Hilton London has long since been known for offering a multitude of wedding ceremony, reception and accommodation options. But for this year's couples, all of those options just got bigger and more fabulous.
Raising the bar on wedding grandeur, style and versatility, Hilton London has just finished undergoing renovations to their entire facility. From updates to their guest rooms to the overall décor, Hilton London has had a hotel and wedding makeover.
Brides who choose Hilton London are looking for a hotel that gives you the option of hosting a 'wedding weekend' with plenty of friends and family from out of town, or for a wedding reception you know will be as amazing to look at as the meal is to taste.
Brett Broadfoot, Director of Catering, gave staff at The Ring a tour of the refurbished hotel and explained in detail why this means that brides are going to love their location more than ever before. Here's what we found out...
Hilton London in person...
Hilton London is a Four Diamond hotel whose reputation speaks for itself. Some of London's most notable corporate and community events take place at its downtown address, which is surrounded by popular nightlife restaurants and big business.
Hilton London has been standing in its location since 1999 and is still the only hotel in London with a prestigous four-diamond rating. The hotel has 323 guest rooms, several in-house restaurants and meeting venues, a very large and elegant ballroom and the convenience of being close to downtown. Whether you're inside or out, Hilton London gives you the option to be pampered as you celebrate, dine or shop.
The staff and management here say it's their ability to work as a team on all events that helps them truly offer both service and class to visiting travellers, restaurant clientele, and the many wedding and corporate event clients. The hotel supports local charities and organizations (the YMCA, Women's Community House and the Canadian Diabetes Association...) and values the importance of being a contributor to the community.
Weddings bring all of the Hilton’s services together - professional, in-house catering, four diamond service, grand event hosting space, and hotel accommodations. Staff at The Ring were told that exceeding guests' expectations was one of Hilton London's specialties.
Nadine and Jon Sousa, who had their September 2008 wedding reception at the Hilton London, told us that the thing that stands out the most from their reception was "how great the staff was throughout our evening... They truly treated us like royalty."
Whether it's your rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, wedding reception (or all three) - Hilton London wants to make your special day unforgettable.
Larger than life, perfect for brides
Everything at Hilton London is lavish and large, sparing no expense. Lavish foyers stretch the width of the building (a full city block), and floors are lit up by sparkling chandeliers. The Grand Ballroom is wide open and elegant, made even more classic when you opt to bring in Hilton's courtesy grand piano. Throughout the floors of the hotel you're met with huge floral arrangements and big, comfy couches and chairs.
Making yourself at home...
If you are planning a wedding that involves overnight accommodations for yourself or your guests, Hilton is up for the challenge. This locale offers concierge service, twenty-four hour room service, and even a 'beefeater' (a greeter dressed in red jacket and top hat) at the main entrance. The guest rooms have all recently been renovated with new carpets, bed linens, furniture and updated room décor.
Prices start at $119 per night, and go up depending on the accommodations you opt for. There are many options to choose from within their 323 rooms. Several of Canada's Prime Ministers have stayed right here at Hilton London, as well as celebrities like Cher, Jessica Simpson and Aretha Franklin, so ensuring that you and your guests are more than comfortable seems like a reasonable expectation!
Children are always welcome at the hotel, and if any special menus are required for dietary needs, they are willing to accommodate. Fine dining is available at The London Grill, European bistro-style casual dining at The Market Café, and J.J. Keys is a unique piano bar lounge where light snacks and refreshments are served from 11 am on.
A wedding coordinator just for you!
When you choose Hilton London for your wedding reception or entire wedding day from ceremony to the final dance, you have your own wedding coordinator to work with. Brett has been helping design wedding days at the Hilton for eight years. He is just one of three coordinators available to you. Walking you through each decision, their service is invaluable. Hilton management believe that brides choose Hilton for their excellent reputation in the community.
Brett likes being involved with brides' special days. "It’s self fulfilling to be part of the memories of the Bride and Groom for years to come. He loves having the experience of working with multiple cultures which gives him the feeling of travelling the world without leaving the ballroom.”
Your wedding coordinator will take the time you need to answer your questions, she will show you around their facilities, ask you questions to find out what you want for your wedding, and just make you feel as comfortable as possible. On your wedding day, you can be assured that your wedding coordinator will be there to make sure every detail is in place before the guests arrive, and he or she won't leave until the meal is served.
"[Our wedding coordinator at Hilton] was fantastic" say Nadine and Jon. "She was very flexible and knowledgeable... she made herself available to answer our questions and help with planning at anytime. It was nice to know everything was going to be taken care of, it was one thing for a stressed out bride to have - not to worry about anything regarding reception... [The Hilton team] pretty much took care of it all."
Tarang M., who had her wedding reception at the Hilton London on July 5, 2008 told The Ring that her experience working with the team at the Hilton was "Excellent!" and that "[Our wedding coordinator at Hilton] was always available to chat and responded to all of my little and big questions very promptly (usually within the hour by email)."
Package it up...
The Hilton offers several packages to choose from, depending on your tastes and budget. You can also choose to customize your own package. A three course plated dinner starts at $37.00 per person, depending on the menu you choose. All packages are inclusive of taxes and gratuities.
