I first visited the Albert H. DeWitt Officers' Club 4-5 years ago when the County of Alameda hosted…read morea Combined Charities kick-off breakfast there. I remember being really impressed with the beautiful interior - dark wood and the chandeliers and booths in the main dining room. When my then fiance and I started looking for venues in April 2022, we really had no idea what to expect. Katherine Sirota with Alameda's Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) quickly let us know their availability for the remainder of 2022 and early 2023 since you can book up to a year in advance. We opted for the first long weekend in 2023 - the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and went ahead and paid the deposit. This place is quite popular for events and I definitely encourage brides to get in touch with staff sooner rather than later to secure their date. ARPD provides really comprehensive documentation to walk you through the planning process including individual room layouts depending on which rooms you book (the Lobby and Main Hallway are included). The Lobby area was perfect for the photobooth we ended up renting, some extra seating for guests who wanted to sit for a bit, and the welcome table. The Main Hallway was great for setting up chafing dishes for buffet service. We also ended up booking the Trident Room for cocktail hour (perfect for our 150ish guests) and they have a portable bar and cocktail tables for use. The Main Dining Room was perfect for dinner and our 18 tables fit quite comfortable with extra room for a fully clear dance floor, coffee and tea station, and boba and dessert tables. There are some limitations when it comes to the kind of decor - no sparklers, no candles/flames, no fog machines, etc., but the venue is honestly beautiful enough without needing too much to dress it up. The venue was also really flexible when it came to all the vendors we used - Cousins Maine Lobster out on the patio, Noodle Belly on the interior, So Good Photobooth, etc. which really helped us cut costs. Lastly, on the day-of, they have an attendant there at 11 am until midnight. It was great because we got to drop things off in the morning so that the waitstaff could set-up before our afternoon cocktail hour and evening dinner. I realize some people may feel more comfortable dropping off and setting up well in advance, but I think the option to do so may only be for Saturday events (our wedding was a Sunday). When it came time to do the walkthrough at the end of the event, the attendant was really thorough and quick. We ended up just needing to clear out a few extra garbage bins but were otherwise told we'd get our deposit back. Katherine confirmed this along with our mailing address the next business day and I was really happy with their responsiveness and guidance throughout the whole process. One thing to note is that parking is not a problem here since there's a huge lot across the street from the building. One other review I read said they didn't feel quite safe in the area, but nothing happened during our event.

We recently held our wedding at the O'Club and found that it was a fun, yet affordable, location…read more We were able to bring our own caterer & alcohol, which was a big bonus, and the tables & chairs come with the rental if you're on a budget. (We ended up renting chaivari chairs at the very last minute, but the ballroom chairs that they own will do in a pinch.) It was quite difficult to find a large enough venue on a smaller budget in the Bay Area, but we found that the O' Club fit our needs beautifully. Some of these pros & cons might be similar to other posts: Pros: - Reasonable fees - On-site staff is very helpful but communication with the Parks & Recs department was a bit difficult at times, i.e. they showed up late to our appointment showing & there was no number to reach them at so we weren't sure if/when they were actually going to show up. - BYOB, which saved a ton of money - Free & ample parking - Huge kitchen access - Multiple areas to use/rent (we used the Trident Room for the ceremony & Ballroom for the reception, Garden for family photos, etc.) Cons: - Pretty old & run down on the outside. - Communication with parks & recs department was difficult at times

I've known Diamond Banquet Hall for years, and many of my family and friends have hosted events…read morehere because it's convenient. However, the carpet is a big issue--it's old, dirty, and smells bad. The color is also awful and doesn't match any decor, no matter how hard you try. I urge the management to please change the carpet. It's long overdue and will make a huge difference!

Diamond banquet hall was an amazing experience. The linens were chosen to match the color scheme of…read morethe party, and was done neat and professionaly. The hall itself is clean and elegant, perfect for weddings! The service and pricing was outstanding. We were able to sample the food before we committed to it, and our preferences were taken into account. The pricing was laid out in a way we could understand. The best part is we are able to provide our own linens and catering if we choose to do so!

Planned to have my baby shower here . The lady told me one thing then waited for me to send my…read moredeposit to say something completely different . I was told the price was $1500 with a $500 deposit. Once I sent my deposit she sent a receipt back With an ending balance of $1500. once I contacted her she told me it was $2000 with a $500 deposit but never mentioned it was $2000 when we spoke nor in the contract . She uses word play to try to make people think it's only $1500 but then switches it once you send your deposit . I wouldn't recommend this place. She's not honest. Any normal person would just say its $2000 with a $500 deposit . Not it's $1500 with a $500 deposit making people think they would only owe $1000. Then she puts the $2000 in the account part of the receipt so you would think it's an account number and not a price . Very sneaky . The place is not even worth $2000.

