I would enthusiastically recommend the Town Hall Hotel as a wedding venue - below I detail things that I think really make the team stand out, as well as areas where the hotel has to improve, in case it helps other couples considering the space.

First off I should say that I had my eye on the THH for several years as a potential event venue having attended some great work events there in the 20-teens. When I decided to propose and we started planning the wedding I looked up reviews of the THH and was surprised to find some really bad ones. It feels like the hotel may have had a few turbulent years where the events team dropped the ball. My concerns were slightly raised when I had a run of talking to a couple of coordinators and then finding they had left abruptly and without leaving useful notes on my event. However, by the time the wedding came around a new team was in situ and I could not recommend them enough. A special thanks to Shirel and Vincenzo for their incredible work.

Overall I found the team to be totally committed to making the day stand out. It feels like planning your wedding with a friend. Some things the team did that really made me feel like they were working with me rather than simply providing a service:

• I wanted to change up the standard wedding package a bit and do things differently. I was expecting, from the past reviews, for this to be a protracted negotiation but the team were happy to swap things around and make accommodations - nothing was ever too much trouble.
• I tied specially designed place cards and menus together but when I asked THH to print a couple of tailored menus for vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions to slip under the pre tied place cards and normal menus, Shirel took the time to specially design a menu that echoed my design. I really appreciated the care and attention to detail.
• Instead of making a grand entrance at supper my partner and I led all our guests from the drinks room to the long hall where you host supper. I had placed a mixture of candles at different heights along two long tables. As we were walking down the long corridor to enter I saw that the team had left multiple doors to the hall slightly open to give guests a sneak peak at the beautiful room they were about to enter. I didn’t ask them to do this and I thought it showed that they were really thinking ahead to how guests would feel and trying to enhance the evening.
• On one of our run through calls the team spotted one of my guests could not eat the dessert I had arranged and came up with an alternative solution for me to simply sign off.
• I was very particular about the design of my tables and wanted to decorate them myself. The team set up the tables early so that I could come in and arrange the candles and place-cards at my leisure. Vincenzo even brought us a few glasses of wine to enjoy ourselves while we were doing it.

More generally, we had an evening wedding in the early spring and I was looking for a venue where people could be warm and dry indoors the whole time but not feel trapped. Weddings at the hotel are spread out over three stunning rooms - if you are looking for a venue with fabulous interiors that lend themselves to a massive range of looks and themes - as well as a stunning backdrop for a range of photos - then the THH should absolutely be on your consideration list. We also made use of the infamous ‘roller wall’ - my partner and I announced after dinner there would be dancing - then the walls of the room seamlessly rolled up to reveal a band playing. The guests jaws dropped - it was just the right amount of theatre. Everyone loved it.

Areas where the hotel absolutely has to improve however are - perhaps surprisingly - the core hotel bit.

I would echo other reviewers that some of the bedrooms are looking a bit tired - our suite had grubby marks up the walls and nowhere to hang an evening dress. The AC was also not working which made the room uncomfortable in the full sun. For me though, this event was not about the bedrooms (in fact I was barely in them) so even though I don’t have that classic photo of my dress hanging up its hardly the end of the world. 

What I was angry about however is the absolutely appalling organisation of the room booking system. Some things that happened:

• My partner and I gifted a room to a friend who was travelling far and on constrained finances. I was completely clear on this with the bookings team that the friend was not to be charged. I tried to pay for it as part of the whole wedding payment, for some reason I was not allowed to do this, but I did leave my card details (twice) and asked for a note to be left making clear that we were paying. Our friend was still asked for money when they arrived and had the charge pending on their account for several days after I paid. This was embarrassing.
• My parents paid for their room on arrival but a bill demanding money they had already paid was slipped under their door during the night.
• My sister was told she was a ‘no show’ for her room even though she had checked in - and housekeeping had to clean her room so they must be aware a person had slept there.
• I pre paid for an extra night before the wedding and paid for it at the same time as I paid for the wedding. When my partner and I arrived at the hotel reception the day before they demanded card details and would not believe I had already paid for my room.
• A few days before the wedding the bookings team contacted me with a message so unclear I couldn’t tell what they wanted from me. When I rang them up I had an incredibly confusing conversation. Half way through I had to tell them that they kept on referring to aspects of their software but as I was not trained on their bookings system I did not understand what they wanted or the significance of what they were trying to convey.

