The Parador Houston is a hidden gem in the Museum District. It's like a blank canvas with great "bones"/backdrop to create something reflective of your personality - especially for a wedding. This is the venue my daughter and our new son-in-law chose for their wedding and it was beautiful! They worked very well with us from arranging time for the couple to practice their dance, helping find things within the venue to add some added touches and also giving us added time (at a fee but still was very nice of them given the late decision) to prepare the decor. Loved it! So glad they had it here and I know they would do it again! Any thanks to Dasha and Alberto on the big day and Kristen for being so willing to help. read more

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The school I work for had Prom at the Parador in May. I thought it was really great. The person who organized it is a good friend and I watched her good through all the preparations. She really found the people at the Parador easy to work with. They did all the food and decorations. Everything was done on time and as ordered. There are multiple rooms inside so we had a DJ in the room to the left (as you enter) and then tables and food in the main room. The interior is really antique and great for photos. The courtyard is beautiful and many of the students got there early to take advantage of the courtyard for Prom photos. There is also a small 'library room' behind the main room where some of the adults escaped the loud music. The Parador provided table centerpieces for each table. They were very pretty, large candelabras. The food was very good. Everything from chips and salsa, to real bit sized entrees, to delicious desserts. There were attendants there making sure everything was well stocked. One of the managers/planners for the Parador was there asking us if we needed anything else or if everything was to our liking. The customer service for a high school prom was great. Note: Our school is very small so our Prom only had about 150 people TOPS. I don't know what the capacity is for the Parador, but I'd guess no more than 250 or 300. It is an anomaly in its part of town. At night it was very quiet by the Parador, but it is right next to 288, so make sure you really check out the facility before you rent it. Parking was easy, there is a lot right next to the Parador for parking. if you are looking for a venue, make sure to check this place out. read more

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I remember attending my ex gf's prom back in high school circa 2003. Back then this place was gorgeous compared to my own hs prom which was housed inside of a crappy hotel. But this updated review comes from an event I had the pleasure I had of attending presented by hendricks gin. They made very good usage of the space. Setting up props in such in the already exquisite garden. They also placed a band on the stage and took away most of the tables to allow for more foot traffic. This place is a bit smaller than I remembered but still plenty big for an event such as prom or a small wedding. They have space for 1 built in bar and an area for a makeshift bar also. read more

We came for a wedding reception. The main room ran out of space for a few of us to sit together, which might have been our fault for not jumping on a table. The room was a bit echo-y for me. On the positive angle, it's a beautiful building with history and was an enjoyable space to hang out in. read more

Out of the 6-7 wedding venues my husband and I visited in the Houston area, The Parador was easily our favorite, and it was where we had our wedding last month. It used to be an old Spanish church, so it has an antique feel to it, but the owners have done a magnificent job with the upkeep. The interior is very nice and clean, and the garden in the courtyard is lush and colorful--I wanted more pictures outdoors, but it felt like my makeup was melting off in the Houston heat and humidity :P The space is rather small and intimate, so not intended for huge weddings, and as others have mentioned, the way the room curves around is a little bit awkward. The dome ceiling is gorgeous and let in lots of natural sunlight during our afternoon ceremony. The bridal room (normally the office space) is separate from the main ceremony/reception building. It was an adequate size for me to get dressed in, also with lots of great natural lighting, but not ideal for everyone to get their hair and makeup done as there aren't many mirrors. There is a small restroom in there as well. The Parador has only one contracted caterer, Behind the Bash, for all their food and alcohol, but I loooooved Behind the Bash, so no complaints there. Overall, I am so glad our wedding was here! I would love to go back! read more

I looooooved this place. It is so unique and very neat that it used to be a church. The setup for ceremony makes a lot of sense and then there is a room you can go to for cocktail hour while it gets flipped to your reception/dance floor, but I thought that setup was a bit weird. It definitely could have worked, but the dance floor kinda curves around, which is a bit weird. I loved the gardens, bride's room, tile in the groom's room and the overall feel of the place. In the end, too expensive for us, but seems like it'd make a great place for your wedding. read more

