HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
(by town)
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EATONTOWN
Sheraton
REVIEW - SpillerExtraordinaire: June 2010. $165 per night. We booked both the Eatontown Sheraton and Staybridge Suites since they share the same parking lot and we were
looking for a central location to send the shuttle bus to. We also had
a block at the Sea Girt Inn (http://www.theseagirtlodge.com/)
but to my knowledge no one booked there. We haven't had any
complaints about the accommodations. A number of our guests were there
between Thursday and Sunday and thought the location was close to a
lot of things, which was nice since they were unfamiliar with the
area. They also liked the free breakfasts offered in the morning. MH
stayed in the Suites from Thursday to Saturday and then with me in the
Sheraton on Saturday night after our wedding. Neither of us have any
complaints about the service we got. On our wedding night, we checked
into the Sheraton and they had given all the other rooms away at that
point (it was about 1 am) so they upgraded us to the largest suite they
had in the hotel. When we returned to the Staybridge the next morning
to get MH belongings, we also found out that they had provided us with
champagne and strawberries as well as rose petals. Overall, I thought
the service was great and the room prices were very reasonable.
Staybridge Suites
REVIEW - SpillerExtraordinaire: June 2010. $130 per night. We booked both the Eatontown Sheraton and
Staybridge Suites since they share the same parking lot and we were
looking for a central location to send the shuttle bus to. We also had
a block at the Sea Girt Inn (http://www.theseagirtlodge.com/)
but to my knowledge no one booked there. We haven't had any
complaints about the accommodations. A number of our guests were there
between Thursday and Sunday and thought the location was close to a
lot of things, which was nice since they were unfamiliar with the
area. They also liked the free breakfasts offered in the morning. MH
stayed in the Suites from Thursday to Saturday and then with me in the
Sheraton on Saturday night after our wedding. Neither of us have any
complaints about the service we got. On our wedding night, we checked
into the Sheraton and they had given all the other rooms away at that
point (it was about 1 am) so they upgraded us to the largest suite they
had in the hotel. When we returned to the Staybridge the next morning
to get MH belongings, we also found out that they had provided us with
champagne and strawberries as well as rose petals. Overall, I thought
the service was great and the room prices were very reasonable.
EAST HANOVER
Ramada
REVIEW: August 2011. East Hanover-A+-The hotel was great, they kept in touch with us to let us know how many people had booked prior to the wedding so that we would know how many bags to make and how many shuttles we may need. The shuttles were provided by the Ramada at no additional charge and they even brought some of our out-of-town guests who didn’t have cars to the rehearsal dinner the night before.
REVIEW - Em72653: October 2011. A Glad we used them! I was nervous about a 20min shuttle ride from our reception but it was worth it! The rates on their rooms were great especially for our family who was staying up 2 nights. I asked if they could announce when each of our guests checked-in about a Meet&Greet at the hotel bar the night before our wedding and a post-wedding Breakfast the next morning and they did! They gave out our welcome bags and included a schedule for the hotel shuttle. They gave us a free suite for booking so many rooms! The staff was nice and glad I booked this hotel.
Hanover Marriott
REVIEW - jcg98: November 2011. Hanover Marriott – A We picked the Hanover Marriott because it was centrally located between our church and venue, and we really liked the renovations and the fact that there is a self-serve wine bar in the lobby and an Irish pub, where our after party continued into the wee hours! The event coordinator, Cheryl, was really great to work with and overall the experience was very good. Our room block included a complimentary night in a suite for us, and free shuttle service to and from the venue. We were also able to arrange a private room in the restaurant for brunch the next day.
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FAIRFIELD
Hampton Inn & Suites
REVIEW - cindyn9178: September 2011.(A) The booking process was seamless and Lawanda was nice to work with. Nobody had any problems with their rooms. They handed out our gift bags with no issues. The suite was HUGE. They gave us a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, popcorn, a gift bag with water, chips, cookies, etc. They also include a free breakfast, and a free shuttle. The shuttle was on time, and we had no issues. The breakfast was good, a variety of hot and cold items. I would definitely recommend them.
REVIEW: September 2011. (B+) The person I booked the block with Lawanda was extremely nice and I was very happy with our room. The two things that I didnt like though was that we had to deal with some issues with the Passaic River flooding and it was hard for some of our guests to get there. Totally not the Hampton Inn's fault but definitely added some last minute stress for me. Also some of my in laws as well as me and my husband didn't get to check in until after the wedding at almost 1am. The thing I found weird was they told my in laws their room wasn't ready and they would have to wait 20-30 mins for their room to be cleaned. Seems like something fishy had to be up since technically that room should have been available to them as of check in at 4pm.
