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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
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Any other questions?

Reviews for Walper Hotel

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4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
73 reviews
96% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.8 out of 5 rating
Carly
Carly L. 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.
Kiara
Kiara N. 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.
Paula
Paula E. Sent on 29/06/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Rehearsal Party - Pre wedding event and hotel stay

As parents of the groom ( who was getting married in St. Jacob's) We chose to host the rehearsal dinner at The Walper Hotel in Kitchener. It was close enough to the wedding and it has so much to offer. The biggest motivator for using The Walper was because their Wedding Planner Caely P was outstanding. She made everything easier and she was so attentive to our needs and wishes. We truly appreciated all the extra care that Carly took to assist the elderly guests who were coming to the party.
The hotel looks great and the space in the Lokal lounge was so bright and stylish. I’m sorry I didn’t take more photos to show how classy the set up was, very welcoming, and open, comfortable and modern with all the high ceilings and big windows. It was perfect for our group of 42- family members and close friends- aging from 8 yrs to 91 yrs. The staff, especially the bartender, were helpful and friendly and the food was great. We had the pasta station and BBQ station, salads and charcuterie boards, and there was more than enough food! Caely helped us choose the menu, arrange the space and she took extra time, going “over and above” to make things happen smoothly. In all, 24 family members chose to stay at The Walper for whole weekend, and we had a great post wedding breakfast on Sunday morning.
Thank you to Caely and all the food staff and hotel staff for a fantastic event and a successful weekend.
Kelly
Kelly W. Sent on 21/06/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Welcome Reception - 10/10 Experience

We hosted our Welcome Reception at The Walper a few weeks back and we were blown away by the quality of service, attention to detail, and overall delivery of the event. We worked directly with Caely to coordinate the details & she was responsive, professional, and accomodating from the get-go. Day-of, The Walper staff was absolutely wonderful to work with, the food & drinks were delicious, and the space (we rented the Lokal Lounge) was exactly what we were looking for! I highly recommend looking at The Walper for any event - large or small - you plan to host in the Kitchener/Waterloo area! Fabulous team - 10/10 experience :)
Richard
Richard K. 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
Katarina P. 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.
Catherine
Catherine C. 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.
Laura
Laura J. Sent on 26/12/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Venue For The Best Day Of My Life

This was the first Venue we toured and I was sold right away. No other Venue compared to the beauty, pricing, or the inclusiveness of the staff. While the 2 main coordinators we worked with are no longer working here, our wedding day was made extra special because of all the staff as a team. They worked hard to give us everything we wanted while trying to stay as close to our budget as possible. They were always willing to tweak things and offer us the best deals they could.
Kristine
Kristine Sent on 03/01/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Venue

We had to postpone our wedding like many others due to COVID. Andréa and Ashley were amazing to work with, and very flexible in answering all of our questions and concerns and accommodating with our requests.
Christine
Christine L. Sent on 15/02/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Kind and thorough pros!

As a local wedding officiant, I've worked with the team at the Walper Hotel numerous times. Each time we've worked together everything has gone so smoothly--the staff are attentive, organized and friendly. The space has a modern, romantic feel, is well laid out, and they have multiple rooms and spaces so you can choose one that fits your needs. I recommend working with them!
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Awards

73
WeddingWire Wedding Awards 2016 Winner

Walper Hotel Real Weddings

John & Ray
50 Photos · 21/Aug/2022
Jessica & Trevor
21 Photos · 15/Sep/2018
CANAPES
ENHANCEMENTS
APPETIZERS
MAINS + SAUCES
SIDES
DESSERT
LATE NIGHT
STANDARD BAR
PREMIUM BAR

Meet the team

Laura Meikle
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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