El Cortez Don Room and Terrace

Jessica was so amazing and sweet. She really took great care of me during the planning stages. The man in charge of the room that night was the kindest most helpful person as well. The venue is absolutely gorgeous and has so much history. All of my guest assumed that I paid a ton and I didn't. It was magical and affordable!

What's not to love?! The Don Room was so incredibly beautiful! We fell in love with it the moment we walked in. Kathy helped us with the different options, days, times, prices etc. She was very nice and always quick to return my calls and emails with any questions I had. The room is perfect for weddings. I'd highly recommend having your wedding there!

The El Cortez Don Room was absolutely beautiful and the outdoor terrace with a fireplace under the stars was so romantic. The staff at the EL Cortez was extremely responsive and helpful and gave us great recommendations for vendors with experience in doing weddings at the El Cortez

We loved everything about the El Cortez for our wedding - there was an outside terrace for the ceremony and an inside room for the reception. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful and so accommodating to what we wanted to do. We found the cost to be extremely competitive - especially for what you get. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely pick the same venue

The don was breathtaking. When they opened the doors for the guest to come in everyone was blown away on how beautiful it is.

I fell in love with the Don Room when I saw a video at the Bridal Bazaar. I knew this is where I wanted to get married and my dream came true. Kathi & Jessica were helpful. If you're looking for a classy & beautiful venue, Don Room at the El Cortez is the one.

Amazing service. Amazing venue. My guests were blown away!

As a bride I could not have asked for a better venue. All staff was so helpful, and catered to our every need. The ability to have all options rolled into a package price was exactly what we needed. Although, trying to plan from far away, Kathi worked with us over the phone and through email to answer any and all questions we had. Thank you so much El Cortez for truly making the day a dream come true.

From the moment I began planning our wedding we received exceptional service from the coordinators at El Cortez, Jessica was beyond helpful and such a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend the Don Room and Terrace, its a beautiful place to get married!

Absolutely wonderful setting for our wedding! The room is gorgeous, huge, and has a great dance floor. The terrace is huge as well. The decor is classic and classy. The service was incredible as well! Highly recommend.

The place is beautiful and the people are very helpful. I am sure all weddings run smoothly there like mine did!

I love this venue, the moment my husband and I walked into the venue we were in love with El Cortez. The venue is so romantic and just sets the mood. This place really made our wedding day amazing and just perfect. We loved it here and are so glad we had our wedding reception at this gorgeous venue.

The Don Room is an amazingly beautiful place to host a wedding! I couldn't believe that it was actually in our budget. They have packages to fit all budgets and even though I felt like we chose the lowest price package it was exceptional! The only disappointment I had was the lack of flexibility with the ceremony rehearsal time. I was told there was another event happening the evening I wanted to do the rehearsal and had to do it that morning (even though some guests hadn't arrived) instead. Once we arrived to the rehearsal we found out there was not another event that evening. Whether it was a misunderstanding, please be sure to schedule your rehearsal as soon as possible.
In the end, I wouldn't change anything about that wonderful day!

Its a beautiful venue and the staff are all so nice! Loved my wedding there!

The venue was absolutely beautiful and our guests were blown away. It's a little pricey but it ended up being worth it. They have rules protecting the building, the residents and the wooden floor but they didn't ruin any of our plans. We had both our wedding and reception in the Don Room and our cocktail reception on the terrace. It was gorgeous.

Kathi at the El Cortez was wonderful. They do have a lot of restrictions because it is an apartment building, however she was able to walk us through everything and bend the rules when necessary. Though the fee is a bit high for just the venue, it was well worth it. There is only one event space, so you never have to worry about seeing another bride. The Don Room is just absolutely gorgeous and the staff (including their fabulous door man Nick in vintage costume) are all wonderful. Kathi is also dedicated to helping her brides find quality vendors and will point you in the right direction for the type of wedding you want. Plus the beautiful dance floor can't be beat!

They have an HOA so they can not be very flexible with some issues. You can not throw anything, have sparklers or play music too loud but the venue is beautiful!

The El Cortez is gorgeous wedding venue! We just got married there this spring and we couldn't have asked for a better venue. Everyone was so helpful, returned calls and emails within a day, and provided great customer service. The El Cortez provides packages for your wedding that makes for super easy planning. They do have a "preferred" vendor list that you are required to use but everyone on the list was hand-picked for great service by the El Cortez. Our pictures turned out amazing in the Don Room and I would recommend this historic and elegant wedding venue to anyone!

The El Cortez Venue is absolutely beautiful. My guest were blown away by the Don Room and attached terrace. Jessica (the main sale rep) was a pleasure to work with and provided excellent customer services throughout the wedding process. It was honestly a beautiful beautiful place and I'm so happy i chose it.