We didn't end up booking Parador as it wasn't the right fit for us but we loved how organized they were and had everything listed out. Stacey, one of the coordinators is absolutely wonderful and has done a great job in listing out all of the expenses and what is included / not included. Definitely recommend for someone who loves the Italian / cathedral like feel! read more

My husband and I had our wedding here on Oct 30th 2011. PM me if you have any questions about the venue for new brides. 4 stars for venue and service by Mysti. PROS: - ROMANTIC setting, unlike some of the hotel weddings. -Mysti is amazing to work with, she is on top of it and works her magic. She made the day of wedding completely worry free and took care of everything that I could not think of. -The venue is so romantic and all the angles are great for pictures. We love the garden area where guests can relax and good for pictures too. CONS: - This is not a hotel setting so many of the little details you have to book yourself, ie florists, bakery, decorations. Many hotels come with a list of vendors that they take care of for you. - The venue gets booked VERY easily so you can not book things that far in advance. It kinda makes planning for rehearsals for out-of town guest and other things difficult. read more

This review is for their wedding planning services only. Over the next few weeks, I'll be adding reviews as I work with various services in Houston to plan a wedding. There aren't a lot of reviews here on Yelp yet for Houston wedding services but hopefully the lists I'll be creating will be helpful for those in the same boat. The Parador is a very elegant setting for a wedding, once you're inside. There's a large parking lot, but it faces a junkyard and throughout the tour, we heard more than a single police siren driving nearby. The courtyard is lovely but can be noisy when cars drive by. The inside is nice, with a high-ceilinged dome. So, if you can put up with the city noise and the somewhat shady nighttime atmosphere, this might be a good option. There's a lot of space on the inside as well, if you'd like to contain the noise a little more. Service: seems ok... they sort of let you take over, which is good, but aren't super frinedly. Location: sort of shady. Parking is in a big open lot and there's construction and empty parking lots around. It failed the Mom test. Food: They do allow outside catering after all (hooray!) and drinks too! Overall: If not for the area outside the building, quite possibly an option. read more

I've already been to two weddings at this location. Though it accommodates a smaller group of people (when I was sitting in the ceremony, my butt was taking over a chair and a half. And no, my butt isn't really that big). But both times have been decorated beautifully, with tasteful flower centerpieces and excellent staff. I wouldn't really know if things were off-schedule (as neither of the weddings I've attended here were my own), but it seemed like things were always going smoothly and there wasn't any confusion as to what we needed to do next. From hors d'oeuvres to cocktails to dinner to cake, everything was seamless and our service was excellent. I will say that the reception area could be a little challenging. The room is a triangle-esque shape, with round tables populating the widest areas of the room and the main festivities at the top of the triangle. But if you're at the bottom corner, it's really hard to see what's going on at the front, and sometimes the acoustics make for a very echoy presentation. I would say that is probably my only complaint. Besides that, it is a very beautiful venue with great service, worthy of making once-in-a-lifetime memories that people will treasure forever. read more

3.5 stars? Parador is a juxtaposition, of sorts. Here are a few examples: Example 1: The courtyard is beautiful, stunning, gorgeous. More so in pictures than in real life, but the humidity is killer. Guess we can't have the best of both worlds? Example 2: The indoor space is unique. I haven't really seen or been in anything quite like it. It seems historical, and is very well-lit even till early to late evening. But with over 200 guests, the space feels tight. While the carpet space and dance floor feel small, there is almost too much unused space next door. Example 3: The space feels romantic, especially the courtyard, but if you don't choose the backdrop of your photograph right, you'll end up with the storage warehouse across the street rather than lush greenery. Give and take, I suppose. read more

Couldn't have had a better experience here! The staff is flexible and accommodating, the venue is well-maintained and spacious, and I loved that you have multiple options in terms of caterers to choose from. It's surprisingly reasonable in pricing, as well. A hidden gem of the museum district for sure! read more

