The Westin Chicago Northwest

and leading up to it was horrible. We worked with the director of catering. A few examples - there were incorrect dishes at our tasting, we did know where to go for our rehearsal - let alone the sprinklers went off during it and we got a response of "oops they must have forgotten a rehearsal was taking place", my girls and I did not know where we were getting ready until my husband found out the room the night before, etc. It rained on our wedding day and it felt the Westin was not prepared to have our wedding ceremony inside. We were told that there would be signage for our guests to know where to go for the ceremony and there was none. My bridal party and my husband and I were guiding guests where to go. During the reception, I as the bride has to tell the wait staff where to place appetizers. There were incorrect adult settings at the bridal party table where there should have been two children settings. The wait staff were scrambling to figure out where the children settings went and I as the bride had to direct them. The seating and plate selections were provided prior to the event. We had unlimited wine service during dinner included with our package. It was brought to our attention by several guests that they did not receive refills and were asked by staff to get the bottles themselves and bring it to their tables. Water glasses were also cleared prior to last call. We hired an outside coordinator and the communication between her and the Westin was nonexistent. She stated to us that she would not recommend this venue to future couples and we agree! There were other events the same day as our wedding and we were not treated the same as the events that paid more money. We had a large wedding still and regardless of how much you pay, you should be treated equally. When we originally signed with the Westin, we worked with a different coordinator. If we had known what the day and leading up to the event would have been like, we would have gone with a different venue. I left an honest review with the Westin/Marriott survey we received after our event about how disappointed we were and listed all our issues and I have yet to hear back. This is unprofessional and expected more from a corporate owned venue. If my husband and I could do this day all over again, we would NOT choose to have our wedding here and will not be recommending this venue to anyone who asks. As a bride and woman, this is supposed to be the happiest memory and although there were great parts to the day, it was not because of the Westin. When I look back at my big day, I am more disappointed and heart broken over my venue choice than any other vendor I went with. Again, will not recommend this to anyone getting married in the future.

made the entire process seamless and enjoyable. She went above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfect, and her efforts truly made our special day unforgettable.

! Our guests had nothing but good things to say.

e went above and beyond to make sure the planning process was smooth. She promptly answered all my questions and was a great resource overall. The food & drinks were phenomenal, we received so many compliments from our guests! I wish we could live the day over again.

responsive to all our many, many emails with questions. She seemlessly worked with our vendors and helped troubleshoot issues. Monica truly cares about making your day special and will help settle any concerns you have. Our guests were well taken care of and everyone commented on the quality of food. As for a venue, the hotel is very nice and well located for our mainly out of town guests who flew into O'Hare. The Lakeside tent was gorgeous and romantic. Our guests enjoyed the hotel and the quality beds. We were very, very happy with our experience with Westin. Thank you Monica for helping make our day so special!! 5 Stars for going above and beyond.

o smooth and easy for me, not only leading up to the wedding but the day of as well. Food was excellent, service was excellent, highly recommended to any couple looking for a wedding venue! It was a night I will never forget!

is a beautiful hotel so we knew that it was the perfect place for our wedding. We had our reception in the tent and it was incredible! We were very happy with the decor and how spacious it is. The food was also really great. Our guests couldn't stop talking about it! Overall, we are very pleased with our experience at The Westin. I would definitely recommend it to others.

