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About
On WeddingWire since 2015
The Walper Hotel is a hotel and wedding venue located in Kitchener, Ontario. Since its inception in 1893, the hotel has been a staple of the downtown cityscape. This historic venue specializes in hosting luxurious weddings that balance style, elegance, and sophistication with the modern comforts of a contemporary full-service hotel.
The building is home to many stories that make it an exciting place to exchange vows. For example, Louis Armstrong played his trumpet off the Oak Lobby balcony and Al Capone used to run spirits from the hotel to Prohibition America. One of the terraces is named after Eleanor Roosevelt because she took her tea there and Lennox Lewis’s first boxing match took place in the ballroom. Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, James Brown, Lady Gaga, Sarah McLaughlin, and several Canadian Prime Ministers are just some of the notable figures who have frequented the hotel. To say it’s one of the most sought-after locations for an individual to host their dream wedding is an understatement!
Facilities & Capacity
From larger celebrations of up to 190 guests to smaller, more intimate gatherings, The Walper Hotel is an ideal venue for customized occasions. It offers 6,000 square feet suited to weddings. You can choose from one of their many enchanting ceremony locations, such as the grand and spacious Crystal Ballroom. It offers hardwood floors, Victorian architectural features, and sparkling crystal chandeliers. The Oak Room is rich in character thanks to dark wood panelling and oodles of charm. There is also the bright and airy Oak Lobby, with its crown moldings and antique gold chandeliers that create a sense of romance. The hotel also features:
- Two interior courtyards
- The restaurant, TWH Social
- The Lokal, a cocktail lounge
- Gym
Services Offered
The Walper Hotel’s complete wedding packages offer many services, including setup to your specifications - they create so you can celebrate! On the special day, dressing rooms are provided for your convenience. The hotel’s on-site catering services, led by a dedicated and seasoned culinary team, offer a number of customizable options for your wedding menu. Meals can be served as plated dinners, food stations, and more, and dessert options are available. Additional services include:
- Complimentary wireless internet
- Pet-friendly accommodation
Frequently asked questions
How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?
8
Describe your venue:
Ballroom
Banquet hall
Historic
Hotel
Inn/B&B
Restaurant
Describe the style of your venue:
City
Classic
Eclectic
Glamorous
Modern
Vintage
What kind of settings are available?
Indoor
Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?
Ceremony
Reception
Bridal shower
Engagement party
Rehearsal dinner
What event services do you offer?
Accommodations
Bridal suite
Catering / bar
Clean up
Event rentals
Outside vendors
Set up
What catering services do you offer?
Buffet
Cocktail reception
Dessert
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings
What bar services do you provide?
Bartender(s)
Cash bar
Champagne toast
House beer
House wine
House liquor
Limited bar
Liquor license
Open bar
Premium liquor
Signature drink
Specialty beer
Specialty wine
What event items are available?
Altar/arches
Audio equipment
Centerpieces
Decor
Drapery
Furniture
Chairs
Tables
What food and beverage items are available?
Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
What transportation and access is available?
Parking
Wheelchair access
Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?
Yes
What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?
$1,000
What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?
$1,000
Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?
Yes
What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?
$1,000
What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?
$1,000
Which of the following are included in starting site fee?
Set up
Clean up
Chairs
Tables
Linens
China
Flatware
Glassware
What is the average catering price per person for plated service?
$115
What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?
$70
What is the average catering price per person for stations?
$50
What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeurves?
$10
Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?
Server(s)
Dessert
What is the starting price per person for bar service?
$25
Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?
Limited bar
Open bar
House beer
House wine
House liquor
Bartenders
Any other questions?
Reviews for Walper Hotel
Carly Sent on 02/04/2024
5 out of 5 rating
We couldn't have chosen a better venue.
If you're looking to show up, relax, get married, and enjoy your weekend, we could not have been happier with our decision to choose The Walper Hotel. It was the first and only venue we toured, and the experience was absolutely wonderful from start to finish.
We did everything in the hotel, from the rehearsal to our breakfast the morning after, and right from the time we walked into the lobby with all of our wedding stuff, we were treated like royalty. ALL of the staff were helpful and kind, they were sweet enough to upgrade our suite for the wedding, the getting ready rooms were set up the day before with steamers and water and hangers, and everything else we'd need, and that attention to detail continued through the weekend.
Caely, our event coordinator was the SWEETEST, leaving notes and gifts (including a little hangover kit!) in our room, the catering managers were amazing and ON TOP of everything on wedding day, our food and drinks were incredible, and we came down the morning after the wedding to find that all of our stuff had been corralled into one of the rooms for us to easily pack up.
They made our day flow SO smoothly, and we felt like guests, rather than hosts. If you're considering it, absolutely set up a tour.