REVIEW - mbcdefg: This hotel was one of the ones recommended by The Tides, and it got good
reviews on the North Jersey Knot board. DH and I went to check it out
before booking our hotel block there, and the staff was nice and the
standard room they let us peek in seemed big. We gave them a snack bag
and a welcome letter for every room and to my knowledge the guests all
got them. DH and I got a free suite just for setting up the room block,
no minimum number of rooms required. Our room was large, clean and
comfortable, and we slept like rocks through the night. The hotel
offered a free shuttle service to and from The Tides ... we went
straight to the reception hall from the church so we didn't know how the
"to" shuttle went, but I heard no complaints and everyone was at the
reception on time. We took the last shuttle back to the hotel and it was
fine. The room rate included a free breakfast - I thought it would be a
hot buffet, but I only saw things like coffee, fruit and yogurt. People
seemed to have a comfortable night and they got to and from the
reception safely and on time, so we'd recommend the Hampton Inn.
REVIEW: September 2011. – A
Pros: The sales managers Nayisid and Lawanda were extremely nice and easy to work with. They were super organized, and helped us in every way imaginable along the way. They upgraded at least 10 of our rooms to suites at no extra charge, and organized all of the shuttles perfectly. The hotel itself was also really beautiful, and the rooms were so spacious.
Cons: The hotel was a little further from The Manor than they (and google) said it would be. Also, the first shuttle accidentally went to Mayfair Farms instead of the Manor, but this did not cause any major delays. Also, our wedding took place between all the flooding, and they did not call to let me know that it may not be open, I had to call and find out myself. They also gave pretty poor directions causing many of us to get lost getting there the night before, however I will say the hotel was under major duress with the flooding and the general manager Majd WAS extremely accommodating and updated me on the situation, with everything ending up fine.
Bottom Line: Great sales staff, beautiful hotel, just be mindful it is in a flood zone.
Pros: The sales managers Nayisid and Lawanda were extremely nice and easy to work with. They were super organized, and helped us in every way imaginable along the way. They upgraded at least 10 of our rooms to suites at no extra charge, and organized all of the shuttles perfectly. The hotel itself was also really beautiful, and the rooms were so spacious.
Cons: The hotel was a little further from The Manor than they (and google) said it would be. Also, the first shuttle accidentally went to Mayfair Farms instead of the Manor, but this did not cause any major delays. Also, our wedding took place between all the flooding, and they did not call to let me know that it may not be open, I had to call and find out myself. They also gave pretty poor directions causing many of us to get lost getting there the night before, however I will say the hotel was under major duress with the flooding and the general manager Majd WAS extremely accommodating and updated me on the situation, with everything ending up fine.
Bottom Line: Great sales staff, beautiful hotel, just be mindful it is in a flood zone.
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JERSEY CITY
The Westin
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MORRISTOWN
Hyatt
REVIEW - katetw: May 2011 wedding. So we picked this place because we had stayed ther after a wedding a few years ago, and loved the bar. We had a lot of out-of-town and out-of-country guests and I knew they'd want to visit afterwards. I double-checked with the special events coordinator a week before on the closing time of the bar (2am, with last call at 1:30). Unfortunately, at 12:15, the bartender abruptly and rudely cut off my (drunk but not messy) friend, and shut down the bar. When I asked her why, she cited safety concerns. Now, I've been a server and a bartender -- I understand she needs that right for actually dangerous situations. But this was clearly a case of her wanting to end her shift early and jumping on the opportunity. There was ONE DRUNK PERSON at a BAR, in the hotel where they were sleeping, who was nowhere near a safety threat, not being loud, and definitely not being sloppy, belligerent, or anything like that. I was super disappointed. When I complained to the special events coordinator the next week, she fed me some line about safety concerns. Whatever. Like I said, I understand that in a situation where there actually ARE safety concerns, but not when a staff member simply doesn't want to do their job. Anyway. Bottom line: if you actually want to hang out with your guests, avoid this place at all costs. If you're marrying at Bretton Woods, go with the other option they suggest. I wish we had. The rooms were beautiful but you can't really enjoy them when you're fuming on your wedding night.
MOUNT LAUREL
Aloft Hotel
REVIEW - dinnaming: July 2011 wedding. I would have to say that they were just okay. On the one hand, we had some miscommunication about the room block rates so that FIL got a different rate from what was agreed upon so he rebooked online and not through the room block. Then they somehow cancelled our reservations. They got a room immediately but that was just annoying. Although, I did get to say "but I'M the bride!" as a response to being told they didn't have our reservation. But we enjoyed the bar/lounge area after the wedding. And I think everyone enjoyed the unique style of the hotel in general.