meal, top shelf, appetizers during cocktail hour, and wine during dinner service. One of our biggest concerns was ensuring we got to actually eat apps during cocktail hour! Obviously couples on their big day are mingling with others and will be starving. (We go married in a church so it was a very long day for us) We were ecstatic to find apps at our table after we were announced as the new Mr & Mrs! Overall the food was 10/10! We had quite a few food allergies and those were all accommodated. We also had last minute table changes from unexpected guests and those were made with a breeze. I do not remember meeting my banquet captain, but my day-of coordinators that I hired said that he was fabulous. All the servers were extremely professional. I have zero complaints about them. We were really happy choosing the Westin and working with Monica! I worked with her from the very beginning, and she always answered all of my emails. I only met Eileen once, but she was very nice and professional as well. We strongly recommend this venue. We mainly chose this venue since it was attached to the Westin and we had a lot of out of town guests. It worked out quite well for guests to not drink and drive as well. My only con was that guests were walking in the venue before they were allowed to. This part of the review has NO reflection of the banquet staff or the Event Sales Department. We made a block for our wedding guests to get discounted pricing. You have to book with the Marriott Hotline for rooms and not the actual hotel. This is due to the fact that the Westin is a larger hotel. Unfortunately the hotel lost my family members reservation twice and my block was full. Monica stepped in and extended my block which was awesome. However it was a pain for some people booking. My family member was told her 2 and 4 year old children would be charged as adults, but when I talked to the front desk in person, the front desk attendant assured me that was incorrect. This was frustrating for some of my family members that were not clearly communicated with about this policy. Upon check in (day before our wedding) there was no valet or luggage carts. I had to fight for a luggage cart. Check in time was 3 PM and my room was not ready. They had to call cleaning service to get it ready. This was a bit frustrating due to the fact my rehearsal at church was @ 5 PM and I had to wait for my room and then I had to still get ready. Once I entered my room, there was still trash in the kitchen from previous guests. The bathroom also had some personal belongings from the previous guests. The day of the wedding it took 30 minutes to get more bathroom towels. 2 Elevators were also broken out of the 4. I had a complimentary suite for the night of the wedding. I also booked the suite the night before so I can get ready at the hotel the morning of. For how much money you spend at the venue, you wouldn't expect getting charge for another night. You also get points for having your wedding there which is awesome! But for how much you spend, you only get about one free night at a resort and have to purchase MORE points in order to use your points from your wedding. At least that it was the hotline told us. We wanted to use these points for our honeymoon, will be using for another time before expiration.

f everything towards the end. She was so helpful with the room block logistics, our welcome bags, and even ensuring our bridal suite had tall chairs for hair and makeup along with a full length mirror. Overall, this is a great place for a hotel room block - especially if you are having your reception at Itasca Country Club. Thank you so much Audrey!!

e. Aileen is one of the easiest people to work with. She truly knows the workings of the hotel and planning weddings. She answered our questions extremely quickly and throughly. She was present for our wedding and helped to direct the other vendors, our wedding party, and my husband and I. I can’t say enough good things about her! For food, we ended up going with the combo meal since it was the same cost as the other options. This made our lives so much easier since we didn’t have to worry about people RSVPing with specific meal preferences unless they were vegetarian, gluten free, etc. The food was PHENOMENAL! We got so many comments about how much people liked the combo of the filet and cranberry chicken. Appetizers were also amazing, but we didn’t really have a chance to get any! The cake is from Lovin Oven, so really, what could be better?! Overall, we are still on cloud 9 and we truly owe that to the Westin. Everything went so smoothly, which with Covid, can’t always be guaranteed! I’d recommend this venue to ANYONE! 💙

we have had dealing with an event coordinator . Monica listened to what we had to say, especially the bride and was very professional and accommodating to everyone. We had to navigate through many changes due to the Pandemic and I will honestly say Monica and the Westin hotel were very understanding. The venue itself was stunning and every expectation was met or exceeded. We appreciate the time, patience, professionalism and care that Monica and her staff provided on our daughters wedding day !! The food at the reception was amazing and the venue space , regardless of whatever room you chose was clean and spacious. We highly recommend this venue space for your special event. Thanks Monica!!

and did an amazing job coordinating all of our vendors (DJ, lights, flooring, florist) the day of the wedding. The reception space looked amazing and we didn't need to stress over any of it. The banquet staff was also great and friendly. Most important, the food was also delicious. Many of our guest told us that was best food they had at a wedding. The only complaint I had was I wish they gave us the changing rooms for a longer period of time. We had to move all our stuff out of the wedding by 7 pm. Besides that everything else was well done and would highly recommend them to anyone else who wants a great wedding experience.

ways responded quickly to any questions I had. It was pretty expensive - we wished there was a way to create your own package rather than pick from the three the hotel offers - but overall we were very satisfied with the quality of the food/venue and would definitely recommend this space!

ure we understood every part of our contract and ensured us that everything we wanted on our special day would be handled. Aileen was quick to answer any questions we had leading up to the wedding day. On our actual day, Monica was there to coordinate everything for us and it was everything we asked for. The space is absolutely stunning (lakeshore pavilion) and we received so many compliments on how beautiful the wedding and the hotel was. We could not have asked for a better day or better people to work with. Highly recommended!

