The Oakland Rotunda

This is a beautiful building, and we were looking to have our wedding here. It has a very different feel than your usual hotel or golf course banquet hall. However, the available dates did not ultimately work out for us. Midge, who runs the show there, was very helpful in our evaluating the venue, and was very knowledgeable. I’d certainly recommend that other people see the venue for themselves.

I recently volunteered at a Girls Inc fundraiser here. It’s a beautiful building and a great venue for a special event. The mail room was converted into a coat check where I worked for the evening. The house manager was warm and welcoming and made sure we had everything for the event. Volunteers were treated to a great meal in the green room downstairs. We also got a firsthand glimpse into the massive kitchen area where chefs and wait staff were preparing meals. I felt like I was on an episode of Top Chef. One of my favorite educational non-​profits recently moved into the building so I’m sure I will be visiting again.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! That’s the one word that comes to mind when I think about The Rotunda! The venue is right downtown in Oakland near Broadway. Parking is free across the street in a guarded Parking Structure, steps from the venue. I used to walk past it every day on the way to work when I used BART. Little did I know what the an amazing venue it was.
The reception was open bar so we first waited outside the main room, on the 2^nd floor. There was ample space for people to walk around and mingle. Once we began our descent (from the 2^nd floor), there’s somewhat of a balcony-​thing that overlooks the entire room. So when we walked down the stairs, everyone can see you from down below looking on in wonder and amazement. My wife began to cry!
I came here for a holiday party and a wedding before. It’s so grand once you step inside the main hall. The high ceilings, staircase and pillars are incredibly elegant. With the proper lighting, this venue can be amazing. It’s like a blank canvas in which you can build it for each event you hold there. Place is VEERRRRY CLEAN! Bathrooms are awesome and well-​kept.
We worked with Midge Waterhouse as our coordinator. She was very straight forward with everything and was attentive at all times throughout the night. I was very impressed with everything that went on for our wedding last August! Thanks Again!

We booked our wedding at this venue. It was amazing. Our guests loved it. The event person was super helpful and easy to deal with. They definitely go the extra mile. We were working with Midge and Andrea and that made our life so easy. They were efficient, responsive and fun to work with… super budget conscious! The building was a definite WOW for our guests. So glad we chose them!

This is indeed a very beautiful venue. My wife and I booked it last year but ended up cancelling due to the horrible customer service of the event coordinator Midge. Midge has a company MW Events that we will be reviewing as well.
We ended up pulling the plug about 2 months after we signed the contract. We were within our contract rights to pull out and receive our deposit back. We did receive it back, however Midge took about 2 months to give it to us. We persistently asked her twice a week when we would receive it, and we must have heard ever excuse in the book. «I was in Disneyland,» «I told my accountant to send it,» «It was stolen in Richmond,» «Family Issues,» and the list went on. Writing this review makes me angry. She had an appointment with our caterer that drove from Pacifica and Midge stood her up. Her excuse was that she left her phone at home. A business woman really shouldn’t have all these excuses.
She is extremely difficult to communicate with. We asked for her assistant’s contact info and she wouldn’t give it to us. It’s too bad that Midge and MW Events has a monopoly on this venue because it could be such a beautiful place for people to celebrate their weddings.
***Warning, stay clear of Midge and MW Events. People and customers deserve good service and that is something you won’t get.

I booked this venue for my wedding last summer. It was the best and worst thing that happened to my wedding. It is a GORGEOUS venue. It’s one of the few large venues that allows outside catering. The grand staircase is beautiful and it is such an impressive venue.
However, this was the most difficult vendor I had to deal with. Even my other vendors were shocked at how restrictive the hall was in terms of working in the space. Their excuse was that it is a historic building so we must use their lighting people, their rental people, etc. The caterer had to even drag all their own trash back because she said the building didn’t have dumpsters. The coordinator Midge was not willing to compromise and was not very helpful. The day we met to go to the rental company she was so busy talking about her grandkid and it dragged out our appointment. Later I got the bill for the rentals and she marked up so many unnecessary rentals. It’s my party, but she held her experience over me and said we needed to rent about $ 2,000−3,000 in extras for some reason that didn ‘t make any sense. I wanted to save on costs and bring in some of my own things to cut down on renting an extra 300 glasses but they said we couldn’t even do that!
This venue is just too restrictive and marked up costs too much. If I had been able to use vendors that I chose I could have saved thousands on my wedding. Midge was NO help during the party or set up and is only responsive to phne calles 60−70% of the time. In addition, she would tell me one thing when we would talk and then months later tell me something else. TERRIBLE!!! ugh… my wedding was so long ago but writing this is making me upset all over again.
I LOVE my pictures from the event, but hated working with them. My caterers couldn’t believe it either. If I had to do it again, I’m not sure I would have picked this venue although it was amazing in terms of looks and what my guests probably experienced, it was horrible for me!