All wedding Packages Include:
• Complimentary menu tasting for two
• Complimentary use of hotel lobby for photographs
• Complimentary punch reception upon arrival (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)
• White table linen and white napkins
• Special rates for guests for overnight accommodations
• Complimentary reservation cards with map of hotel
• Complimentary room for the bride and groom with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries
• Full breakfast for two for the bride and groom the next morning
• Special prices and menus available for children
• Complimentary function room for your dinner reception
Standard Package, $78.65 per person:
• Domestic host bar for one hour reception prior to dinner
• Three course plated or buffet dinner
• One glass of house wine with dinner
Elegant Package, $94.50 per person:
• Three course plated or buffet dinner
• One glass of house wine with dinner
• Domestic host bar for four hours after dinner
Romantic Package, $122.50 per person:
• Chair covers (white or black)
• Served hors d’oeuvres based on three pieces per person
• Domestic host bar for one hour reception prior to dinner and four hours after dinner
• Three course plated or buffet dinner
• One glass of house wine with dinner
Royal Package, $153.50 per person:
• Chair covers (white or black)
• Served hors d’oeuvres based on five pieces per person
• Domestic host bar from 6 pm to 1 am
• Four course plated (two starters) or buffet dinner
• Continuous pour of house wine with dinner
• Late night buffet
Room to relax...
The guest room that you and your fiancé will be able to enjoy when you book your dinner reception is an Executive Room and includes a full hot breakfast the next morning, either in your room or in the restaurant. The room will be located on the Executive Floor with private access so that other guests or family members can't just pop by unannounced if you don't want them to. You'll also be greeted by some special surprises... stop reading if you don't want to spoil it for yourself! Enjoy complimentary bath robes, wine, and chocolate dipped strawberries when you retire to your room for the evening.
If you will be leaving straight from the reception for your honeymoon, you can choose to enjoy this room the night before the wedding, and you and your bridesmaids can get dressed here. This is especially great if you plan your ceremony at Hilton London as well. Your wedding coordinator will ensure that all the guests are seated and everyone is in place, then she'll come up to your room to escort you and your bridal party to the ceremony so that there are no unplanned glimpses of the bride before the ceremony!
Serving up the best in food and drink
Hilton London offers full catering services for all of their functions (no outside caterers). They pride themselves in offering food that is always the freshest possible, never using any frozen food products. They have done several weddings from different cultures including Arabic, Muslim, Albanian, Croatian, Jewish, East Indian, Greek, Italian, Oriental and Portuguese.
Hilton London has their liquor license so that full bar services are possible. They supply bartenders for your wedding, and you can choose between an open bar (host) or cash bar, or bar tickets.
So many options...
The Grand Ballroom: This room offers 12,300 square feet of space that will comfortably seat 650 for dinner and a dance. Creamy ivory walls surround plush carpet, a large dance floor, and extravagant chandeliers on its 18 foot ceilings. With recent extensive renovations, Brett told Ring staff, "The Grand Ballroom is now the most elegant and largest hotel ballroom in Southwestern Ontario. That includes Toronto, Montreal and Niagara Falls." He added, "We can accommodate receptions from 50 to 650 hundred guests."
The Queen Victoria Room: In 2,225 square feet of space, you'll be able to host up to 100 guests in this room. If offers a unique 'L' shape where the smaller area is used for dancing and a cocktail reception. There are also chandeliers on the ceiling in this space.
The Windsor Club: For your wedding of up to 50 guests, you can choose this 1,000 square foot room with rich, dark oak panelling that offers a warm and intimate atmosphere.
The Windsor Club Room, the Queen Victoria Room and the elegant second floor foyer, which is also used for receptions, have all "been upgraded to reflect our focus on luxury," explained Brett. With any room you choose at Hilton London, they are equipped for a disc jockey and restrooms are close by with handicapped stalls. "Rooms are complimentary with dinners ordered based on a minimum guarantee," Brett told us.
Tarang, who would definitely recommend the Hilton, especially for large wedding receptions because of their accommodating rooms, says that the room she booked "was stunning" and that the Hilton was "very helpful" in setting up the décor.
Walking you through it...
Brett told The Ring that brides usually call the Hilton London for an appointment and then meet one-on-one with their Wedding Consultant. The first meeting will entail a site tour, which includes reception rooms and guest rooms, explanation of menus and packages available, any questions will be answered, the contract is explained and signed and a deposit is given to ensure your date. Couples are also given a wedding CD, which explains packages, menus, photos, rehearsal dinners, receptions, bridal showers, Sunday brunches and guest rooms.
"Couples can come in at any time to discuss final arrangements or to ask any questions," explained Brett, "they usually come in a minimum of thirty days prior to their wedding." Menu selections are due at least one month prior to the function date.
During the third meeting, three days prior to your wedding, final payment, the seating arrangement and guaranteed numbers are due and favours and special decorations can be dropped off. "Should you choose to use a decorator, she/he will need to contact your Wedding Consultant at the Hilton to make arrangements for set-up and teardown."
Details, details, details
• A deposit of $1,000 is required at the time of booking your reception at Hilton London.
• 50% of your balance is due 30 days prior to the wedding, and the remainder is due 3 days before the wedding when the final count must be given to the catering department.
• The Romantic & Royal packages must be booked a minimum of 3 months in advance to guarantee chair covers.
• Weddings should be booked at least 1 year in advance, but you can always call and check dates with less notice in case they have an opening.
In other words...
"We want to thank you and all of the catering staff at the Hilton for helping to make our wedding reception so memorable. The ballroom looked wonderful and we were so impressed by the fact that everything (right down to the special napkin folds and favour cards) was laid out exactly as we had discussed." – Deanna & Brandon
"The food and the service were excellent. All of our guests commented on how wonderful everything was at the Hilton."– Dan & Maria
"We would like to thank you and the staff for making our wedding day so special. We appreciate every one being so flexible and accommodating our every need." - Liz & Paul