at were sent her way! Our room was the Grand Ballroom and it was beautiful! Couldn’t have asked for a better location! Recommend looking here for indoor or outdoor wedding!

whole process -2 yrs due to Covid we were treated with punctuality with our questions and professionalism in the whole process. Thanks to all involved!!!!!

ing there. We had family coming from Europe and wanted them to see the best that the Chicago area offers for weddings. Weddings that we have been invited to there were over the top so we wanted to make the same impression. Monica and Aileen were with us every step of the way. Monica gave us great recommendations and we used all of them. Every question we asked was answered quickly. The food was delicious. Monica explained all the different options available and gave recommendations on package choices and additional options such as h'doeuvres and midnite snacks. All the recommended vendors did a wonderful job. We would highly recommend the Westin if you want your dreams to come true!

rything was perfect and went above and beyond to make it so. The ceremony space outside by the willow tree was breathtaking and it was like a dream to get married there. The tent for the reception space was arranged exactly the way we wanted it and looked impeccable inside. And the food... exceeded our expectations. Our guests have been complimented the food left and right. Everything was delicious and served perfectly. It was so amazing I wish I could do it all again. Thank you Westin staff for making this the most amazing day of our lives!!!!

he Westin. We would not recommend this venue to any other LGBT couple or straight couple.

od!

very question we had was quickly answered by Monica. She helped lend a knowledgeable hand when we were looking for guidance. The staff on wedding day was so attentive, from the servers to the bartenders, everyone was amazing. They helped me set up my décor as well as take it down at the end of the night. They even helped load my car with the décor the following morning. The food was outstanding-everyone at our wedding commented on how delicious it was. The room speaks for itself-gorgeous. I would recommend this venue to anyone who I cam in contact with.

sponsive, always there to answer our many questions and even give us suggestions when it came to wedding packages, food, ballroom, etc. All of our guests absolutely LOVED everything. They told us the venue was beautiful and they loved how organized the event was. Every single person we spoke to told us the food and dessert was amazing. Thank you so much for giving us our dream wedding! It was more then we ever could have imagined.

estions and concerns were answered. monica kept me up to date with the always changing restrictions for covid. the lakeside Pavillion was absolutely beautiful 😍 she organized everything exactly how I envisioned it. she stayed to make sure everything was exactly how I wanted and there to handle a crisis if it occurred (luckily we didn't need it!) very thankful for all the help and work Monica and the rest of the Westin crew

lls were thrown into the day's events, the team handled everything with ease and grace. It was fantastic!

secured it for our special day. Our on-site ceremony was by the willow tree on-site, overlooking a beautiful pond. Monica was our Wedding Specialist. She made the process stress free for us! She was very knowledgeable with every detail of the wedding planning process, provided excellent recommendations throughout when choosing our table placements, seating, reception dinner items, etc. She even made sure to have a ceremony space set up inside just in case the weather was not suitable for outside. Luckily the weather was - our special day was perfect! Highly recommend planning your special day at the Westin and requesting Monica as your Wedding Specialist.

s PERFECT. Aileen was wonderful to work with- she knows her stuff! The staff was so friendly and the food was top notch.... everyone is still raving about how good it was! We couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out.

reception. Having everything in one place truly helped our out of town guests! The wedding packages include so much also for the price. The food is amazing here also. The variety of spirts and local beer is one of the best options out there. Sheree was our main point of contact throughout the planning process. She is amazing to work with and was always very prompt to respond to questions and concerns. The staff at the Westin are incredible! We highly recommend the Westin Chicago Northwest for your reception!

ponses to my many questions. In addition, they were very flexible. Unfortunately we did not have great weather but really wanted our cocktail hour outside. We made a last minute decision when we arrived to pull it inside and they were so accommodating it was changed without a problem! All of the staff was very friendly and attentive throughout the reception. In addition all the decoration was set up perfectly! The only negative throughout the process was the hotel. It was very difficult to determine how many people made reservations as people who booked through Marriott with points could not be added into the block. I made welcome bags for my guests staying at the hotel to be passed out upon check in. I emailed the hotel a list of people to include in the block and who should receive a welcome bag which included a breakfast voucher. However, only half of the bags were passed out and I know there were way more people staying so most of my guests did not receive there bag and breakfast voucher I had prepaid for :(

e the big day and during the big day! Just an example of how awesome she is: We got back from the church to our cocktail hour and I spent time with guests chatting, she came up and asked me if I had gotten any food! She brought me a plate to make sure I ate. I'll never forget that. The food was delicious and we still have guests commenting on that! Everything was setup beautifully and to our expectations. I knew that working with Sheree that I really didn't have to worry about anything. It was easy! The day was perfect and we are so glad we chose to have our wedding at the Westin. We would do it all over at the Westin.

