Hilton Carillon Park

I found the Hilton Carillon Park through my hairdresser that got married there last year, and I am so happy that I did. The hotel is beautiful! There are so many neat places to take pictures... the fountains (especially the front fountain/walkway at night), around the lake, and in the bar. It's tucked away and quiet because most of their business is during the week for corporate travellers and meetings. Even though there was another wedding there earlier in the day, I felt like the whole day was about me. Some of the other hotels in the area have 6 weddings in one day, many going on at the same time, but it was nothing like that at the Hilton Carillon Park. The outside patio where we had the ceremony was beautiful as well.

Wendy Baratta, the coordinator, was amazing! I sent her so many e-mails, many asking her things I knew I already had in the past ("bride brain"), and she was so quick to respond back. She kept me on track throughout the planning process and was able to recommend some vendors for me. She also has a good reputation with the Tampa area wedding vendors. Many that I talked to knew who she was when I mentioned the Hilton Carillon Park and had great things to say about her. Wendy is also the day of coordinator, which was a huge help! I know I was a bit anal about how my place cards table, guest book table, etc were set up, but everything was perfect! She was there during the entire wedding and reception which also gave me peace of mind, though everything went off without a hitch!

The food was great at the wedding. Many of our guests told me that after the wedding, which was a surprise since typically banquet food isn't anything to rave about. And the portions were huge! Although we were not present during the cocktail hour, I heard great things about the food displays and passed hors d'oeuvres. We also had a good-bye breakfast at the hotel restaurant the following morning and the breakfast buffet was excellent!

We had our ceremony and reception here on April, 15 2012. I was so impressed with all of the staff here. Everyone we encountered here was curteous, helpful and professional. The event coordinator here, Wendy Baratta, was wonderful! She was very helpful and easy to work with. She was always pleasant and got back to me right away and was great at keeping in touch. The food was fantastic! My guests really enjoyed themselves as did my husband and I.

The nature preserve area makes a wonderful spot for some great photos too. Our day could not have gone smoother and I'm so glad that we chose this Hilton, it's definitely worth checking out and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

Wendy thank you for all your...

I held my 11/5/11 wedding at the Hilton Carillon Park. It was amazing. My suite was amazing and had the most beautiful view of the lake. I truly cannot explain how great Wendy is. She helped me for an entire year, planning my wedding. She always had the best advice and got back to me quickly when I had a question. She personally knew all of my vendors and they were all amazing as well. Wendy always figured out a way for me to get what I want without going over budget. Even with my "tough" mother, Wendy always made sure it was what I wanted and was there until the end. I will truly miss not talking to her several times a week but I highly highly reccommend the Hilton for your ceremony and reception. Everyone is great and the hotel is practically brand new. I loved every minute of it.

Wendy at the Hilton was FANTASTIC for our wedding! I can say with absolute certainty that our day would not have been half as good without her and the rest of the staff. They were incredibly responsive and always took care of anything we asked, no matter how big or small. We ended up with a fantastic deal on food/drink, and they made the room look beautiful and elegant for the wedding. The portions were huge, and we got tons of compliments on how tasty the food was. The staff helped design a menu especially for us to meet all of our needs, and it was extremely well done. We went to the Hilton on numerous occasions to look it over, do a tasting, drop off decorations, etc. and every single time I left even more excited about the wedding! I could not recommend anything more highly than I do this venue.

We loved every minute of our gorgeous wedding at the Hilton Carillon Park.
Wendy Baratta, catering manager, was so helpful in finding vendors for us and always making herself available to all our calls and questions. Her staff provided our wedding with exceptional service and friendly atmosphere. The ballroom had every detail we selected and our dinner was delicious. I recommend the Hilton Carillon Park to all future brides and grooms.

