Reviews for Rivers Edge at the Arlington Hotel
Reviews
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Featured
Katie Sent on 01/10/2025The perfect day
We just got married at River’s Edge this past weekend and it was the BEST choice we could have made for our venue. The team is so easygoing, accommodating, and fun to work with, from start to finish they made everything easy on us. Our guests couldn’t have had better things to say about the venue, the staff, the FOOD, and the overall experience at RE. We were blown away and would do it all over again if we could. Having the hotel so close is such a bonus. The amenities at the hotel should all be taken advantage of because everywhere you look, there are so many thoughtful touches. We love you guys! Thanks again for making the best day of our lives seamless, fun, and full of support! -
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![Jenna]()
Jenna Sent on 08/09/2026Beautiful venue & great value
We had our wedding at Rivers Edge at the Arlington and overall, we had a beautiful day that we couldn’t be more grateful for. The venue itself is absolutely beautiful, and we loved having the flexibility to customize the space and make it feel like our own. The pricing was also very competitive, especially with the all-inclusive package. Having things like an open bar, three-course meal, decorations, wedding cake, and a complimentary hotel night all included made planning much easier and provided great value.
We also really appreciated the flexibility when it came to meetings. The team was accommodating with both the location and format of our meetings, which made things convenient for us.
There were, however, a few areas where we feel the experience could have been better. Throughout the planning process, we felt like we were passed from one person to another quite frequently. We had one person when we booked, another for our first details meeting, someone different during the planning stages, another person for our final meeting, and then a different staff member on our actual wedding day. While everyone we interacted with was kind and helpful, having so many different points of contact sometimes made it difficult to keep everyone on the same page.
There were also a few details that were communicated differently at different stages of the planning process. For example, we had made certain decisions regarding our ceremony and décor during an earlier meeting, only to have some of those details corrected during our final meeting just days before the wedding. This was understandably stressful for us so close to the big day. We also initially understood that we had two options for our ceremony backdrop, but later learned that one of the options would not be available if our guest count exceeded a certain number. We wish this had been communicated earlier so we could have planned accordingly.
We also noticed some inconsistencies with the food between our tasting and the wedding day. While we understand that preparing food for a large wedding is very different from a tasting, some items, such as the mashed potatoes, tasted noticeably different on the wedding day than they had during our tasting.
That being said, we truly are grateful to Rivers Edge at the Arlington for being the place where we celebrated such an important day. Our wedding was beautiful, and we appreciated the value, flexibility, and many inclusions that came with our package. With a little more consistency in communication and continuity throughout the planning process, we think the experience could be even better for future couples. -
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Steve Sent on 07/08/2026Beautiful Wedding, Disappointing journey
Firstly, we want to stress that our actual wedding day was wonderful. The venue itself is beautiful, and the day-of banquet staff and hotel staff were absolutely fantastic. They were friendly, professional, and worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. We are genuinely grateful for everything they did.
Unfortunately, our experience leading up to the wedding was a very different story, and that’s where most of our concerns lie.
One of our biggest frustrations was the communication throughout the planning process. We booked our wedding nearly two years in advance and, over that time, worked with five or six different coordinators. Every time someone new took over, it felt like we had to explain our vision, previous conversations, and decisions all over again. There was very little continuity, and it often seemed like the person we were speaking with wasn’t familiar with our file. Instead of feeling like valued clients, we often felt like we were just another wedding being pushed through the system. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without constantly having to repeat yourself.
The rehearsal dinner was another disappointing experience. We paid over $250 to use the venue for our rehearsal, only to find out about an hour beforehand that no staff member would be there to help us. We had always understood that someone would guide the rehearsal. We’ve never been married before—we don’t know how to run a wedding rehearsal. We questioned what exactly we were paying for if we were expected to organize it ourselves. After expressing our concerns, someone did come to help us, and we truly appreciated that. However, this never should have been something we had to worry about an hour before the rehearsal.
The food tasting was also a major disappointment. I am a Red Seal chef and have worked as a catering chef at large venues across the country. I completely understand that banquet food will never be exactly the same as food served fresh out of the kitchen. That’s simply the nature of catering. However, the tasting felt rushed and lacked the care and attention to detail we expected. It didn’t leave us with much confidence and certainly didn’t reflect the reputation Carmen’s has built.
Another frustrating part of our experience was the downtown construction. We fully understand that Carmen’s didn’t cause the construction, and we weren’t expecting them to magically fix the situation. Our frustration was with how it was handled. We were repeatedly told that the work would be completed before our wedding date, only to have the timeline pushed back into our wedding. We weren’t even looking for compensation, but when we reached out to discuss our concerns, the response from management was incredibly disappointing. Being told, “Call me if there’s anything I can help with that I actually have control over,” came across as dismissive, rude, and completely lacking in empathy. A little understanding would have gone a long way.