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NEWTON
Holiday Inn Express
http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/newton/nwtnj/hoteldetail
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. This was really the only hotel nearby, so we were kind of stuck with it. The woman I dealt with was nice enough, but their policies are extremely problematic. The hotel really isn't big enough to host events, so they make you sign a waiver if you want any number of rooms over 30, basically saying you will cover in full the price of those rooms that are not booked. And this is IN TOTAL, so since we needed rooms for both the night of the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, this was extremely tight. I would stay far, far away from this hotel if at all possible. F
Holiday Inn Express
http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/newton/nwtnj/hoteldetail
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. This was really the only hotel nearby, so we were kind of stuck with it. The woman I dealt with was nice enough, but their policies are extremely problematic. The hotel really isn't big enough to host events, so they make you sign a waiver if you want any number of rooms over 30, basically saying you will cover in full the price of those rooms that are not booked. And this is IN TOTAL, so since we needed rooms for both the night of the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, this was extremely tight. I would stay far, far away from this hotel if at all possible. F
Wooden Duck Bed and Breakfast
www.woodenduckinn.com/
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. We stayed here on our wedding night. The room that we booked (the Golden-Eye) was beautiful. The owners were so nice, and really made us feel welcome. It's in a somewhat secluded location, so it was nice and quiet. Breakfast was great! They have a pool if you are staying there during the summer. We really loved our time here! A+
www.woodenduckinn.com/
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. We stayed here on our wedding night. The room that we booked (the Golden-Eye) was beautiful. The owners were so nice, and really made us feel welcome. It's in a somewhat secluded location, so it was nice and quiet. Breakfast was great! They have a pool if you are staying there during the summer. We really loved our time here! A+
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PARK RIDGE
Marriott
REVIEW: September 2011. A - Erika Muller helped me with all the planning. They did a wonderful job coordinating rooms and shuttles and the breakfast. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the entire staff from the bellmen to the event planners. I would definitely use the venue again.
REVIEW - rr2011: May 2011 wedding. The lower grade is simply for the fact that the # of shuttles needed back, despite me telling our event coordinator the number of people, was miss calculated. They had to come back for several people but really the bridal suite was great and provided extra chairs, steamer, etc upon my request.
PEARL RIVER, NY
Hilton
REVIEW - nmeirose: July 2011. In March my mom set up a room block and arranged apre-wedding dinner for out of towners at the Hilton. Along the way we hadlittle snafus with them, like them refusing to mail us invite inserts andinsisting they were only available via pick-up, even though we live over anhour away, and unreturned phone calls. I should have known this was asign of things to come. Yesterday my mom mentioned that our guests werebeing told the hotel was full when they called to access our room block, andshe was not getting any anwers, so I called to check into it. When Icalled I found out that our room block was for 10 rooms not the 20 that my momhad tried to arrange. I don't know how that happened, but the paperworkmy mom signed said 10, so I fully acknowledge that this was our mistake and acase of not reading the fine print. So I called tons of hotels in thearea, looking for the 10 extra rooms I need, and everything is booked. Iam panicked needless to say- my wedding is Oct 2. The Hilton suggested trying a local Holiday Inn,so I called over there, and they had 10 rooms which I blocked. Not ideal,but at least I still had the 10 rooms at the same venue as the dinner, and Icould put the older people there etc so they did not have to worry abouttravelling for the dinner. So I called back the Hilton to tell them thatI found a 10 room block at another hotel, and they proceeded to tell me thatnow that they looked into it, their hotel is overbooked and they need me tomove my entire block out, even though people have already booked and creditcard reserved their rooms!!!!!! I was told that if any of my guestsarrived on that day, they would be turned away at check-in. Even though Ihave the paperwork reserving my block. Even though these rooms arecredit-card reserved!!!!! So I was forced to move my entire group to theHoliday Inn!!! I am so upset. In addition, the staff at theHiton lied during this entire process multiple times (I am not going to getinto details about all of that because it is already too long, but it involvedcalling the Holiday Inn behind my back and then lying to me about it,etc). What kind of hotel holds a room block for a wedding day and then 2months before the wedding tells the bride she has to find other arrangementsfor her guests that have booked into the hotel. thank god the holiday innwas available, but I am still not happy. I just wish the Hilton had beenstraight with me early in the process, so I could have chosen another hotel andnot have been forced into the only option available. I said to the Hilton, what if I had not calledtoday - would you have ever told me that you were going to kick my room blockout of the hotel? They said "oh yes, we were going to call you thisweek to let you know". What kind of business does this? Thiswas not just an open, unused block- the rooms in the block were reserved by myguests!!!!!!!!! Where was I going to put these people, who already haveflights arranged??? So a word of warning, if you want a hotel blockthat will not be pulled out from under your feet two months before yourwedding, do not use the Hilton Pearl River. This is the worst experience Ihave had in a long time. I guess they don't care about the guestexperience or their reputation. They just expressed no empathy atall.
