Hotel Monaco Alexandria, A Kimpton Hotel

When we started planning our wedding, my husband & I decided that we wanted to have a huge party rather than the traditional wedding. The courtyard at Hotel Monaco was just the place we wanted. Throughout the whole planning process, Allison was extremely helpful and responsive to all of our questions. Throughout the night the staff was very attentive to our needs and one staff member in particular, Javier, went above and beyond for us. He made sure that we had everything we needed and that we always had a full drink. Our only complaints are that we wish we would have been told Allison would not have been there for our party so we could have talked to Annee more and that there was more communication between the front desk staff and the event staff. We were having a breakfast for our guests the next morning and whenever my mother-in-law asked to speak to Allison they told her to check back in a bit because she wasn't in yet. All in all it was a great place and a great time for us & our guests.

We had our reception at Hotel Monaco last month, and our guests are still talking about how great the food and drinks were! We loved working with Allison and the rest of the team there. We chose the venue because we loved the food at Jackson 20, but also that everyone was just so NICE at their annual open house. We liked the fact that we wouldn't need to rent anything for the space. We ended up renting chiavari chairs that our coordinator recommended, but that was the only thing we had to rent. The weather was perfect for an outside cocktail hour, and they had lights strung in the courtyard a few weeks before our wedding. We had a lot of out of town guests, and their block rates were really reasonable for the area and time of year (cherry blossom peak). After the wedding, we heard that the rental chairs broke on some of the guests (and mine was broken), and the hotel negotiated a partial refund for us. We couldn't be happier with our choice of venue! Thank you to everyone at Hotel Monaco!

We had our wedding reception at Hotel Monaco. We would highly recommend this venue. The space was perfect, stylish, and updated. From the very beginning of the planning process, Hotel Monaco was extremely professional and thorough. We worked with same event coordinator at Hotel Monaco throughout the entire process. She put us at ease and walked us through each step of the planning process, patiently explaining the information we would need to provide, the decisions we would need to make, and accommodating our special requests. The reception was awesome and the service staff was attentive and professional throughout the evening. The food was excellent and we received many complements from guests on the hors d'oeuvres and meals. We had a wonderful experience and it was the perfect setting for a wedding in Old Town Alexandria!

I absolutely loved the location, decor, staff, food and space at the Hotel Monaco. The lights lining the King Street location make for a romantic and enchanting arrival. The Hotel lobby's colorful decor and the ballroom's elegant wallpaper make it easy to dress up your wedding without having to add a lot. The catering staff and managers were responsible, friendly and helpful in the planning process, and the staff for the event made sure everyone was comfortable and everything as perfect. Last, the food was incredible. Almost every guest has told me it was some of the best food they've had. I highly recommend the Hotel Monaco because they are a dream to work with, the price is right, the location can't be beat and it provides an awesome backdrop for pictures!

Our wedding was at the Hotel Monaco Alexandria and we had the best time! The staff, the venue, and the food were amazing!! Allison, event coordinator, and her team were professional, supportive, and made sure we had the most beautiful, stress free wedding possible!! They made sure that our every wish was met. Our guests enjoyed the beautiful setting, the accommodations, and the attentiveness of the staff. We highly recommend the Hotel Monaco Alexandria for your wedding or event!!

Allison & her team was superb! They were all responsive to our needs, friendly & helpful. The passed appetizers during cocktail hour were fantastic. Guests were not chasing the servers at all & everyone loved the food! For dinner, the filet were cooked perfectly & the rockfish was phenomenal! I myself could have had another plate. The alcohol choices were also fantastic. Hotel Monaco definitely made our wedding day memorable. Everyone had a fantastic time & totally enjoyed the food & the venue.
Allison was a delight to work with. She was very responsive & accomodating. She made sure that we were taken cared of every step of the way from the very beginning.

We held our wedding at Hotel Monaco Alexandria on October 13, 2012 and absolutely loved every second of it! Although a little pricey it was completely worth it. From the moment we signed our contract we received the best service and support throughout the entire process of planning our day. Highly recommend holding your wedding here!

My husband and I just had our wedding at the Hotel Monaco this past weekend, and it surpassed every expectation I had. Allison was absolutely the best, she was always there answering my questions to one of my many emails! I can not say enought about the wait staff and the food. We had so many complimants on the food and how nice the servers were. Everything was amazing, and I would highly reccommend them!!