I just cannot understand how a hotel - where the above must be quotidian to them - gets the basics so wrong. There is so much that is truly great and special about THH, why not put effort into getting the foundations of the offer right.

So in summary - absolutely host your wedding at the THH - you will have a fantastic day, your photographs will look like a Vogue editorial shoot and the guests will feel very special - but get things in writing and be prepared that some of the bits around the edges could be slightly Fawlty Towers.

We booked our wedding ceremony and drinks reception at the Townhall two years before our wedding date. There were red flags from the start: our contract had another couple’s name on it and listed the wrong fee. In the lead-up to the wedding, there were four different contact changes. While I understand that staff turnover happens, each change felt like starting from scratch. It seemed there were no proper handover notes, and I had to repeatedly explain what we wanted.

We were offered a discount code for rooms at the hotel, but it ended up costing us more than if we had just booked online ourselves. The day before the wedding, we arrived and were told that the bar we had booked wasn’t actually available—apparently, it hadn’t been for over a year. This was news to us. I had to deal with someone I’d never spoken to before, even though I had already had planning calls with two other staff members. I was treated as if I had lied about booking the bar and was asked to provide our booking confirmation. The staff had a year and multiple conversations with me to verify this, yet failed to do so.

We had been promised a fully stocked bar with dedicated bar staff. Instead, we got a room with one person serving drinks, who disappeared halfway through the event. Our guests had to serve themselves. The room itself had not been set up as requested, despite me providing a floor plan ahead of time at their request. They ignored it. On the morning of the wedding, I received a call asking if we wanted reserved signs put down, something we had already discussed in a call and over email. This should have been organized well before the day of the event!

As the ceremony approached, the room still wasn’t ready. Our videographer and groomsmen had to step in and reorganize it because the events team was nowhere to be found. We had also put down a tab for soft drinks, but only two were served, and our guests had to ask for them.

After the wedding, we emailed the Townhall to request the remaining balance from the tab. Three emails later, we still haven’t received a response. For a five-star hotel, this level of service is absolutely baffling and rude. I cannot recommend this venue—the only stress I experienced on my wedding day came from them. Despite all my careful planning, they ignored nearly everything.

In stark contrast, our evening venue was fantastic. They had far more to organize than the Townhall did, yet everything went smoothly. Their professionalism only highlighted what a shambles the Townhall was.

We cannot fault the Town Hall Hotel for our wedding day itself. Pawel and Vincenzo were absolutely incredible. There was nothing too big or too small and we felt in great hands all night! Vincenzo even coming to give me a fresh drink on the dance floor when I had been holding half of mine for a long time and it had gone warm!

We had some bumps in the road in the planning process and lots of wedding coordinators leaving the venue (4 leaving and replaced in the 17 months we were planning!) meaning a lot more admin than we were hoping for as handovers had not been thorough. However when we met Pawel a month before the wedding so that we could get to know the person who would actually be sorting our day, we knew we were in good hands.

Pawel and Vincenzo were a dream team. As any wedding days go there were little things that went wrong with vendors or equipment but they made sure that none of that stress fell onto us. Their entire focus was ensuring we were as calm and happy as possible.

The whole wedding day team was fabulous and the day was absolutely flawless. We had rave reviews from all of our guests with many telling us it was by far the best wedding they had been to thanks to the amazing food, great staff and beautiful venue.

The venue is unmatched in beauty, you will not find a London city venue that comes close to this art deco, historical masterpiece.

We did find some elements to be slightly inflexible, with set timings and flows that would not be altered. But we also think that may have been those coordinators at the time because Pawel and Vincenzo couldn’t do enough to help us have the best day.