I like this hall But when try to book it no one answer the phone or call you back so I had to go…read morefind another Hall,very disappointing I really wanted this Hall.

This place was a Godsend…read more We married here on September 10, 2011. We had originally booked another venue, but considering how many people we were going to have to invite we needed a larger venue. Because the date was popular (9-10-11) many of our choices were booked. Then, we pretty much stumbled in to Bayside Pavilion. We checked it out and went over initial details with Anna Marie. The place could use a minor facelift, I admit, but inside was a whole 'nother story. The place is SPACIOUS! It can easily SEAT 400 people comfortably! It also has vaulted ceilings with In house lighting and sound! it also has a large projection screen and a Dlp Projector, for those who love slideshows! (we don't hahaha). the bar is HUGE and there is also a nice spacious patio area as well. THe restrooms are clean and have plenty of stalls, and there is a private changing room and a coat check at the front main entrance. What makes this place extra special is the flexibility of the staff. Bernadette, who took over as event coordinator, was stellar in her service to us! She was very accommodating! Prices were also VERY Reasonable, and the venue is easy to get to, right by the Webster Tunnel! I won't get into the rates and all that, but let me tell you...you will NOT be sorry you booked this place!

The Piedmont Community Hall was our venue for a Wednesday night wedding rehearsal and Friday night…read morewedding. The venue and staff were delightful, we had a beautiful event here. There is a parking lot directly in front of the hall, a few handicap spots and a lot of street parking.

What an amazing gem.. came here for a friend's wedding. This place is absolutely beautiful. Once I…read morewalked up the stairs. It was as beautiful as courtyard garden with a fountain with nice flowers and a few benches to sit.. .the cocktail hour was healed in the area a small room hand a large charcuterie table seating with a live band for some entertainment. The reception hall held about 15 tables the couples table . Desert table in the Conner of the dance floor had a Photo Booth.. beautiful well kept event space . My pictures with my family by the fountain came out perfect. I believe it was a parking lot across the street. Street parking was available

Great experience decorating at this venue space. The staff was professional, cordial, and easy to…read morework with throughout the entire process. My team and I had the pleasure of creating a beautiful custom backdrop for our client's special celebration, and the venue provided a wonderful setting to bring the design to life. To see more of our work and this event, visit www.fourfortyfourevents.com. -- Four Forty Four Events

Disappointed and horrible event manager. I attended a…read morecelebration of life, a very sad time. The room was set up banquet style with a buffet in the back. As guest started pouring in, including myself, the manager was yelling at guest to wait & not sit. When she opened the buffet and people walked by to take a look at it. She would yell at them to start at a certain end of the table versus asking them. The catered food provided by Mission Paradise was below average. I understand why the family chose this location due to proximity to the cemetery but the catering manager/food was horrible. On the flipside the only good thing about this place is the location/parking and they allowed the host family to bing in their cultural dishes to supplement the buffet.

First, I have not organized an event there so cannot speak for the event coordination team…read more I attended an event, everyone there was super friendly and helpful. The architecture is stunning!!! Also, I forgot an item there and when I returned for it, the staff knew exactly what I was taking about and directed me right to it. It looks like a beautiful space for office rentals or meeting space.

Great location - was there for a birthday party with a live band. The venue was spacious and…read morecomfortable despite having about 100 people at the event.

I'll start this review by saying how over the moon I was to have hosted my daughters quinceañera at…read morethe gemstone hall (aka the peacock) last night! Habib and his staff went above and beyond to make sure that every detail went off without a hitch! We met months before to plan the event and decided for the all inclusive package and we're glad we did. You can't go wrong here... 5 stars!!! And the birria is bomb!!

If you are looking for a great venue for a wedding or any major event, I highly recommend Gemstone…read moreHall. It's a beautiful, unique space that is essentially a "blank canvas" for you to create an event with no preferred vendors. We had our wedding at this venue. Our guests had a wonderful time and everything turned out perfectly. FEATURES WE LOVE ABOUT GEMSTONE HALL: - Blank canvas to create a unique look & feel for our multicultural wedding - No preferred vendors - Ability to stock our own bar - Ability to bring in a food truck & other catering - Visually stunning to take photos - Responsive and helpful site managers - Easy load-in and load out - Straight forward pricing - Ability to hold up to 500 guests easily We were able to drop off our event items the day before, which really helped us logistically. Anything we didn't drop off ourselves were delivered by our vendors. Everyone we worked with were incredibly responsive and easy to work with. To top it off, the staff are a very helpful who seem to take pride in their work, which is a really nice energy to be around. Habib and Nathan make a remarkable team and give each event that special touch that makes all the difference. Thank you Gemstone Hall for your quick replies and endless patience with us over the last few months. Especially last minute changes (on the day of the wedding changes) our wedding venue turned out better than we ever imagined!