We did everything in the hotel, from the rehearsal to our breakfast the morning after, and right from the time we walked into the lobby with all of our wedding stuff, we were treated like royalty. ALL of the staff were helpful and kind, they were sweet enough to upgrade our suite for the wedding, the getting ready rooms were set up the day before with steamers and water and hangers, and everything else we'd need, and that attention to detail continued through the weekend.
Caely, our event coordinator was the SWEETEST, leaving notes and gifts (including a little hangover kit!) in our room, the catering managers were amazing and ON TOP of everything on wedding day, our food and drinks were incredible, and we came down the morning after the wedding to find that all of our stuff had been corralled into one of the rooms for us to easily pack up.
They made our day flow SO smoothly, and we felt like guests, rather than hosts. If you're considering it, absolutely set up a tour.
Emma Sent on 16/01/2025
5 out of 5 rating
5 stars!!! What an incredible team and venue!!
I can't express how happy we are with our choice to go with the Walper for our wedding in November. The hotel and wedding team at the Walper were beyond amazing. From the moment we had our first meeting, I found they were flexible in accommodating what we needed for the day and worked so well with our different vendors. Caely, our coordinator, was a pleasure to work with, she was so so helpful through different stages of the planning and for any last minute needs or details on the day. Our guests said the food/drink and hotel were all fantastic. Aside from the planning and service, the hotel is so pretty and has a very unique vibe (the lokal bar area was a huge hit for our guests). The photos turned out great in different areas in and around the hotel! If you need a sign to book with them, here it is!
Kiara Sent on 23/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating
5 Star Wedding Venue, Staff and Food!
I cannot emphasize enough how extraordinary this hotel and the staff are as a wedding venue. Let’s start with the venue coordinator, Caely. She went above and beyond with communication, ensuring that every detail the hotel could control, was to our liking. She’s extremely organized, accommodating and super bubbly, making her such a pleasure to work with the past 9 months. From the front desk staff (shout out to Jared who was so helpful in our check out / taking our decor out the next day) to the cleaning staff, to the wait staff and bartender who worked our wedding (unfortunately we can’t remember the bartender’s name but he worked the Noel-Mackay wedding on 09/20/2024) - everyone was so, so sweet, helpful, professional and kind. It is the EXACT service and hospitality I would expect from an establishment when you’re paying thousands of dollars for your big day - though they exceeded my expectations. The building itself is STUNNING, offering numerous rooms/spaces for photo opps, and you don’t have to do too much with decorations because the event spaces are already beautifully decorated. This was a big money saver. Lastly, the FOOD - oh my god, the food. We had so many guests come up to us, including our photographer, to tell us that that was some of the best wedding food they have ever tasted. Shout out to the chef and his braised beef short rib dish! That was the fan favourite. Thank you x a million to Caely and the Walper staff for ensuring our day went as beautifully and seamlessly as it did.
Josh Sent on 29/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating
The Most Amazing Venue
We recently had our wedding at The Walper Hotel and we cannot recommend this venue enough.
First, our wedding coordinator Caely was absolutely AMAZING. From day one Caely’s attention to detail, experience and responsiveness made her an absolute pleasure to work with. Caely helped to provide feedback and advice on many aspects of our wedding day from layouts, to flow and timelines. Come to our wedding day and Caely did a phenomenal job at coordinating all of our vendors, helping to set up and ensuring that my wife and I were able to relax and focus on our big day. We could not imagine our wedding day without Caely and we are so thankful for her and all of her work.
Not only did we have a great experience planning our wedding with The Walper but we had the most amazing wedding day. The spaces and decor in the hotel are so beautiful and all of our guests kept commenting on how beautiful the wedding spaces were. The food was also amazing - the beef short rib was especially delicious and many of our guests have commented on how much they loved the food throughout the night (whether that be hors d’oeuvres, dinner or late night snack).
Finally, all of the staff were absolutely amazing all weekend. From the front desk staff to bartenders and servers all staff went above and beyond and were amazing to deal with.
We are so happy that we chose to have our special day at The Walper and we would not change one thing about our day.
Thank you to everyone at the Walper that made our day so enjoyable!
First, our wedding coordinator Caely was absolutely AMAZING. From day one Caely’s attention to detail, experience and responsiveness made her an absolute pleasure to work with. Caely helped to provide feedback and advice on many aspects of our wedding day from layouts, to flow and timelines. Come to our wedding day and Caely did a phenomenal job at coordinating all of our vendors, helping to set up and ensuring that my wife and I were able to relax and focus on our big day. We could not imagine our wedding day without Caely and we are so thankful for her and all of her work.
Not only did we have a great experience planning our wedding with The Walper but we had the most amazing wedding day. The spaces and decor in the hotel are so beautiful and all of our guests kept commenting on how beautiful the wedding spaces were. The food was also amazing - the beef short rib was especially delicious and many of our guests have commented on how much they loved the food throughout the night (whether that be hors d’oeuvres, dinner or late night snack).