Marie

Wendy was a very personable cordinator for our big day. We originally wanted a venue in a natural environment under big trees. The location at the Hilton Carillion is beautiful with big trees and a large lake. A true hidden gem. We were given a very good price for both the venue location and reception location because we had booked an unusal Sunday morning wedding. Although we were given an intial good price the food was costly. We were convinced to order a certain amount of food but ended up with a lot left over. We also had an unusual set up with the food, we wanted white glove service (hand passed hor'dierves) and a carving station. The food was great but the servers were sent out way too late and toward the end of the reception as we had a buffet style set up the whole slab of beef went missing. Wendy had left toward the middle of the reception to meet with an appointment and we were not offered the leftovers from the carving station or passed hor'dierves. We will never know where all the left over food went. They claimed it was a sanitary issue.

The Hilton at Carillon Park was the ultimate place to have a wedding. My daughter's wedding was a Christmas Wonderland, very upscale, elegant and fun. The staff at The Hilton was the best of the best. Wendy Baratta, wedding coordinator and catering manager was the ultimate. She is very professional, friendly and always has a smile. Everyone was excellent. I can not say anything else except Exceptional, Wonderful and top of the line. I would recommend the Hilton to all future brides.
Best wishes
Dolly

We held our daughter's wedding reception at the Carillon Hilton in St Pete on May 15, 2010. From the first moment we met with the Hilton's Event Coordinator, Wendy Baratta, we knew this was the place for us! Wendy is the epitome of what a wedding coordinator should be. She thinks of solutions to your problems before you even know you have a problem. She offers great advice and gives terrific ideas and always follows through on every little detail. I will never forget when she came up me prior to the beginning of the reception and asked me if I had looked inside the ballroom yet. When I said no she immediately took me inside so I could see what all our hard work looked like before the guests arrived. I was totally blown away! Everything looked so beautiful I had to fight back the tears! What a relief it was to put it all in Wendy's hands and know it was going to be done perfectly! Wendy is a real jewel! I was able to totally relax and enjoy the evening knowing Wendy was there in control! Our guests raved about the reception food, their rooms, the pool, the bar, the boardwalk, etc. Honestly, they couldn't say enough good things to adequately praise the Carillon Hilton and the entire staff. Everyone went above and beyond to make our daughter's wedding weekend a very memorable occasion. You owe it to yourself to at least check out the Carillon Hilton when deciding on your wedding reception location. Once you go to see the beautiful facility and meet with Wendy, you will be sold!

We had our reception here on May 15 and it was everything we could have imagined and more. Wendy was amazing! She was so helpful throughout the whole planning process and always seemed so eager and willing to do whatever we needed. She is a genuinely wonderful person, always had a great attitude, and she was one of the main reasons our reception came together so well. The food was excellent and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful location for our reception. You can't go wrong having your reception here!

My daughter's wedding reception was held at the Hilton St Petersburg Carillon Park on May 1, 2010 and WOW, what a tremendous job by the entire Hilton team. The cocktail and reception hall were set up perfectly with the highest attention to detail, including the decorations for the walls and the favors and namecards on the tables. Nearly all of the 150 guests raved about their sit down dinners which included filet mignon or potato crusted grouper or parmesan crusted chicken. All were served by skilled and courteous staff. Finally, we had the pleasure of working with Wendy Baratta, Hilton's special event coordinator, who brought everything together like a symphony orchestra! Wendy's experience and guiding hand throughout the planning period and on the big day eased any tensions, allowing mom and dad to actually enjoy the party. This place has the whole package and we couldn't be happier with the results.

We had our ceremony and reception here on Marh 7 2010. I was so impressed with all of the staff here. Everyone we encountered here was curteous, helpful and professional. The event coordinator here, Wendy Baratta, was wonderful! She was very helpful and easy to work with. She was always pleasant and got back to me right away and was great at keeping in touch. The food was fantastic! My guests really enjoyed themselves as did my husband and I. There are several options for the ceremony location, either in one of the banquet rooms inside or several locations in the preserve area or on one of the lovely the patios overlooking the preserve. The nature preserve area makes a wonderful spot for some great photos too. Our day could not have gone smoother and I'm so glad that we chose this Hilton, it's definitely worth checking out and I highly recommend it!