All in all I would recommend this venue to absolutely anybody

We had a fantastic wedding on Saturday 13th August at the Town Hall Hotel and Apartments. Shazia, Martha and the rest of the staff were brilliant (credit to the reception as well for helping out with a few things). Our guests raved about the food and service. Shazia on the day was such a help, keeping me calm and understanding when the groom was running late. Beforehand we did have a few last minute changes due to COVID etc, and they were very flexible and helpful with this. Thank you so much!

Our day was amazing Shazia, Martha and team were fantastic. The day went very smoothly; the venue is stunning (it’s in Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets not Hackney) and food was incredible. All our guests enjoyed the day. The planning as the day grew nearer included a tasting menu which was great; however some earlier contact to help us plan would have been helpful (we booked a year in advance). Although the wedding planning team were great a couple of things were less so. We had asked for some guests places (3) to be removed with enough notice as they were too ill to attend, but these were still laid on the day; the reservations and reception team were a less positive experience - booking rooms for guests was not always straightforward and on the day, some of the wedding party and the photographer were sent to the wrong room. We stayed in room 101, the wedding suite - very stylish but little clothes hanging space and frustratingly no mirror above the sinks which made it difficult for us as 2 grooms to shave on the day of our wedding! Finally having put together a bespoke wedding playlist for lunch, we discovered the sound system in Bethnal Hall couldn’t turn up loud enough to be heard above 85 guests (not the maximum the room can hold). Although this didn’t spoil the actual day, it did mean that all the time and thought that had gone into it was wasted.

We did have an amazing day, and it felt very special - we are glad we chose the venue and would recommend it; however we think some of those details if addressed would make it an even more special experience.

We were thoroughly enjoyed our entire experience with the Town Hall Hotel.

The venue is really beautiful, both inside and out, which provides a lovely backdrop to the big day. The Council Chamber is a particularly gorgeous art deco room, and the rest of the hotel is very nicely styled (lots of marble, wood panelling, plenty of plants, nice lighting). This all makes for really nice pictures.

The food and wine options were all fantastic, and the various different rooms and spaces available for usage meant that we could add some variety into the day despite everything taking place in one venue. Lack of outdoor space is a slight drawback but guests can easily pop outside if they fancy some fresh air. The venue is also very easily accessed by public transport, which minimises any hassle with arranging parking for guests.

There are many reasons why we’re giving The Town Hall Hotel as a wedding venue two stars. The purpose of this review is to inform others and also to provide feedback should the events team want to assess certain issues and implement any changes.

- We stayed at the hotel the night before our wedding, room 101, the supposedly “bridal suite” where the only place to hang my wedding dress was off the window ledge. Quite a precarious spot where the hanger could have slipped off at any point. How does a five-star hotel doesn’t have merely a nail high enough on a wall where brides can hang their dresses so the train is not bunched up on the floor. My train wasn't even that long. Front of house staff suggested I hang it in a room just off the front desk (?).

- We spent months going back and forth with the events coordinators to finalise the last details and make sure everything was set up the way we requested. The chairs in the Council Chamber were not set up like agreed. There were family members sitting on the main floor (pit) when there should have only been two chairs for us to sit down during the reading portion of the ceremony, we had to stand instead. The chairs are not nailed to the floor. Why couldn’t they be set up as requested?

- The main table wasn’t set up as we requested, there was supposed to be a gap in front of my partner and me at the table, instead, there were two people sitting in front of us. The floral arrangement prevented us from being able to talk to them properly. At no point was it communicated that the seats would be changed without our approval which meant the seating plan we printed for our guests to find their seats wasn’t 100% accurate.

- My partner had to deal with the music not playing during the reception meal instead of enjoying himself because they didn’t have the correct plug. The venue should provide a device that is already plugged in for couples to put their music in. My partner’s best man ended up leaving his phone for the music to play because it would only connect to an iPhone (not an iPad or Android).

- Staff doing the service were not dressed appropriately for a wedding. There were members of staff wearing plain white t-shirts with jeans, others with mismatched black and grey t-shirts doing the meal service. Not the unifying look you expect to see at a wedding.