There were also details that we had specifically planned that were simply not followed. Our agreed-upon floor plan wasn’t set up correctly, with the podium placed on the wrong side of the room. Our wedding cake, which was supposed to be displayed at the front, ended up beside the bar instead. These may seem like small details, but they’re things we had discussed and planned in advance, and they mattered to us.
The groom’s cellar rental was also underwhelming. The room itself was nice, and the case of beer provided was appreciated. However, the sandwich platter advertised as serving ten people was nowhere close to enough food for ten adults. Considering the room cost close to $900, we expected considerably better value.
We also found the pricing structure frustrating. The mandatory 18% facility fee significantly increases the cost, and we would much rather see the true price advertised upfront than have such a large additional charge added before taxes.
Looking back, the overall planning experience often felt like fast food for weddings. Carmen’s offers a beautiful venue at a competitive price, but it often felt like the focus was on moving weddings through as efficiently as possible rather than providing a personalized experience. The lack of consistent communication and personal attention made us feel like we were simply another booking instead of a couple planning one of the biggest days of our lives.
Despite all of this, we want to end where we began. Our wedding day itself was beautiful, and that was largely because of the incredible banquet staff and hotel team who took care of us that day. They deserve every bit of praise.
We hope this feedback is taken constructively. There is so much potential here, but improving communication, consistency, and customer service during the planning process would make a world of difference for future couples. -
![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 16/03/2026Winter Wedding Dream
Could not ask for a better venue and team - The River's Edge and Arlington Team were simply the best. Start to finish they were kind, helpful, easy going, supportive, and more. They were extremely organized and made the process so simple and easy - I was shocked. As someone who loves to be organized, I was floored at just how much of a well-oiled machine they have made with their processes. The venue was incredibly beautiful, and the staff were beyond supportive. This place truly has it all and made our special day even better by making it easy to plan and execute. Sabrina, Ashley, Cailey, Rosanna, and everyone part of the team from planning to day-of: words can't thank you all enough! Our day was beyond perfect and we have you all the thank! -
Jaclyn Sent on 21/10/2025
Oct 17 wedding
Myself and my husband got married here last weekend and it was nothing but amazing! The venue is absolutely gorgeous and the cocktail space is perfect for the amount of people we had. We had the maximum number of guests which I believe was 155. We had our ceremony against the beautiful windows that oversee the Grand River and it was very picturesque. The only complaint I had were about service here and there. The food was tasty and all the guests loved the meal! They did not have any dressing on a lot of the salads that were served, but promptly brought dressing to the salad that were missing it. I would recommend that when they have a large group of 155 people they should require two bartenders even though the one that we had was absolutely amazing and she was able to keep up with a very high demand crowd! The staff from start to finish were so helpful kind and flexible. I highly recommend getting married here! It was the best weekend of our lives. -
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Shady Sent on 21/10/2025truelly spectacular
got married this past sunday and it was an absoulte dream!! the venue was beautiful the staff were amaing and the seemless planning between the decor options and the cake provided really didi make the wedding planning much more seemless. thank you so much -
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![Ashley]()
Ashley Sent on 19/08/2025A Happy Bride & Groom
I got married this past Saturday and I couldn't have asked for a better day. To start off, we went through approx. five different contacts due to maternity leaves/staff leaving, and each contact was helpful and efficient. Ashley, our coordinator was amazing. She received so many emails from me and she always answered them promptly and the answers were always helpful. Our MD for the day, Kelsey was great. She kept reassuring me and telling me how calm I was, even when I felt anything but calm. She answered anything we asked her throughout the night; she was great! Sandra, our bartender was great as well. I heard from multiple people that they loved her and how nice she was.
The food was exactly what we expected and the venue was set up how I had envisioned it. I couldn't have asked for a smoother process throughout the wedding planning and it is all thanks to the staff at River's Edge & The Arlington Hotel. -
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![Dakota]()
Dakota Sent on 07/04/2025Beautiful Venue
I have to say I was so happy with how the day turned out!
From the beginning the staff were so helpful and friendly!
We had a few meetings along the way and once the big day came, our vision came to life!
I couldn’t have been more thrilledRivers Edge at the Arlington Hotel's reply:
Dakota & Lucas,
Thank you so much for entrusting us with your big day! All of your personal touches were perfect in the space, and you both looked stunning!
Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and we hope to see you back at the hotel soon!
- River's Edge & Arlington Hotel Events Team! -
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