Love love love this place. My wife were married here in 2016 and it was incredible. The staff is very nice and very accommodating. We had all we asked for and more. Planning a wedding is not easy but these guys make it so much easier. We didn't have any of the horror stories we heard from other friends/couples. The garden is simply beautiful and was an incredible backdrop for all of our pictures. I can't say enough about the architecture and design of this place. It's a gem. I heard the food was great but I wouldn't know cuz we kept taking pictures and shaking hands and hugging everyone. Im not sure you can beat that price either. To top it all off I called them before our 1 year anniversary and they let us have a picnic in the garden. Hats off to these guys. Choose this place you won't be sorry. read more

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My personal opinion from my experience. Pros:Great location Adequate space. Indoor/outdoor options. Free parking for first 80 vehicles. Security made sure our car was not tampered with. Cons:Rude management, unaccommodating, Aspects of facility not maintained Ex. A/V equipment, AC, roof, windows, cleanliness of garden. Limited window of time that your rehearsal can be scheduled. Space rental only, no services. Proprietary vendors. Pathway between bridal chamber and main building uncovered. (Pray for no rain) One site management was rude to me and my non caucasian vendors. Day of wedding on site representative was accommodating with limited resources available to her. read more

I went to a scotch tasting here. The main room is beautiful, and the furniture is very comfortable. The roof is a dome with neat styling from the inside. There is plenty of parking. It's a large enough space for a big event, but it isn't so big that it doesn't feel intimate. read more

Great place to hold a small event or party. I came here for a Dia De Los Muertos event and the Parador was easy to find with ample street parking. The inside is spacious with detailed indoor lighting and beautiful dark cherry woods. They have a huge open dance floor and several bar areas. There's an outside area for the smokers with music connections to the inside so you don't miss the party! read more

We had our wedding on 6.10.16 at the Parador. It was a beautiful Friday night and we had a blast! Working with both Sheila at the Parador and Jenene with Behind the Bash has been extremely helpful. Wedding planning is stressful and they make communicating very easy, always getting back to me within a day or even hours depending on when I would reach out. It was expensive but you definitely get what you pay for. Jenene was our coordinator and she was phenomenal. She helped ease any concerns I had throughout the whole process and helped the wedding run so smoothly. Even when things came up, she was on it and handling it! The venue itself is stunning, especially at night. We had the Mexican fajita buffet and margaritas, and everyone LOVED the food. Overall, it was just a wonderful experience. Thank you to the Parador and to Jenene with Behind the Bash for making this so positive for all of us. read more

Beautiful venue. Don't hesitate to follow up on issues because they are not as competent as they sound. And don't use their in house caterer. Food was terrible. read more

Came here from Austin to celebrate my cousins wedding last night the venue itself was absolutely gorgeous. The entire ceremony and reception was beautifully put together. However it was impossible to fully enjoy due to an overweight lady with a parador tag wore a pink stripe dress brown shoulder length hair with highlights. One thing that can build or or tarnish a reputation is based on your customer service ability. This woman was HORRID at her job. She had the worst condescending attitude. Instead of communicating things in a nice and effective manner she would roll her eyes, say things/do things in a very aggressive manner. So book your event here if you can see past the fact that your guest will be treated like dirt by this lady at this venue. I really wished I would've got her name but I didn't want to cause a scene during one of the most important days of my cousins life... So I just encouraged all the guest that had to put up with a similar attitude or witnessed her atrocious attitude to write a review and/or call as well to put in their complaints read more

My husband and I were trying to find a venue that had a church vibe but also could hold a reception. The Parador had it! We fell in love from the start when we walked in. We spoke with Stacey and she was hospitable and gave us the best tips on how to be budget friendly. Sheila was fabulous to work with as well! They have selected wonderful caterers to work with (we went with Cordua and highly recommend them! Darla was amazing to work with!) to make your wedding or event the hit of the year/lifetime! There is a beautiful garden outside to either have your ceremony or take pictures...the Parador has everything you need or look for! :) We really loved working with Sheila & Stacey too! They were both so down to Earth, taking care of business, but also building a friendship. :) Thank you both for allowing us to have our wedding at your venue! It was an honor! :) :) :) read more