The only down fall to the venue is the extremely strict. Small example, before the wedding my bridal party and I arrived to the venue to take pictures and while we were getting organized we were scolded by some weekend representative of the El Cortez (not Jessica) that we were not allow to stand in the hallway (we hadn't been there but 3 seconds) and in full hair, makeup, and dress she made us all stand outside the front door in the blazing sun. We were melting. Long story short, the venue is not cheap and i would have expected them to treat us better.

Side note: They have a partnership with Ranch catering which i had both good and bad experiences with, read review. And one thing i find important to mention is, after hearing that the staff of Ranch catering was known for steeling, my bridesmaids and I made a conscious effort to not leave our purse in the "bridal room" (it's actually just a utility room down a side hallway). However, we had to for 90 minutes (ceremony and cocktail hour) before the reception room was ready. Within that time their purses were raided and all cash was stolen. We notified the El Cortez on-site representative but no actions were taken since the room was down an "accessible hallway" (even though the door was shut) and they suggested a guest (not likely since they were either in the ceremony or on the terrace plus they didnt even know that was a "bridal" room) or a resident might have taken the money (i was surprised they accused a resident). Whatever happened, it happened to me and another bride i personally know who got married there so somethings going on. your call.

Beautify location, the don room is drop dead gorgeous. The over all pricing is not that bad either. The only small complaints we have with the El Cortez is that, because it is condo complex, the rules are pretty strict, and there are a lot of rules. For example no one can be in the front entrance hall way what so ever at any time. We could not even take a picture there. Also they give you a "package deal" Yet you still have to meet with and pay each vendor separately and sign individual contracts with each one. You would think that a package deal means one check. Its more of a here are the vendors you have to use. But they do cut you a pretty good deal. Overall our wedding was amazing, and we would have done it all over again.

though we had a few glitches, and they were not exactly accomodating, those things were relatively minor, and the venue is beautiful! i recommend it.

The El Cortez is a gorgeous venue. They provide top notch service too!
-Christine Wong, Marketing Ventana...

The venue AND the team at the historic El Cortez's Don Room are a dream to work with! This romantic spot is the ultimate wedding location in San Diego. It's close the heart of the city, spacious, and picturesque. We wholeheartedly recommend this spot to all brides looking for an unforgettable wedding and smooth planning experience!

I have worked with the El Cortez consistently over the past 8 years. Jessica and Kathi are incredible, knowledgeable....not to mention the ECC being a breathtaking location! I highly recommend this beautiful landmark, and wonderful team!

I have had the opportunity to work at El Cortez on a number of occasions. The Don Room is gorgeous and unlike any other. There are endless opportunities in how the terrace space can be transformed which is one of the reason why I enjoy working there so much. Not to mention, the urban backdrop and central location...
The staff has always been courteous and accommodating which makes the entire process that much more seamless and pleasurable for our couples.
I look forward to many more events here!

Kindly,
Liz Beck, Liz Beck Events

I adore the El Cortez. I first discovered this magical venue as a client and continue to happily recommend it to all my invitation clients seeking a spectacular venue oozing with old world charm. Kathi Skillman will take excellent care of you and is a top rate planner. There are many reasons to choose the El Cortez, but here are a few of my favorites:

1.) location, location, location! Perfect for couple seeking to mix old and new, urban and chic.
2.) As intimate and exclusive as a venue can be. Because the El Cortez is not a tourist attraction or hotel, clients and guests do not need to worry about sharing the space with looky-loo tourists -- the Don Room, Terrace and grand entrance are all yours for the day!
3.) The Don Room -- from the octagonal shape of the room, to french doors leading out to the urban landscape terrace to the famous carved ceiling, the room is a show stopper.

What a beautiful venue. As a photographer, its one of my favorite locations to photograph weddings at. You will be completely satisfied with the staff as they do an amazing job and they love what they do.

What a beautiful venue. As a photographer, its one of my favorite locations to photograph weddings at. You will be completely satisfied with the staff as they do an amazing job and they love what they do.

If you want the most elegant setting, El Cortez Don Room is it! Rich with San Diego history, impeccably restored to it's original beauty, the Don Room is magical. Kathi and Jessica will take fantastic care of you, making sure that your Big Day is absolutely perfect and a dream-come-true! We just love weddings at El Cortez!

When I work on a wedding held at the El Cortez, I know everyone is going to have a wonderful time!
Kathy & Jessica are quick to respond to any inquiries, and the venue itself is historic and stunning.
Once you step into The Don Room you will begin imagining your wedding the way you always dreamed it would be!