Windows On the River Banquet Facility

Came here for the New Year’s party. So according to the event site, the party included:
–Three Rooms of Entertainment
–Top Shelf OPEN Bar
–Hot & Cold Hors D’ouevres Buffett
–The Greater Cleveland Aquarium till 10 PM
–Passed Wine & Champagne in the Aquarium
–Photo Booths in each room
–Lounge Areas in each room
–Ballon Drop
–Party Favors
–TV’s to watch NCAA Football Playoffs
Price: $ 125 each before ¹²⁄₁₈; after ¹²⁄₁₈ was $ 150 each
The party started at 8pm and went to 1am. We arrived a little after 8 and there was a huge line winding around the building. The line moved incredibly slowly. It would’ve been great if there were heat lamps outside or something. The crowd was definitely dressed to impress (guys wearing suits and girls wearing cocktail dresses and ball gowns). The checking in process at the front seemed a bit disorganized. We checked in with one guy at a computer and then walked over to another person for a bracelet, who then asked us if we checked in with the guy at the computer. Coat check was simple enough, hand in your coats, get a ticket. So we decided to check out the aquarium first since it was right where we checked out coats. This part definitely made the venue unique and was probably my favorite part. The event page said there would be «passed wine and champagne» in the aquarium. All that was was a little table set up at the beginning of the aquarium and cups of wine and champagne for you to grab. The open bars were packed as expected. The bartenders were all very friendly and seemed to have a lot of fun dancing along with the rest of us. The biggest disappointment in all this was food. For $ 150 per person, we were expecting better food or at least more variety. The food included pizza, regular sized hamburgers (with slider buns??), fries, mac and cheese, cheese tray and antipasto and crab cake stuffed in crab shell. I think there was also macaroni salad or a baked ziti but still… I guess I was just expecting something fancier considering the venue, the way everyone was dressed and the price of the ticket. The DJs they had were okay. They were all playing the typical hits you would hear at a party, all given the club-​vibe with beats added. Overall, we had a good time and it’s a fun venue but I don’t think we’re coming back for another New Year’s party.

New Years party was horrible. They made everyone stand out in the cold for two hours after it was supposed to start. The place was over booked and you had to wait in line for 30 minutes to get a half oz of champaign. Coat check people stole my jacket. No one really seemed to care. Go elsewhere.

A beautiful wedding reception venue. Overlooks the river, and in the winter time there is an evergreen tree display throughout the place. Plenty of room for gifts and cards at the entrance. There were about 180 guests and there was space for at least 200 if needed, without feeling crowded. There were 2 bars set up. Open bar!

Loved it. Went to a luncheon there and had a marvelous time. Would had a wedding reception there for sure.

The software company that my husband works for has had their holiday party here for a few years. I hope they keep coming back. The venue is in an old industrial building with enormous windows overlooking the Cuyahoga River. It’s really cool. The staff is extremely kind and professional. They get things done extremely efficiently and look great doing it. They set up a great bar. And the food – the food is so good.
The hors d’oeuvres included smoked salmon, shrimp, all kinds of bread, cheese, olives, and pickly things. Everything was delicious and presented so beautifully.
Salad, bread, and dinner were all just fantastic. I got salmon but everything at the table was beautiful and decadent.
I have thouroughly enjoyed my experiences as a guest in this space.

Loved our unique experience here. Lovely atmosphere, up to date and airy. Wonderful views, great service. Everyone loved their food (even the vegetarian)! The wedding we were attending was one I found to be picture perfect. Loved it, everyone was happy.

GO HERE.
Really fabulous place to have a wedding reception, banquet, or other such event. I believe there are at least two places inside to go, we were on the back left (from the entrance) on the second floor, and also had control of the beautiful outdoor patio. We went down the stairs directly out of the hall we were in to the patio, where the bar and appetizers were prior to the official starting time and entrance of the wedding party.
Quite spacious. We had 250 people and there was plenty of room. Has an interesting view of the city from the flats.
Typically, banquet food is exceptionally subpar.
NOT. THE. CASE. We had SLABS of prime rib between 1.5 to 2.5 inches thick. Though they were all medium well done, they were full of flavor, tantalizingly tender, and accompanied by some vegetables and tasty twice baked potato.
Yum.