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SADDLE BROOK
Marriott
REVIEW - N/A: June 2011 wedding. Great customer service and all rooms were clean and nice.
SADDLE RIVER
Residence Inn by Marriott
REVIEW - Laurms15: This is where we had our room block. They were great to work with. They
had a brunch the next morning for all hotel guests so we ate there with
our family and friends.
SECAUCUS
Homestead Studio Suites
REVIEW: September 2011. ABSOUTELY DISGUSTING. I looked at the place on a weekday and the room was clean, the one they showed me. HOWEVER, after checking in, the room was filthy, I felt like I was in a half way house. Another couple, as we were checking out, stated they took a nap and woke up with swollen eyes and bites. NO BEDBUGS allowed to my wedding. I literally walked in and walked right out.
SHORT HILLS
Hilton Short Hills
Review -37butterknives: April 2011 wedding. Wonderful hotel, and they went out of their way to accommodate a major request from one of our guests. The suite we stayed in was lovely (we got a plate of sweets that included macarons!), and everyone loved the breakfast. They didn't provide the shuttle to and from the venue; on their suggestion, we used Top Town/LimoRide, of Clifton, for this service.
Several of my relatives from Florida wanted to combine their trip with a few days exploring New York, so we also had a block at La Quinta in Secaucus. This hotel was also closer to the church and my parents. Everyone who stayed there seemed to be happy with them.
Several of my relatives from Florida wanted to combine their trip with a few days exploring New York, so we also had a block at La Quinta in Secaucus. This hotel was also closer to the church and my parents. Everyone who stayed there seemed to be happy with them.
SOMERSET
Courtyard Marriott
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WEST ORANGE
Residence Inn by Marriott
REVIEW - N/A: Gorgeous hotel, very clean rooms, and nice staff. We didn’t set up room blocks because we had to guarantee 80% would get booked and we had no idea if that was going to happen. Plus, the room block price wasn’t any better than what our guests could have gotten using AAA or other discounts (we found this to be the case at most hotels in the area). I wound up staying in the hotel the night before the wedding so my bridesmaids, FMIL, and I could all get ready there the following morning. The hotel staff was really nice when I checked in. They could clearly tell I was a bride, so they offered to bring up one of those studio makeup chairs and a full-length mirror the next morning so we could use them while getting ready (huge help!) and every room has a tray for bringing up food to the room from the free breakfast they offer. That was really great because it saved us from having to buy food for everyone while we were getting ready – especially since they have a full-out buffet breakfast (not one of those chintzy continental breakfasts you get at most hotels). Several family members did wind up reserving rooms at the hotel and had good experiences from what I heard. Oh, and here’s a side note: for the longest time the hotel was completely booked, but about a week before our wedding a lot of rooms opened up for lower prices – likely because of room blocks from other events that didn’t get filled.
REVIEW - rutgersgirl82: Our guests were very happy with the convenience and location of the
hotel, we more than filled our 20 room hotel block and then some, no one
mentioned anything about the price. Their breakfast that is included
was great too the next morning, we loved seeing everyone down there and
being able to spend more time with them. The only bad part was there
wasn't really anywhere we could go hang out for an after party and we
'got in trouble.' For the location and convenience to The Manor I think
all of our guests were very happy here.
Wilshire Grand Hotel
REVIEW - McJays: November 2011. I had a mixed experience with the Wilshire Grand. The hotel was
conveniently located from both our ceremony and reception and the free
shuttle they provided to our venue was a huge bonus. The rooms were
reasonably priced for our wedding room block and they did not require us
to put down a credit card to guarantee a certain number of rooms. The
rooms were nice and the bridal suite was very spacious. However, with
the exception of my contact who helped set up the room block, the
customer service was poor. The housekeeping staff was rude - going so
far as to accuse my parents of denying they spoke Spanish (they do not)
and yelling at them. There were a couple of other service problems that
were quite frustrating and a bit of a turnoff.
WOODCLIFF LAKE
Hilton
REVIEW - kristen8040: DH dealt with them mostly and was able to get the room rate down $25 from what they usually offer. DH and his family were staying there a few days ahead of time and said the rooms and pool were all really nice. They did a great job with the shuttles as well as handing out the OOT bags.