The parador is a hidden jewel in Houston and under different management and owners,it would be the perfect place to have an event. Unfortunately it is ruled by a group of hard nosed, inflexible and down right nasty attorneys. Behind the Bash (their only caterer) food was good except for the appetizers which were puny in comparison to the "formal tasting" appetizers. It is a such a shame that I have to leave this review. There is no excuse for them to be so rude and because of that, I would never consider them for an event again. Disappointing after so much money is spent and put into their greedy pockets. read more

The Parador itself is a beautiful venue. Our disappointment was with the Behind the Bash, the caterer for this venue.Our wedding was end of Sept 2013. We had only the reception at the Parador. Basically, we do not feel we had all of the food served that we paid for. The appetizers were late in getting started and then we were told one appetizer did not turn out well so it could not be served. So, the whole timeline was off and the dancing was less than our daughter wanted, even though we paid for an extra hour. The quality of the food was excellent, but our side of the buffet did not have rolls or grilled vegetables. For the champagne toast we chose to have it set out rather than "passed". Found out that unless you have it passed there is not enough for everyone. Very embarrassing. Our napkins were removed before we had our cake. The lady bartender was rude when a guest asked for ginger ale. There was not decaf coffee to have with the cake. We did not know you had to specify that. We asked a million questions as we planned this but found out the hard way about the champagne, coffee, timeline and others. Bottom line... lovely venue. See if you can use the Parador but use a vendor that really is a caterer and knows about service, Behind the Bash was not satisfactory.They have offered to compensate us for the food not served. read more

I had my wedding reception at The Parador. First of all, they were incredibly easy and sweet to work with. After our initial visit, they always remembered my groom and I, and let us come by several times to show our out of town family on last minute notice. Even during these last minute visits, they would take time to answer any questions and give our guests a tour. We loved that they had a separate cocktail hour. They have large wooden doors they close in order to keep the reception space a surprise. The garden area is beautiful and they allowed us to use vintage rentals and extra lighting out there. Even if you did not want to bring in your own decor, they have tons of beautiful things that they allow you to use there. I fell in love with The Parador because its not your cookie-cutter wedding venue. It is a beautiful, unique space with beautiful gardens right in the heart of the city. We wanted everything close and within a great part of the city (museum district!) since we had a lot of town family and guests. I was afraid we would not find something with this feel in this area, but The Parador has it all! The Parador really went above and beyond in helping my parents and other vendors decorate, set-up, and clean-up. They know what they are doing and they are good at it. I never doubted if things would run smoothly, and I was right. It was a perfect night at a perfect venue! read more

The Parador could not have been a more perfect venue for our son's recent wedding. With its idyllic setting in the heart of Houston's museum district, this historic building has all the appointments of a 5-star hotel while at the same time providing an intimate atmosphere for the most romantic of events. The staff could not have been more accommodating, with no small detail left to chance. The coordination between the Parador staff and our catering team was seamless; and we were left to relax and enjoy the day. We were most impressed with the efficiency and demeanor of the entire Parador team and would highly recommend this venue to our friends and family. read more

My husband and I got married in August 2012. We had both our wedding ceremony and reception at The Parador. We couldn't have been happier. Mysti, from behind the bash, was our coordinator and she was amazing!!!! I can't say enough great things about her. The day of the wedding she made sure we had everything we needed. I've always heard people never get to eat at their own receptions. That wasn't the case with us. Immediately after the ceremony, Mysti took us into the bridal room to have a few moments alone. She also brought us our dinner back there so we could be sure and eat before we entered the reception while everyone else was enjoying cocktail hour. She made sure we always had drinks in our hands and made sure everything went on schedule. At the end of the night when my mom went to start loading gifts into her car, Mysti and her assistant had already loaded everything! Not only was the service spectacular but the food was delicious. All of our guests raved about how great the food was, especially the pecan crusted chicken. It was huge! People don't normally care too much for wedding food but we heard nothing but good things. We did a buffet and everything was hot. The best part about the venue is when it turns dark, all of the candles in there make it look absolutely beautiful. I got tons of compliments from people about how gorgeous it was inside. My only compliment was Sheila. She's not the friendliest person. However, you don't really deal with her much. You pay her for the venue itself but other than that, all planning goes through Mysti and behind the bash. I highly recommend The Parador!!!! read more