elped make it enjoyable and easier. My husband and I are so glad we picked this venue! The food was amazing, our guests all had an amazing time, and it was conveniently located. We did have a little trouble with getting more roomS for our room block but there were a few weddings the same weekend. Either way they helped us get as many as we could and it all worked out. Would definitely recommend the Westin in Itasca!

t. This continued on the entire time working with the Westin. We worked with Monica and from the moment we first saw the venue we knew that’s where we would get married. Monica and the rest of the staff at the Westin made everything so easy. Every single person we worked with was kind, attentive, and respectful. There is not a single detail I would change about their process. Our reception took place in the lakeside tent pavilion. The tent is wonderfully constructed and has no issues when it ended up raining, while we were unable to enjoy the beautiful outside ceremony/cocktail hour areas due to weather. the back up spaces were just as perfect and flowed together. Everything was absolutely Beautiful and their attention to detail is fantastic. We were also insanely impressed with the quality of the food. The food was hot and cooked perfectly. The Westin far exceeded our expectations, and helped provide us with an absolutely perfect wedding day.

fection. The pavilion dinner was delicious . Monica Guzik , our wedding consultant at the Westin, did an admirable job. She was prompt emailing any information required or answering any of our questions . We can't thank her and the Westin enough for making my daughter's wedding day the day she always dreamed about!

ce where it was just as beautiful outside as inside so we didn't have to go anywhere else after the church for pictures, and of course the food had to be 5 stars! Westin delivered! Best bang for your buck and not to mention the exquisite grounds for stunning pictures. I also hated the feeling of being in walls for my wedding, the tent was exceptional so different, elegant, classy and romantic! We had the most beautiful and fun wedding, our family still talks about and we were married last year 2018! And of course cannot forget Sherre out wedding coordinator at Westin she made all our dreams come true from beginning to end Sherre was the most professional, fun, fun-loving, caring and personable coordinator! Go Westin for all your wedding dreams! Anything is possible there! P.S. the bakery they use is out of this world most beautiful cake ever!

ful. The entire staff at the Westin was great. All of our guests loved the Westin and said how great the staff was!

a dream. We had our reception in the tent and the ceremony and cocktail hour were held outside. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful and were the prefect backdrop to have the outdoor parts of our evening. There were so many awesome locations to take photos at, making the evening so seamless because we didn't need to travel anywhere else to have great photo spots. The food and drinks were amazing. The bartenders were great and handled our guests efficiently. The food was to die for. I know everyone tries to brag about their wedding food when most wedding food is not good, but I cannot emphasize enough how delicious the wedding food was. We have had SO many compliments on the food. Everything was cooked perfectly and I would return to this location just to have that meal again. The hotel room block was also very accommodating and we have had no complaints from any of our guests about their rooms. We had a lot of people stay the night and everyone was very happy with their experience. Another bonus with this venue is that they offered a location for us to have an after party after our reception ended. This was an awesome way for our guests to continue to party but in a more relaxed setting and this actually gave us (bride and groom) time to socialize after dancing for literally the entire night. And by having a separate space for that we didn't have to do this in our hotel room like I have seen at other weddings we have attended. Overall would 100% pick this venue again and would recommend it to everyone!

than 6 months to plan and if it wasn't for her, I would be lost and probably would not have a wedding. She was so patient and worked with my husband and I through every wedding detail. From the moment I met her, she displayed so much knowledge about the South Asian culture and was so sensitive to my family's cultural beliefs and practices. At some times, my family was a little high maintenance, but Sheree worked with me to make sure everyone was happy. I actually miss working with her. Thank you Sheree!

we walked in to check out the venue, to the food tasting, to the wedding day, they were there every step of they way!! They answered the billions of questions I had politely and never got annoyed with me even when i annoyed myself LOL! The day of the wedding Aileen made sure everything was perfect and made sure I had a drink in my hand and even made sure I sat down and ate because she knew how hectic the day could be! i wish i could go back and relive this day all over again! i would not choose another venue!!! I can't thank you guys enough for making my day that much more special!!! not to mention all my guests can't stop talking about how delicious the food was!!!