Although this building is beautiful, it is not welcoming of the public, especially if you are young and –of color. Today, I took students to enjoy reading Café Teatro (which is great and super nice). After, my students (5) and I decided to get a view from the 4^th floor. We were not aware that this is a «private» building. The people there were rude and management called security on us. I would have been less offended if I was told once to leave and not consistently reminded by the security guard, who then yelled at my students on the ground floor to leave. Irritated I told him that I could tell my kids nicely and that he didn’t have to yell at them. I couldn’t resist expressing how oppressive it felt to be kicked out of this place, especially by another man of color. Great way to play the pawn, buddy.
This is a great place to go see if you have the privilegde of having a skin color and age that doesn’t make you a target. Either that or you pay off the the owner of the «Fox Theater» (owner of the Rotunda). Too bad low-​income students of color can’t enjoy this beautiful building… we are too busy trying to scrap up money to buy our own textbooks and stay away from prison.

I have been here twice for job events, and it has been a great experience each time. The interior is beautiful. AV works well. Catering can be setup nicely. Parking is convenient across the alley.

Nice place to make calls during a presidential elections

Its a gem in the middle of Oakland. I am surprised they don’t do wedding every weekend. Oakland Rotunda resembles San Francisco City Hall in a way. Its absolutely amazing place to get married. I’d recommend it in a heartbeat. Especially for the reception.
As a photographer I like a high vantage point. Shooting from the forth floor pointing camera down is a recipe for beautiful image. I am not sure what they charge but everyone should at least explore the opportunity.

My fiancé and I knew the Rotunda was the perfect place for our March wedding the moment we stepped foot inside. The building’s multi-​level architecture, grand staircase, and domed ceiling were definite wow factors, but the venue also had all the elements on our wish list… enough space for 270+ guests, more unique than a hotel ballroom, in the East Bay, easy parking, and only 20 minutes from our ceremony location.
If you are interested in the Rotunda, my advice would be to inquire early. We secured our date over a year in advance in addition to hiring the services of Midge Walterhouse, the Event Coordinator for the building. Getting Midge as our planner was one of the best decisions we could have made for the wedding. She connected us with trusted vendors, coordinated appointments, handled payments, kept a close eye on our budget, and the day of the wedding took care of all the endless details at the church and reception! Midge is very sweet, listens to what you want, will do the research and negotiating, and make sure everything is what you envisioned.
The Rotunda Building is definitely a best kept secret of the East Bay. I would highly recommend it to any couple for their wedding and/​or reception. It is unique, dramatic, and can stand on its own without tons of extra frills. In summary, we could not have asked for a more perfect place to celebrate our most important day together.

AMAZING!!! I have gone to many events at this location over the years. I am impressed by it all! They really know what they are doing! Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!

The Rotunda does deliver… a dramatic scenery with quintessential architecture! Went to a work event here last week, and enjoyed the lighting, and the soft marble enclaves. It was a great facility and very easy to access. I can’t believe that it has taken this long living in the East Bay to experience such a great work of art!

«the Rotunda’s dramatic shaping proves a challenge for acoustics»
As a sound technician who has worked with Latin bands, DJs and the occasional business meeting/​speaker I consider that a gross understatement!
If is VERY hard to produce understandable speech or lyrics on the main floor and if they want to «understand the words» on the upper levels, «fugeddaboutit»
Beautiful space visually though and the house staff IS easy to deal
with.
I’m upgrading this to four stars because of the staff, they are thoughtful, professional and considerate of all elements involved in a successful event.

Absolutely stunning refurbishment of an historical building.
March right in and look around, it’s got businesses but anyone can enter and take photos. There’s a security desk on the ground floor if you have any questions, and if you need to use the bathroom (okay, yes, I do, of course I do!), ask him for the security code. It may change daily or weekly for all I know.
Security gives you the code and you go over and punch it in. Very nice bathroom, clean and well-​lit.
The thing that got me were the staircase banisters: take a look at them when you visit. They’re just beautifully sculpted patterns, and look well-​cared for.
There are a few places to eat and a coffee shop.
I fear for this building’s condition: stay clean, stay beautiful, and stay the work of art you are, Rotunda. You’re part of what makes downtown Oakland so special.

The Rotunda building is magnificent. From the outside it does not look so special but once you are inside you can feel it.
Tonight I went to a charity auction event at the Rotunda for my daughter’s school. They did a fantastic job getting everything just right for the event. I think everyone was very pleased.
The entire evening was a success and it was easy to get home.
I would recommend this venue for a special event or charity auction. It is a crowd pleaser.

The single most beautiful, arichitecturally brilliant event space in Oakland. Home to dozens of Oakland’s smartest, politically connected and financially savvy firms, the owner’s marketing acumen and philanthropic nature opens to non profits, political companies, mayors needing to be married and high end Oakland Hills girls looking for an MTV inspires Sweet Sixteen.
While the Rotunda’s dramatic shaping proves a challenge for acoustics, the venue’s impeccable environment and the quality on site staff make up for it.
An extra star to Midge Walterhouse, who with this part time job that seems like a 3 person gig, manages this place as smooth as silk.