Spartan Manor

I’ve been familiar with the Spartan Manor forever. I grew up with the family that ran it in my youth. Today, I was there to attend my Mom’s annual investment group Christmas party. The location was clean, except that there was the smell of wet dog. The décor was what you’d expect for a wedding venue, large crystal chandeliers, 1980’s carpeting, round tables and white cloths, and a small parquet dance floor.
The service was good, coffee and tea were constantly refilled. The food looked institutional, but tasted excellent: A ‘Greek’ salad, Lemon chicken, baked potato and carrots, dessert was white cake. Simple fare, but when your clients for the day were mostly over 70, bland is pretty much the way to go.

I have been attending events at the Spartan Manor for many years now… everything from company Christmas parties, bar mitzvahs, confirmations and job fairs to Wedding Day extravaganzas.
Color me unimpressed.
The food is usually very bland. The décor is very «Italian Great Grandmother» circa 1976. I almost expected plastic slipcovers on all the furniture. There are very tacky photos of brides gone by littering the lobby, a lot of faux marble statues all around the perimeter, a big baby grand piano in the lobby you are forbidden to play and a lot of fake plants. There’s a lot of reds, golds and ivory in the décor… which I suppose is swell if you want your wedding in a pizzeria but not necessarily in a wedding hall.
There is a cute outdoor area if you are interested in hosting your wedding reception outside. But again, a lot of reds, golds and strangely, cobbled brick work… which is insane to me. As you know, most people (women) attending events like this are generally in heels. Whoever decided it was a smart thing to do cobbled brick work out in the courtyard was probably a) not really thinking it through or b) a man who has never wore a pair of heels a day in his life.
And again, those corny faux marble cherub statues holding big oversized vases of G*d only knows what. Borders on cheap and tacky. But it is a nice little gazebo if you choose to get married outside. The area is not tented for your guests though… so rain or brutal sun is always a Florida option for your attendees. Plus, the outdoor area is VERY small, so if you are having more than about 50 guests attending your reception, it will end up standing room only.
For me, the biggest plus is the ENORMOUS 12 foot concrete wall that surrounds the banquet hall, so that you can’t really see that you are still in New Port Richey and keeps the riff raff from floating into your party. However, there is VERY limited parking and you will find yourself having to park across the street in a grocery store parking lot right in the middle of Massachussetts Avenue, which is not exactly the sexiest area in the world.
The prices are pretty out there. A 3 hour cocktail only reception, which is their cheapest wedding package and includes:
Champagne Toast
Tiered Wedding Cake
7 Hors D’oeuvre Items
Unlimited Open Bar for 3 Hours
is still $ 41 a person which is pretty lofty for hors d’oeuvres only.
Quick aside? Did any one every look at the word «hors d’oeuvres» and think it looked like «Horse Divorce»? I remember thinking that when I was a little kid… that our local deli was where horses came to end their marriages. Anyone? Someone? No one? Just me?
Alrighty, then. Moving right along…
They have a wedding coordinator there who does not charge you for their services so that’s a plus. However, there are not a lot of extras for the money, but they will take care of setting you up with everything you need (at a fee) such as DJ’s, bands, clergy, MC’s, etc.
While I don’t know that I would necessarily have my wedding there, it is a decent place to host a cocktail party or business event. They can accommodate up to 600 people, which is a plus if you happen to know every single person in New Port Richey.
Overall, not the worst banquet hall in town… especially since its the ONLY banquet hall in town. Best choice when left with no choice, I suppose.