- One of our vendors had requested assistance from the venue to be able to set up prior to the day but they were not assisted the way the venue confirmed to us they would. This was the only vendor we had booked that hadn’t worked with the hotel before.

- Maybe the reason why so many things went wrong was the fact that the wedding coordinator we had been speaking to since our initial booking for May 2020 left 3 weeks before our wedding - passing the baton to someone else. Was there a lack of debrief/communication between them? It was clear once she knew she was leaving, that she had no interest in helping us continue to plan our day.

- The cake and takeaway boxes for guests were put out later than expected (after 9 pm) and together with the toasties making it a weird combination. The cake was cut at 7:30 pm.

- We asked for a menu of the drinks the bar would be serving the evening of the wedding but found that some of the drinks in the menu provided to us weeks prior were not available to order. There was no menu on the night either which meant guests didn’t know what was available and what they could or couldn’t order. A bar with no menu?

- We did the menu tasting in Feb’20 and chose it right before having to postpone our wedding a year and a half. The food we tasted in 2020 was unreal, it was elegant, well presented and the flavours were exquisite. In our second tasting Aug’21 the quality just wasn’t there anymore. They had changed chefs. We requested for the same menu we chose in 2020 to be served and even provided images of how it was presented. Once the chef agreed to do the same menu we requested to go for another tasting to do a final check but we were denied it. All in all the meal we were served at the wedding was good apart from the main dish which was incredibly disappointing, didn't have enough sauce and was served ice cold. The main also didn’t match the original dish 100% like the hotel confirmed to us it would.

- I was given a bottle of prosecco by the venue to share with my bridesmaids the morning of the wedding at 10:30 am after we had opened our bottle of champagne. Both my partner and I agreed the bottle should have been in the room with a note when we checked in the night before. There was no acknowledgment from anyone in the venue when we checked in that we were celebrating our wedding the next day.

- After the confetti and group photos were done, nobody from the venue was present to direct guests back inside to the canape reception. Collectively everyone just wandered back inside.

- The morning of the wedding, we requested three times for ice to be brought to the room I was getting ready in, in the end, my brother had to go with the ice bucket to the kitchen to get it filled.

PROS

- We received good service overall on the day, throughout the meal the drinks were topped up often and staff were polite and attentive.

- Apart from the main, the rest of the food throughout the day was good. The house wines were also great.

- There is no denying that the hotel has beautiful interiors which act as a wonderful backdrop for pictures.

- Moving around the hotel for the different parts of the wedding was also a great plus. The whole day is spread in multiple rooms so it doesn’t feel like you are in the same room the whole day.

- Props to the lady that was handed off to oversee the rest of the night when the wedding coordinator left, she worked flat out to make sure the water station was refilled, the lights were dimmed down, the music was lowered down for speeches and air conditioning was on and the night went on without any extra hiccups.

Overall, all of these small things which might seem small by themselves just added extra unnecessary stress to a day that can already be a bit stressful to begin with and that is supposed to be happy and joyful.

I’m a detail-oriented person (like many couples planning their wedding are - after all, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event) and felt like the hotel didn’t match my expectation in being able to deliver on these details, some of which they confirmed they would.

Overall the events team at Town Hall Hotel does not inspire confidence that they can handle an event the magnitude of a wedding. I would not recommend couples to book their wedding at the Town Hall Hotel.

Overall, a really great experience and we felt incredibly well looked after the whole day! We had so many compliments about the service and how everything was seamless, and we couldn’t agree more. I would particularly like to thank Town Hall Hotel for everything they did to accommodate the postponement of our wedding during COVID as well as honoring the 2018 prices when we booked for our 2020 wedding (yes – we were engaged for 3 and half years!!). We were in love with this venue from the moment we saw it and I’m so glad we chose to get married here! I would 100% recommend this venue!!
However, there are a few constructive things to add. Firstly, we did feel a little lost leading up to the big day with lost of questions being dealt with via e-mail with the previous Event planner. Thankfully, when Shazia took over she agreed to have a meeting and explained it all so quickly and easily which was really appreciated! I also feel with the previous Event planner that if I didn’t ask a certain question, we might not have been given the answer so perhaps a little more upfront information would have helped i.e. how will the wedding cake would be stored, how the sound system worked in the council chamber etc. Secondly, the rooms (we stayed in 101) were incredibly hot which we were told was due to a centralised heating system that kicked in October, even though the weather was very mild. The staff were amazing in bringing us fans and did everything they could to resolve this. However, perhaps this heating system could be reviewed.