There is no reason to look any further. Step into the lobby of The Hotel Monaco/Alexandria and you'll know you have found "the one"! The Hotel Monaco/Alexandria provides the perfect backdrop for a personable, unique, quirky (in a great way), memorable wedding day/weekend for you and your guests. Unlike many other venues The Hotel Monaco hosts one wedding at a time so staff focus is on you and your family.

As the mother of the bride I found Allison Manning (catering sales manager) and her staff to be heaven sent! Always accessible, easy to work with, calm, friendly yet professional and detail oriented, Allison and the entire staff of the Monaco/Alexandria were fabulous throughout the planning process and wedding weekend.

The food from Jackson 20 (the hotel restaurant & bar) was wonderful! Chef works with you, makes suggestions and trys to incorporate some of your favorites (that might not be on the menu) to make your wedding that much more unique. Chef is also very attentive to any allergy needs you or your guests may require.

The guest rooms were clean, comfortable and beautifully decorated and, while there are other hotels in the area for your guests to stay, staying at the Hotel Monaco/Alexandria, a pet friendly hotel, makes the weekend experience with your family and guests that much more fun.

Old Town Alexandria offers your weekend guests endless activities and the Visitors Center will provide free maps of the area, with coupons and suggestions for fun/interesting things to do so your guests are happily busy throughout their stay.

The Hotel Monaco/Alexandria was the perfect venue for my daughter's Friday afternoon rehearsal, Saturday evening wedding and Sunday farewell brunch and I recommend it wholeheartedly!!

Pat Cunningham

The Hotel Monaco in Alexandria is a beautiful, colorful hotel! It has a hip, modern feel but is still warm and comfortable. The event rooms and bed rooms were equally beautiful, and we felt very happy about inviting our guests to stay there.

The event staff is amazing. We worked primarily with Allison and little bit with Sarah (who is now at Morrison House). Allison is the most professional, calm, helpful person to work with. I never worried that the day would not turn out as planned.

On the day of the wedding, we had slight rain, so we had to make the call to move inside from the courtyard, which ended up being beautiful as well! All the transitions were smooth throughout the evening, and the hotel staff worked beautifully with our vendors.

The food, catered by Jackson 20 at the hotel, was amazing! First, the food tasting experience prior to the wedding was great – with a beautiful table setup and the opportunity to try a wide variety of options for food and wine. And on the day of, the food was just as delicious, with only the presentation feeling a little more mass-produced, which was understandable. The staff also thoughtfully brought out a sample of the cocktail hour appetizers and each cake flavor for us at the sweetheart table to make sure we had a chance to try them.

Although the ballroom is a bit small (we had 130 people), the hallway, cocktail room and courtyard allowed our guests to spread out and enjoy the hotel.

The location in Old Town, Alexandria, was perfect. It is right in the heart of shopping, historic sites, galleries and restaurants. Parking at the hotel is a bit steep, but there is also a nearby parking garage with cheap non-overnight parking.

Our only suggestion would be to make sure you get your items (guest book, picture frames, etc.) after the wedding. We waited until the next day, and the daytime staff was less familiar with where the items were stored.

In all, our experience was wonderful!

The Monaco Alexandria was the perfect place to have our wedding. The hotel is charming and full of personality. The location in Old Town is perfect for out-of-town guests and for hosting additional wedding events in the area. Allison and Sarah from the events staff at the Monaco were amazing to work with. They were professional, responsive and were able to customize an already incredible wedding package to meet our budget. The wedding packages that the Monaco offers were ideal for our celebration as we didn't want to deal with a bunch of different vendors. The Monaco was a one-stop shop for creating our wedding day. The catering from Jackson 20 is out of this world! The food was the number one most important thing to us for our wedding day and the Monco and Jackson 20 nailed it! From the sorbet spritzers at the reception, the passed appetizers at cocktail hour, the craft beers, delicious wine, all the way to the customized brisket and BBQ chicken dinner. The dessert spread was incredible and the chocolate cake stole my heart!

The morning of the wedding, we had a catered lunch to the suite. The staff was kind and attentive. The food was freaking delicious! The staff prepared for everything and we wanted for nothing.

All of the staff we encountered at the Monaco during our stay were kind and professional. It was a memorable and warm stay. I recommend the Monaco Alexandria for anyone's Old Town wedding. They will make sure your day is special and perfect.

Our wedding at the Hotel Monaco was wonderful! The venue is beautiful with a few options for how to setup the reception. There is an outdoor courtyard area - which we used for a cocktail hour and our guests loved it! The ballrooms have a bit more modern feel but are just wonderful. I loved that the rooms were not just white walls.

