miss anything. My guests loved being able to go outside to cool off from dancing the night away. Wonderful views of the golf course, great photo opps and just a lovely venue overall. I highly recommend The Odyssey to host any event.

uest loved the venue. The food was delicious and was highly complemented. The outside ceremony was absolutely beautiful and everything went off without a hitch. We are extremely happy we went with the odyssey, it is absolutely beautiful and you will not be disappointed!

e food!!!! All of our guests, loved the food!!!!! Mrs. Sonya L. Garrett

nswered right away. The day of was absolutely perfect! Servers and bartenders were absolutely amazing ! Very friendly and very prompt with the service. Absolutely perfect for your wedding day! recommend the odyssey

track and always worked to make sure my day was perfect and exactly what I wanted! I had my ceremony and reception there and it was perfect. The staff was great, the food was great, and the venue was beautiful.

d do it all over again, I would choose Odyssey every time! Highly recommended!

to my reception room were going to be closed so that when my guests arrive, they wouldn't be walking around the room messing everything up before the photographer gets a chance to take pictures of the different details. They kept the doors wide open and my guests were all over my room. They were also supposed to direct traffic to the gazebo outside where the ceremony was going to take place and there was no one there doing that. The guests were also supposed to walk back into the building the way that they were supposed to come out (through the lower floor) and they ended up going through the balcony into the reception room. A few days before the wedding we gave them all of the items that they were in charge of setting up like the champagne flutes, cake topper, placement cards, etc. but at the wedding they never put the cake topper on, instead they put it underneath the cake stand. The wedding was very beautiful anyway and the food was great but the biggest thing I'm upset about is that they kept the doors to the reception hall wide open. The many times that I talked to them regarding the door they said, " Oh yes, of course it will be closed and guests will not be allowed inside". Also, in the very beginning they told me that we would only have 2 hours (tops) to decorate the room because they were having a Sunday brunch in my room that day that ended at 3pm and my wedding started at 5pm. Well they ended up moving the Sunday brunch to a different room and never told me about the move. When my father-in-law went there 2 days before the wedding to give them the final payment, he said that the room was already set up the way it was supposed to be set up for the wedding and for me to check with them if they had moved the Sunday brunch to a different room. Sure enough I called them and they said that they did in fact move it, but I had to ask them my-self. They knew that it was a big concern with me regarding only having 2 hours to set up and when they freed the room for me they never let me know of the change. I was expecting only to have 2 hours to set up until the last minute. Other than that, the service was very good and we had a great time. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and my guests really enjoyed my wedding.

every call, email, question, up to the week of our wedding. We went with the Family Style meal planning and had a few of the extra bells and whistles (lighting, extra table linens). We have had several compliments from our guest and the quality of our wedding and would HIGHLY recommend this venue for a Chicago Suburb Wedding.

rgeous without decorations. The only downfall to this venue is that you cannot pay by credit card, however that is a very minimal glitch and many wedding venues do not allow you to pay by credit card anyways. I highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for both an indoor and outdoor feel. Our guests continue to still call my husband and I and say how beautiful the Odyssey was.

ithout hesitation. The servers and bartenders were great! Very professional, helpful and quick. I highly recommend Odyssey!

camped out on the balcony the entire night. We were planning on getting married at the East Gazebo that overlooks one of their lakes. Unfortunately, it rained and we had to move our ceremony inside the reception hall. They were patient with me until I made the decision. When I finally gave the okay to move inside, they set everything up very quickly and beautifully. They even asked if there were any preferences on how I wanted the room set up. The staff let me hide in one of their offices until I was supposed to come out. One of them made sure I had water because I started becoming really nervous. I had a memorial frame with my late mother's picture in it that was accidentally dropped by my father. It broke into many pieces and one of the staff brought it to his office and glued it back together like new. The waitstaff was also amazing. They were always friendly and checked if we needed anything. When the new hubby and I were greeting guests at their tables during dinner, they made sure to keep our food warm and to not take it away until we said it was okay. Throughout the planning anyone I talked to was friendly, knowledgeable and quick to respond. I absolutely would recommend this venue. Everything was handled perfectly!

d every time we were pleasantly surprised at the bottom line. They were flexible and informative. What clinched OCC as our venue, their superior customer service when we walked through the door for the first time. We looked at other places in the area in person (after searching online first) and they could not be bothered. We had a large wedding, so this was no small potatoes for any venue. But, OCC was the only one who took the time to show us all of our options. They also had a list of preferred providers (e.g., photographers, bakery, etc.) that helped us get through our checklist efficiently. If we asked for something out of the ordinary, it was never a "no", it was a "let's see what we can do"...sometimes they could accommodate the request, other times they couldn't, but they were always fair. The gal we were originally working with was no longer working at OCC when we had additional planning to do, but OCC did not miss a beat, everything was seamless. The guests raved about the food. It was a perfect event.

mails and million questions. The waitresses and bartenders at the reception were helpful and friendly. Everyone complimented the food and how great it was. This venue made my wedding day perfect!

out the planning process. Whenever we called or emailed the team at Odyssey was very responsive. We did not always speak with the same person but it was so organized that no matter who we contacted it was a seamless process to get a response to our questions. Also, everyone I've spoken with has mentioned how beautiful the ballroom and grounds are and how well everything turned out. The lobster bisque and Caesar salad were great! Everything turned out really well and we're so glad we chose this venue for this special moment in our lives.

epresentatives over the course of our preparation. They were all always on top of things and were quick to return our call or respond to our email. When the day of finally arrived and we walked into the ballroom, we was extremely pleased with everything. Our day of rep, Stacy, came in to greet me and make sure that everything was as expected. 2 Banquet managers also introduced themselves and let us know that if we needed anything they would be there for us. We had 425 guests, in the grand ballroom, passed appetizers during the cocktail hour, a double martini luge and fireworks - the whole evening went perfectly and the food and drinks were great.

food was and how beautiful the venue was. They exceeded my expectations and did everything under budget.

ay of the wedding. All of the workers were wonderful and made sure every table had what they needed. Additionally, the food was wonderful. We had the chicken dinner, and so many people commented on the quality of the chicken. I would HIGHLY recommend Odyssey Country Club!

on the food!