All in all we are so glad we chose Town Hall Hotel and Shazia and Martha (who took over in the evening) were the perfect planners/organizers!

The Town Hall Hotel is the dream wedding venue. Not only is it a stunning building, where you can still place your own creative stamp, but also the staff were amazing and made everything so very chilled. Shazia and her team allowed us to feel completely in safe hands throughout and even when we had a couple of inevitable hiccups, everything was sorted quickly and easily.

Our friends and family are still raving about the Town Hall Hotel now, from the beauty of the venue, the ease of the day, the delicious food and how much fun they had!

We cannot recommend Town Hall Hotel enough! We got married in May 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic and the venue could not have been more accommodating to our needs. They were very flexible and helped us to change our plans in accordance to regulations, yet still keeping the day special. Nothing was too much for Tia and her team, and the day ran completely smoothly. The food was delicious, I am coeliac and the hotel adapted their menu to ensure the entire day was gluten-free. The venue itself is really stunning, with many beautiful spaces for photographs. We would recommend Town Hall Hotel to anyone thinking of a London wedding!

Our dream wedding venue is the Town Hall hotel firstly it’s stunning (reminding us of our fav holiday in New York) and secondly because of our links to the area in Bethnal Green. At the time of viewing we didn’t realise that the team itself would actually top both of these reasons! Unfortunately 2020 happened *sigh* so we eventually decided it didn’t make sense to go ahead. I wanted to write this review because the team at The Town Hall - especially Tia - have been nothing but amazing to us throughout this whole process. Not going ahead has felt devastating but Tia has been so supportive. Always reassuring, calm, understanding, positive, personable and giving us fantastic advice without coming across like the team had to make a sale. It always felt genuine and compassionate, like they really do have our best interests at heart. We haven’t had this experience at any other london venue, just to highlight that we are a same-sex couple and at times haven’t always felt reassured or understood but the Town Hall team always went above and beyond to welcome us into their home. I hope one day we can have our wedding at The Town Hall because the team are first class, a huge credit to the beautiful building.

We had the best day of our lives at Town Hall - a lot of that of course because it was our wedding day, but the venue played a huge part in it! An absolutely beautiful setting, everything managed really smoothly by the staff, amazing food and drink and a beautiful hotel for us and our guests to stay in too - we couldn't have wished for more. Tia and Kayleigh were amazingly helpful all throughout the process of planning the event and ensured everything went off without any issues. Very very highly recommended!!

From start to finish, Tia and her staff at the Town Hall Hotel made organising our wedding a breeze! Nothing was too small to ask which made our day go without fault. The food was incredible (our guests have told us they were well fed!) and we particularly enjoyed doing the food and wine tasting before the day itself.

The venue is just beautiful and we loved all the quirky pieces of art around it. If we could do it all over again we totally would!

We had a perfect wedding at the Town Hall Hotel. It's such a special venue, and so many of our guests commented on how unique it was. It looked really spectacular with the Christmas decorations up.

Tia and her team were fabulous all day and throughout the entire planning process. Tia was amazing from the day we booked, always happy to help with any queries. On the day itself, everything was totally seamless but chilled at the same time, and everyone said that we seemed relaxed which we were, knowing that everything was taken care of! The food and drink were also sensational, and we loved our tasting day.

Looking back on our day, we wouldn't change a thing. Thank you to Tia and the THH team for giving us such great memories.

We just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU for all you did to make our wedding so amazing. Tia, your organisational skills are off the chart. Kay, your presence on the day was so calming and it all went so smoothly.

We had the most incredible weekend and dreamiest wedding day, and we wish we could do it all over again!