Beautiful wedding venue! I came out to Cleveland for a friend’s wedding last weekend and I don’t think she could have chosen a cooler spot. From the intimate ceremony adjacent to the reception area to the cocktail hour outside overlooking the river, everything was just awesome. Huge two-​story windows, decent enough reception food (including a KILLER caesar salad). I know, weird to highlight the salad of all things.
AND DID I MENTION that the reception area overlooked the Cleveland Aquarium’s shark tank? I don’t know about you but I like drinking wine and gazing at marine predators.
Yeah. One hell of a wedding indeed!

Just went to a wedding here! Dinner was delicious! Cool venue! People enjoyed walking along the river. Staff was very nice!

As an event planner, I can say that I have a discerning eye for a good venue. I recently attended the news emmys here. On the positive the service was very good. Bathroom facilities were spotless and the venue is nice with a cool historic touch. The food was absolutely excellent which is an important thing to note as many banquet facilities lack quality in food. The prime rib melted in my mouth and I don’t even like prime rib but this was amazing. All of the food had an incredible amount of flavor. The room set up worked but the one thing that everyone was complaining about all night long was the humidity and temperature. It was incredibly hot and way too crowded in the pre-​function space where we had our cocktail hour. Seriously, you could barely move. As we all moved into the banquet space, everyone was dripping and started to use their programs as fans. I asked the server to turn the air on, and I think he did, but it was still a bit stuffy in there. Afterwards, the aquarium area as well was super hot and very humid. I can understand the limitations of being an old building, but something like this has to be fixed. I got married in a very old building, but the temperature was fine because the owners rehabbed the system to make sure that no bride would melt in her dress. If I had my wedding there last Saturday, I would have been furious if it was that hot, although part of me wonders if the wedding area cranked the AC and stole all the cold air from us. I don’t know. Overall though, the service and food is always the most important thing and those were great.

We came here for a wedding and had a great time. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The venue itself is nice as well.

Went to an luncheon today. Everything was wonderful. The food was really good, service could not have been better and the room is lovely.

Gorgeous place for a wedding!
I used to live in Cleveland, so I remember coming here for awards ceremonies and meetings. This was my first visit at night (dusk actually) and even though it was cloudy and grey outside, the view through floor-​to-​ceiling windows at sunset really couldn’t be matched. It was magical.
The setup was sort of awkward for a wedding since the reception & dinner were in the same space, but somehow, they managed to fit it all in.
To whomever might be reading this as a representative of Windows, you really need to work on some manners with your staff. During the ceremony we heard the staff talking loudly at the back of the room, lots of slamming doors, and even a walkie-​talkie conversation on the level below our space! Rude. Rude. I definitely would’ve turned into bridezilla if that was my wedding and all of that happened.
Dinner was delicious as well. Typically big catered events, weddings included, skimp on the food. You know; overcooked chicken, bland steak, sub-​par sides. Not here. The chicken was incredible and the bf’s prime rib was perfect! I was huge fan of the grilled vegetables each dish was served with!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful place for a wedding. I’m sure it was hella expensive though.

I visited this venue as an out-​of-​towner for their annual New Year’s Eve party. The concept was pretty simple — about $ 90 for a ticket and you’ll get appetizers and open bar all night, a DJ and a party to ring in the new year.
The venue had multiple rooms hosting parties, all accessible through your ticket. Bf and I pretty much stayed in one room (what I think was the main room). It was set up nicely, with a big dance floor and lots of round tables to set up camp with friends. The decorations were lovely without being over the top and they had multiple bars set up so the lines wouldn’t get too out of control. The food looked good and seemed to be pretty popular, but we opted to get dinner before so I didn’t try any.
The open bar was pretty well stocked and I was pleased that the liquors were a bit above well, or bottom shelf, quality. They had plenty of mixers and garnishes but did start to run out of the more popular things (alcohol included) closer to the end of the night. Pretty much expected for this type of party. The DJ blew a fuse a couple of times but overall did a good job, and the electrical issues probably weren’t his fault really.
I think I’m kind of phasing out of this kind of party scene for NYE. They did a good job for their event, but I think I would have had more fun in a dark cozy bar somewhere. I thought it was a bit overpriced, but that could be because I didn’t take advantage of the food and can only drink so much before the open bar isn’t appealing anymore. Not knocking them for my preferences though, they pulled off a successful event.
Awesome that they let you access your tickets through the EventBrite phone app as well. Saved the headache of printing tickets and/​or accidentally forgetting them.

