This venue is beautiful, but it wasted my time! I initially contacted them to book my 5-year-old's birthday party on Saturday, the 26th. When I spoke with Manny, he explained there were only two available time slots on Saturdays: 9 AM-3 PM and 5 PM-2 AM. Since it's a kids' party, I asked if we could start at 2 PM. Manny assured me it wouldn't be an issue, as no one had booked that date, and I was planning to reserve the full 8-hour slot. Great!
Another concern I had was whether I could bring in a bounce house, something they typically don't allow. Manny promised to check with his insurance and later confirmed it was approved. So far, so good. However, scheduling a tour of the venue became a challenge because I'm a full-time working single mom, and none of their proposed times fit my schedule. Eventually, Manny worked something out, and I was able to see the space.
During the tour, I found out--for the first time--that if I had alcohol on the premises, there would be additional costs: either I would need to pay $600 for their security or bartender, hire my own, or risk having my guests turned away. This was never mentioned before, and I was shocked! Even if alcohol was in a guest's cup, they required the extra fee because they don't have the proper license. Despite this surprise expense, I was still willing to move forward and book the venue.
Then, I received a text from Manny saying they couldn't rent me the venue on Saturday after all, and I'd need to book a Sunday instead. I immediately texted him back, explaining that Sunday wouldn't work for me and reminding him of his earlier promise to accommodate the 26th. I tried calling him multiple times, but every call went straight to voicemail, and he only responded via text. I asked if he could call to discuss things directly, but he refused, saying it was better to keep everything in writing.
I found this incredibly unprofessional and told him that. Manny then informed me that they wouldn't rent to me anymore because he felt I couldn't be satisfied! Overall, this venue is nice but overpriced for such a small space, and the management's lack of professionalism and poor customer service ruined the experience. I'm so disappointed and now scrambling to find another venue because of their inability to follow through on their commitments.
UPDATES!!!!!
When you realized I was Black, you denied me service! Go ahead and share the text messages. As I mentioned before, I prefer a phone conversation because text messages can often lead to misunderstandings. Yes, you agreed to honor the time, but then you followed up with a summary that listed the wrong date! So please, post the messages.
I appreciate you looking into the availability of the bounce house, but I wasn't aware of the alcohol policy. No, I didn't think I needed to ask or pay extra just because I had wine in my personal cup. Still, I was planning to book regardless. It would have been better if this had been discussed instead of you jumping to conclusions! Your behavior has been highly unprofessional. I reached out for clarification, but instead of responding, you sent me directly to voicemail and ignored my efforts to establish clear communication!
Frankly, I'm thankful you declined my business, as I have no intention of supporting a racist business like yours. And yes, as I mentioned earlier, I will be spreading the word! read more
