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

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!

Great for repass or somber occasion. But do not celebrate here. Out of touch staff who are not at…read moreall welcoming. Throughout the event staff was grumpy and rude with short and hostile answers to basic guest inquiries. Told to keep quiet because of the neighbors before 10 on a weekend. Maybe a great place to mourn but not for joy.

Nice size venue to come and have an event..looks like an ol house as well in the insideread more

A very generous neighbor of mine invited my husband and me to the Alameda Elks Lodge Annual Crab…read moreFeed, which was held yesterday evening. I'm giving the lodge a four star for my dining experience and an enjoyable evening. My husband has been here more than a few times to play games of pool with our friendly neighbor and one of his friends. I have been here before for another event almost three years ago. The interior is beautiful, but the walls are thin. One can actually hear people talking in the next room. Our meeting place was the Mahogany Room for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. I did not want to stuff myself with the appetizers and not have enough room in my stomach for the main entree - crab. Nor did I want any libation before the meal. After the cocktail hour, we were escorted to the Rathskeller (basement of the lodge) where the dinner was held. The gentlemen on the waitstaff were lined up in an orderly manner, serving us whatever we desired - be it the bowtie/penne pasta, dinner rolls/garlic bread, coffee, dessert. Presentation of the crab, the wines (red and white), Caesar salad and the antipasti plates was excellent...casual, yet classy. Dessert was a serving of raspberry sorbet. The only minor drawback was the bowtie/penne pasta served on the same plate as the salad plate. Even though I did not win any of the door prizes after making a donation of $20 for 20 raffle tickets, they had some nice ones, such as the $100 gift card from Scott's Seafood, $100 gift card for Yoshi's dinner and show, $50 gift cards from La Penca Azul, C'era Una Volta, 1400 Bar and Grill, Jim's Coffee Shop, Pier 29. From what I heard, the lodge raised about $1,500 in raffle ticket sales. I also have to give kudos to the waitstaff, many of whom were very tolerable and patient with this woman who sat at the next table behind my husband. She was in the wine (whine) mode. "I want penne pasta. I don't want this dinner roll with butter. I want some garlic bread. Don't you guys have any garlic bread?" On and on she went...egads...she had a sense of entitlement. Yes, there were two bottles of wine at each table, but her incessant whining almost had me do a "face palm" on her. Ooh, I wanted to offer her a piece of cheese, which would have complemented a glass of wine very well. (Now, quit your whining, lady...lol.)

We went to 'our' lodge for their annual Veteran's Day Dinner. Hubby surprised me with tickets for…read morethe event. I am a USAF Veteran and the spouse of the 'member' of this lodge. Evidently, this lodge does not recognize or honor your service to this country if you not 'the member' at this event. Seriously, that is what I was told, how disrespectful is that? Shame on you Alameda Elks Lodge! We will not be attending any future events at this lodge and will not be renewing membership. If you do decided to join this lodge just know spouses are not members and are treated very differently than 'the member.'

Beautiful place to have an event, party, or celebration. Went there for my Aunt's 75th birthday..read more

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.

Went here for a graduation party and the venue was great! The graduation party had about 70 people…read more(with circle tables) and there were tons of room to move around and enough space on the dance floor too! We even had a 360 camera and there was still a lot of room. The sound system for the music was great, and there was a stage if you want to have a performance, or speakers, or even have a photo prop up there. The restrooms were clean and there are 3 stalls in the ladies room with a full body mirror too! There's a large parking lot for all of your guests, caterers, vendors, etc. If you want to go outside for some fresh air, there are some benches for you to sit at too. I would book this venue in the future! Safe location as well.

A group of us hosted a week-long youth event, a Live Action Role-Play Game at Orinda Masonic Center…read morein Summer 2022 and it was fantastic. The facility is lovely, the staff very helpful, the tech and sound equipment worked great for our event. The teens and facilitators all had a great time. The location, close to BART and Orinda Village, was convenient, with plenty of parking. The Masonic leaders were very generous and supportive of this endeavor that engaged local youth. Highly recommend!

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!

I must say this was one of the biggest days of my life marrying my best friend, and Pearl Banquet…read moreHall made that possible. The food is amazing and it's all integrated without having to find external caters. I also love the way the management team took care of me. A very special thank you to Raja and his wife Ruchi! They took care of us when planning and getting all of the decorations in order. I also want to thank Nick the Manager managing the event the evening of and Leyci, the kitchen manager for orchestrating such a wonderful event! It is not easy when you have 180 people, but these guys make it happen. Additionally, they are very professional and have all what you need in one without having to look for external vendors, decorators, or anything they have it all in place under one roof! Thank you so much Raja and family for taking care of me during one of the most important days of my life! God bless you guys!

We celebrated my friend's 60th birthday at The Pearl Banquet Hall, and it was absolutely amazing!…read moreThe decor was beyond our expectations it was simply stunning. The staff was so cooperative and attentive, and the food was the best we ever had at any banquet! The owners, a wonderful husband-and-wife team, went above and beyond to make sure everything went perfectly. They treated every guest with such care and made us feel so special. They were very flexible with timing, let us come early to set up, and even provided a lovely room for changing and storing things. This is truly the best place to celebrate any special occasion -- the owner pours her heart into every detail and makes it feel like it's her own event. Highly recommend