Having been the DJ for a number of events at 235 Hoosick Street, in Troy, NY, I an safely say that The Hilton Garden Inn is a great place to have your wedding, in and around the Troy, NY area.
COCKTAIL LAYOUT – One thing that I really like as a DJ is the layout. The main event hall is perfect for a wedding with a cocktail hour at hand. A portion of the hotel is sectioned off so that there are no real issues of interaction with guests staying at the hotel not related to the wedding.
The event kitchen, the wedding hall and the bar for the cocktail hour are all removed from the room and hotel business.
As you enter the event wing of this newer hotel in Troy, NY, there is a long wide hall in front of the dining room. There is a branch off of the walkway perfect for horsderves, with a comfy sofa area that even has a large screen television. This area even has a private restroom area for events, separate from hotel guest use.
At the end of the hall there is another opening, which allows for additional entertainment in front of a full bar. This place is perfect for wedding vendors, or activities. One thing I have seen that works well is having a photo booth or magnet shoot in this area.
Hilton Garden Wedding Dining Hall
DINING ROOM – There are actually two rooms that can be used, with a folding divider partition down the center. What I have experienced as a disc jockey there is usually weddings with around 150 people or so in one section of the hall. (The use of half of the alloted space seems perfect for most weddings that I seem to take part in.)
The room is carpeted with a slightly-raised removable dance floor (provided by the hall). The acoustics are great for music and the tables always look sharp.
STAFF – The event organizers do a great job. The wait staff is really funny, too. Setting up, they have a good time with each other and are good people. They even danced a little here and there while waiting on the guests.
FOOD – I’ve had both chicken and prime rib there. Both were very very good! No complaints!
OTHER GOOD STUFF – You are also looking at an ample parking lot for any crowd, The Recovery Room bar built into the hotel for an after-party (for those who want to keep the night alive when the DJ is done,) and even rooms to stay in when the night is over.
Without hesitation, I recommend The Hilton Garden Inn on Hoosick, Troy, NY to be considered for your wedding!
Waterford Banquet caters throughout the Capital District and surrounding communities, but handles weddings and special events at The Saratoga Elks.
As far as the food is concerned, Waterford Banquets offers some really good prices and some great wedding favorites on their menu options. I believe their Prime Rib, which I would classify as medium-sized cut of beef, is somewhere around $23 a head, which really isn’t bad! Check out their website above for the menus options – or click here.
The Saratoga Elks, conveniently located near Northway Exit 15, has a bright and modern look with great lighting. It features a bar and a suitable wooden dance floor. There is great access to hall with a nearby back door, making things easy for decoration purposes.
Lodge Facilities
250 plus guests banquet hall with spacious seating
Great bar/lounge area with seating for up to 100
Located in historic Saratoga Springs, near all activities
Patio and Gazebo area for beautiful ceremony
A decent-sized banquet room to fit 175 plus guests…
Overall, I would suggest that the hall is a great size; not too small and not too big. It seems ideal for weddings between 125-200 guests.
I would rate them about 8 stars out of 10, only subtracting a little for an unusable disco ball (people wanted me to turn it on as the DJ, but it didn’t work) and a few minor eye sores, like the Elks Logo sign in the banquet hall and what I believe was a bingo board on the wall covered by curtains.
(EDITOR NOTE: Since this blog in 2011, the disco ball is back in working order!)
Franklin Plaza of Troy, NY is located right across the street from Dinosaur BBQThe Franklin Plaza Banquet Hall is a great place to have a wedding, prom, or other high-end event demanding class.
I work as a DJ and often an event planner, so I am used to managing every detail of big events myself. If you choose to book the Franklin Plaza, hopefully you will agree that they do think about everything, as they did for the recent prom that I did there in June.
One thing I wanted to highlight now, is that they have their own in-house dance lights now at the Plaza. The hall manager, Greg Cushman, told me that they put their custom light show up only a few months ago, and spared no expense in components and installation. The LED lights with programmable DMX technology are a great extra bonus for booking the hall, with no charge to the customer and they are up high in the corners of the dance floor, out of sight.
I would give the place 4 and a half stars out of 5, subtracting only a half a star for the homeless guy that I think spit on my car in the parking lot, because I didn’t have time to listen to his sob story setting up. (If you see him, shoot me an email so I can knock the last two teeth out of his head.)