Why is it ALWAYS freezing in here?
Three times I’ve been here during three different seasons and every single time I felt like I was in the middle of the Arctic.
Moving on… I just don’t get WOTR. I think the idea of it is great but the execution is pretty crappy. This place needs a major update. The brick is worn, the carpet looks like it’s harboring dust and stains from decades ago and the bright green exposed beams look soooooo 80s. I think this place has the potential to be really nice, the owners just need to put some TLC into the property to make it more sleek and modern. On the plus side, the food isn’t too bad. A notch above most other banquet halls, imo.

We had our wedding reception here (in 2008, so a few years ago, but still…) We combed several places in the Cleveland area, but this was by far the best bet. For the region, it’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for, as they say. But keep in mind that the per-​plate cost includes an open bar, a cake at a local bakery (you get to choose between several), a multiple-​course meal, and some decorating. You supply music/​entertainment, additional décor, and if you want to add additional bar hours, appetizers, etc. We were in the «smaller» room downstairs (but with beautiful, high ceilings, that old warehouse feel, and a great view of the city over the river) and everyone loved the ambiance. We had a great time here. The one hiccup was that we didn’t realize all of our guests would be charged to park there, which wasn’t great.

Great facility. The catering is great.
I attend Rotary meetings here, and the staff is great. We have a luncheon every week, and they are consistently great.

This is an awesome place for a wedding, especially if you love Cleveland. The view is perfect with the sunset, bridge, city and water all in one. For the wedding I attended, they rented out the room on the second floor. It was the perfect size for about 200 guests, but probably could have accommodated 20 – 40 more or less and still felt comfortable. It was beautiful with exposed brick, huge windows and a few well-​selected artificial plants (not even to the point of tackiness). We had our private bathroom that was pristine all night, they laid out a very large dance floor in the center of the room, and there were two bars in opposite corners. The food was superb. Honestly. Fresh salad with a great dressing, a choice of prime rib (a huge cut of it with a yummy gravy) or chicken (grilled perfectly with this amazing sauce) that came with a side of whipped potatoes in a pastry shell and steamed veggies. Best food I’ve had at a wedding so far in life. The service was very good, especially the bartending. They only lose a star because they’re a little tricky to find for out-​of-​towners and they charge for parking in the lot.

I dread going to events scheduled at this place. It’s not just that the food typically is dried out or not warm or stale. Today the upholstery of the chairs at my table for a 200+ person awards banquet were hideously stained — nothing sends me up the wall faster or says «we don’t care» more than filthy seating. The hot water in the women’s restroom — nonexistent. In fact it was ice cold. Yes, the view of the city is nice. So what? Are there no other decent banquet facilities in the city? If there were, this place would clean up its act.

I attended a rehearsal dinner here on Friday night and I sure was impressed. The beautiful room, which had a view of the river, more than enough room for the 100+ people attending the rehearsal dinner.
My first thought was that Windows on the River was all about the atmosphere so I wasn’t expecting very good food, but boy was I wrong. The appetizers were pretty typical (fried, yet delicious), but it was the dinner that really blew me away. We had a choice of sea bass and chicken… but being the pig that I am I went with a little of both. Lately chicken doesn’t do it for me, but I may change my mind on that if all the chicken I ate was this good!
This was the typical rehearsal dinner with lots of speeches, videos, and more speeches. And this banquet facility was set up just for that… a microphone set up right in front for everyone to praise the bride and poke fun of the groom in true rehearsal dinner fashion. And a HUGE TV for video sharing as well.
Highly recommended for any party! And if you’re looking for some cheesy fun once the party is over head on downstairs to Howl at the Moon.