Hilton Carillon Park is a hidden jewel. They took care of every detail, and recommended other vendors that I might like...and I did. Wendy Baratta was the event coordinator. She was very flexible beforehand, and worked with us to create a package that would work for us. Everything was so crazy during the reception, i was glad she was there to organize. She even helped my new stepchildren surprise us with a song. As far as the rest of the Hilton staff.....The groom didn't like the way that tables were arranged, so they handled his input very graciously, and worked with him very well. It rained prior to the ceremony time, and they rearranged everything so that no one got wet, and we all had a great time... the backup room was included in the package, thank God! The food was also very good! Our only wish was that we had known ahead of time that we would not be allowed to walk away with the leftovers. We were looking forward to them...

This is a good place to have a wedding if you have family flying in...free shuttle. Overall, a GREAT place to have both Ceremony and Reception. Did I mention the lovely park right behind the hotel? Really nice.

Wow! Girls if you want the perfect wedding you have to see Wendy Baratta at the Hilton Carillon in St. Petersburg. The Hilton Carillon is a beautiful setting for any wedding. The banquet staff are professional and accommodating. My guests commented on the individual attention they had received. My entire experience with Wendy far exceeded my expectations. At first, I thought of hiring a planner, but with Wendy by your side, you don't need one. Save your money. Do a little shopping around on your own. Wendy will steer you in the right direction. Upon meeting Wendy, she gave me a wedding planner book with worksheets, tips, budget work outs and all types of information pertaining to planning your wedding. It is tabulated and has pockets to keep all contracts and receipts. She then gave me a list of reputable vendors for flowers, music, rentals, linens, etc. This was most helpful as I did not know where to go or who to trust with this most important day. As I ventured to various vendors, (on and off the list) Wendy's many years of experience became apparent. Wherever I went, whomever I spoke with, knew Wendy Baratta. Everytime I met with Wendy she greeted me with a great big smile and genuine excitement about MY WEDDING! She has an outstanding personality that makes you feel comfortable and welcomed. Wedding coordinating is definitely her niche in life. Her attention to even the smallest detail is remarkable. I had a vision of what my wedding should be and Wendy made sure it came to life. I really can't say enough about her. My wedding was everything I wanted it to be and I truly believe it was due to Wendy's knowledge, input, dedication and professionalism. My advise to all brides seeking the perfect wedding----Go see Wendy!

When we started looking at venues we came across the Hilton Carillon Park online and made an appointment to meet Wendy. My fiancé was out of town so I went with my mom and dad and my future mother-in-law. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that we were totally swept off our feet when we got there. Nestled in a preserve, the Hilton is amazingly beautiful and the staff is incredible. I spoke to Wendy on a weekly basis and I knew from the start that I would have NOTHING to worry about on our wedding day with her in charge. I was right!! The evening could not have been more beautiful or flawless. The entire staff was amazing and accommodating. I received several compliments on the hotel and the AMAZING food!!! I recommend this venue to every bride no matter what size or price range you are working with. I can not imagine my wedding being any more spectacular than it was at the Hilton Carillon Park!

What a beautiful Venue for a wedding or any special occasion!! Wendy is an amazing coordinator with many years of expertise and knowledge on how to make your next event amazing! I highly recommend the Hilton Carillon Park for your next wedding or special occasion! The outside balconies that over look the water is a beautiful touch for your gathering. Romantic and inviting! Not to mention the possibilities of having up to 500 guests in the ballroom! All the best to Hilton Carillon Park & Wendy!!!!

The Hilton Carillon Park is well located for guests travelling from any part of Tampa Bay and for out of town guests using Tampa or Clearwater Airports. The Hotel is in excellent condition and its facilities for out door wedding ceremonies and or receptions are outstanding - quiet and with great backdrops for your wedding photos. Wendy is a very experienced wedding specialist and she wil take excellent care of you, we have known her for several years and can vouch for her attention to detail and organizational skills. If you are looking for a venuue with a relaxed atmosphere, great service with easy access and parking you can't go wrong with Wendy and the Hilton

We love photographing weddings at the Hilton Carillon Park! The hotel is beautiful inside and out. For pictures we love using the fountain and palm trees in the front and the water front in the back. The inside is perfect for receptions and the staff is super helpful and friendly. Wendy does a great job making sure your reception goes perfect!