I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. She was very helpful throughout the whole process. She was very efficient and made sure our day went smoothly. On the day of she made sure everything was to our liking and her whole staff and team made sure there were no hiccups in our event. The whole staff was very accommodating and nice. I would definitely recommend the Westin to any new couples looking to find a memorable venue to make their day special. 😊

the hotel is nice with a huge lobby, and the suite which we had comped on our wedding night was one of the best that we have seen. Working with Sheree was amazing. She was a great communicator and we felt like she did everything that she could and some to accommodate us. We got married and had our reception here on Memorial Day weekend, so we felt like the Westin could have had a "take it or leave it" attitude if they wanted because they would of had no problem reserving the tent for another wedding. That's not how it was at all though. When we would request certain things, Sheree would accommodate immediately. Some things she had to check on, but we were never denied those requests right away. She would do what she could to get it done, or find an alternate option if it came down to it. She was very quick with her replies and very easy to work with. She made everyone during the process feel comfortable. Next, onto the food. Food at weddings is always mediocre in my opinion. The food at the Westin was amazing. The amount of options to choose from was unbelievable. The alcohol selection was impressive as well including craft beers from the local brewery Church Street. Our cake was included in the package and it tasted amazing. We were sent to the bakery that made the cake to taste several different combinations and pick the one that we liked best. Again, the variety was very impressive! We were also invited to several different appetizer tastings with drinks included to meet with different vendors. This was something nice and different to do during the planning process. We highly recommend the Westin Chicago Northwest for your reception, and we STRONGLY encourage you to ask for Sheree to work with! We cannot stress enough how amazing she was!

g, the wait staff was efficient, the views were to die for, etc etc. However, we had a slight mishap with the front desk which resulted in two of my sisters (I was the bride) losing their rooms because the conference scheduled at the hotel had guests who didn’t check out. Therefore, we lost rooms from our wedding block (which was the reason we picked the venue since we had majority out of town guests) as well as lost rooms the day/night of the wedding itself.

r ceremony outside in front of the willow tree and our reception in the Lakeside Pavilion. I was impressed with the Westin from the minute we walked in and took our tour. It kind of worried me to book a wedding at a venue without tasting the food, but once we got to the tasting I was blown away. Every single thing was absolutely delicious and it made it hard to chose what we wanted to eat! Even on the day of the wedding I thought the food may not be as good since they make so much more at that point. I was wrong again, every person's steak was cooked perfectly and I got endless compliments on the food. My only regret is that I didn't finish my plate! The bakery they are connected with is also amazing. The cake tasted super fresh and moist on the day of the wedding. Sheree was super helpful throughout the entire process. As I am a wedding photographer myself, I am very particular and knew exactly how I wanted my day to run. She always answered my emails promptly and answered every question I asked (which was many!!). On the day of, we hit very few bumps in the road, all of which were taken care of by Sheree and the staff immediately. Somehow between the rehearsal and the reception, the selfie stick I had placed on a table next to our "selfie station" went missing. During dinner, Sheree drove to a nearby Walmart to buy a new one!! I was so impressed and grateful. Many of our family members told us how much they loved the staff and some of them even gave them tips they thought they were so great. I actually photographed a wedding there a few weeks after my own and some of the staff remembered me and asked how I was. It was so sweet! Bottom line: Definitely book at the Westin! It may seem pricey to some, but so much is included in their packages, it's well worth every penny!! :D

ue, and the staff. My coordinator Monica went above and beyond. She always answered my million questions, without complaining and did everything I needed. The tent ended up turning out absolutely beautiful. I have only good things to say. I highly recommend having your wedding at the Westin!!

re happy and that our reception vision came to life. There is not a thing we would’ve changed about our wedding night. The food was delicious, the tent was gorgeous, and all of our out of town guests were hosted comfortably in the beautiful hotel. Highly recommend!