Finally, all of the staff were absolutely amazing all weekend. From the front desk staff to bartenders and servers all staff went above and beyond and were amazing to deal with.
We are so happy that we chose to have our special day at The Walper and we would not change one thing about our day.
Thank you to everyone at the Walper that made our day so enjoyable!
Kai Sent on 19/03/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Historic Venue, Rich Atmosphere, Stellar Staff. Amazing Value. A treasure in downtown Kitchener!
We had been looking at venues all over the area for our smaller wedding. At the end of the day, we were looking for a space.. a vibe. And wow, does this place have it. they have a number of venues within the hotel for smaller and larger weddings- each with their own individual character. All of them warm and inviting. We were in the Oak Lobby and the Oak Room, and it was absolutely fab. Caely and her team were phenomenal! She helped us design the day that was not only within our budget, but was so much more than we imagined it could be. These people care about what they do, and we felt they cared about... us. She walked us through every detail. Melissa, the restaurant manager coordinated a sampling of the wedding food choices, and Sarah made sure we felt special. Karolina the mixologist even designed a special drink for our toast! We even got a chance to meet Laura, the General Manager of the hotel, and were truly treated like royalty. Thank you Sahil and the rest of the serving staff for your care as well. Loved that we were able to stay there for the wedding night.. and it's always fun to be in an historic place where Al Capone ran liquor! Again, thank you Caely for your expertise, attention to detail, your ideas and innovation and your heart. I realize that this review is full of superlatives, and is rather a love fest, but I'm not exaggerating... this was truly an absolutely beautiful, and wonderful experience.
Richard Sent on 13/02/2024
4.8 out of 5 rating
10/10 Wedding Experience at the Walper
We loved our wedding here and could not have hoped for a better experience. The space at the Walper is beautiful and the staff was fantastic. In particular, our wedding coordinator (Caely) and hotel staff went above and beyond for us and we felt like VIP's during our 2-night stay (night before and night of wedding). On our wedding night, we had our cocktail hour in the Lokal Bar, then opened the Oak Lounge and Oak Room for dinner, speeches, and mingling. We did our first dance in the Oak Room. We did not have a plated dinner but rather had food served in the Barrister's Lounge connected to the Oak Room. We wanted a "downtown" wedding that wasn't too high maintenance and this delivered that, and then some. We had 70 guests and thought the pricing was very reasonable considering the quality of the venue, service, and the food.
Katarina Sent on 22/01/2024
5 out of 5 rating
Most beautiful venue with AMAZING staff!
All our wedding guests had so many comments to share with us about our venue whether they were commenting about how amazing the hotel/venue was or raving about the food (especially the short rib)! They served lots of appetizers during cocktail hour, the staff were incredibly helpful and kind (from serving, to answering questions, to cleaning up at night). It made me feel so happy hearing all the guests say these things throughout the night.
12/10 venue coordinator. She did such an incredible job bringing our wedding vision to life! Always listening in great detail, always on the same page, always pushing to make sure we got everything we asked for.
12/10 venue coordinator. She did such an incredible job bringing our wedding vision to life! Always listening in great detail, always on the same page, always pushing to make sure we got everything we asked for.
Catherine Sent on 26/08/2023
4.8 out of 5 rating
The perfect venue for an intimate and elegant wedding
The staff at the Walper Hotel made the entire wedding planning and event seamless. The food was amazing (so much better than your typical catering food). We had loved having our ceremony in the Oak Room, then had our reception in the Oak Lobby, and the Lokal Lounge was perfect for guests to relax and chill. They were also so accommodating and provided us with everything we needed for our wedding, including some decor and coordination for our ceremony. We love how they answered all our questions. Overall, we had a magical wedding that turned out better that I could imagine.
Anna Sent on 13/01/2024
4.6 out of 5 rating
Beautiful Venue
The venue was beautiful and the food was delicious. We unfortunately went through several wedding coordinators employed by the Walper in the 18 months between signing and our wedding, which meant that information was often not passed along. Our final coordinator joined just a few weeks before our wedding, but Caely was absolutely fantastic and went above and beyond to make sure our day was perfect. We were able to customize the wedding package to meet our needs.
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Awards
Are you interested?
Walper Hotel Real Weddings
Leycee & Coleton
53 Photos · 24/Aug/2024
John & Ray
50 Photos · 21/Aug/2022
Jessica & Trevor
21 Photos · 15/Sep/2018
Meet the team
Laura Meikle
General Manager
- 36+ years of experience in hospitality and customer service
- A keen eye for unique experiences
- Always seeking out fresh ideas to bring to the table
“Let’s just say that I know a thing or two about exceeding expectations each time, every time! I take pride in ensuring your satisfaction, and will be coordinating across our team to ensure your Walper wedding is a memorable one.”
Map
20 Queen Street South N2G 1V6 Kitchener (Ontario)
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