The staff at the hotel was great to work with. Allison was our main point of contact and she was very friendly, very responsive and very helpful. She often adjusts her work schedule to meet the needs of the brides she is working with - and would often stay late so I could meet with her after work.

We stayed in a room the night of the wedding and it was great! We requested cake be sent up to our room after the wedding, and it was there waiting for us. Along with a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries!

Our guests who stayed in the hotel loved it. It is a great location and convenient for getting around Old Town. I highly recommend this venue!

The prosecco for the toasts was not poured in time for toasts, despite my providing a timetable for the staff. I, as the bride, has to flag down the servers to get them to pour it.

We worked with Allison at The Hotel Monaco in Alexandria who was a pleasure to work with throughout the process. We held both our ceremony and reception there. The staff did a lovely job setting up the patio for our ceremony and the ballroom for our reception. Everything flowed smoothly despite some very iffy weather at the time of set up for the outdoor ceremony. Our guests commented that the whole event seemed to flow seamlessly. The food was just delicious, the hors d'oeuvres received special praise. We had a tasting several months ahead that was beautifully done so that we could test our choices and make final decisions.

The Monaco worked especially well for our smaller party but it is very pricey if you have under 85 people. The ballroom provides an intimate atmosphere that everybody loved. Their Bombay Room was a perfect setting for the cocktail hour. We couldn't have asked for more.

What can I say about the Hotel Monaco. Our wedding, despite power outages, extreme heat, and some timing snafus that were our fault, went off flawlessly. The two catering managers, Allison and Sarah, were quick to respond to emails, often had great suggestions, and didn't hesitate to ask for clarification on things way before the wedding day, so everything went smoothly. The food was delicious, the ballroom was beautiful, and despite having a relatively complex and abundant candy buffet to set up, the bartenders did a fantastic job. As you are looking, the Monaco might seem a lot more expensive than other options, but it includes SO much - food, tables/chairs, linens, china, bar, etc. In addition, Allison coordinated white garden chairs for the ceremony and uplighting through an AV company for us, simply adding it onto the bill (after confirming the amounts, of course). We had a lot of little homemade side projects, but you could really just show up and have a wedding without adding much else if you wanted to. The lobby, ballroom, and side rooms are so funky and gorgeous.

Both Allison & Sarah (coordinators) were always available for any questions and prompt with responses throughout the entire planning process. Their expertise were extremely helpful since we did not have a day of coordinator. Allison took care of everything on the day of and we were left to worry with nothing.
The chef was accommodating in changing the risotto dish per my mother's request and was open to any other changes if we would like.
We enjoyed being able to modify the beer list to include some local brews.
Overall, it was a wonderful place to have our wedding and we would not hesitate to recommend this venue to a friend.

Everyone was extremely friendly, efficient, and helpful! You all made our wedding weekend perfect! We could not have been happier!

Thank you!

For our wedding, my husband and I wanted a venue that was elegant and classy, urban in an old-world way and fun. Hotel Monaco in Old Town, Alexandria, fit the bill. Just take a look at the venue and you'll fall in love with its character. Also, the catering directors were really great to work with and extremely patient towards us, an out-of-town couple. We planned and coordinated from another state and everything was absolute perfection on our wedding day. Guests are raving about how cool the hotel was and how glad they were to stay there.

My husband and I recently held our wedding reception at the Hotel Monaco and I can not say enough wonderful things about Allison Manning and Sarah Aiello's service through out the year and a half we spent working with them. No matter how many emails I sent they were always prompt to respond and eager to accommodate to our changes. I would highly recommend the Monaco Alexandria to anyone interested in having a sophisticated and modern wedding!

Brides and Grooms: Do yourselves and favor and book the Hotel Monaco for your wedding venue! You will not be disappointed. My husband and I both agree that the smartest decision we made was selecting the Hotel Monaco for our ceremony and reception. Consider the following reasons (in no particular order) for booking with the Monaco:

1) Your guests will love staying there! The Monaco absolutely exceeded our expectations and really set the tone for our entire wedding. Our wedding was a destination for more than more than 75% of our guests, all of whom stayed at the Hotel Monaco during our wedding weekend. All of them—literally—commented to us how lovely their rooms were and how wonderful the staff and service were all weekend. Many of our guests had never been to Old Town Alexandria and vowed to come back and stay at the Monaco.

2) Your wedding food will be fabulous, not forgettable! In addition to gushing over their rooms and the Hotel staff, we received countless compliments from our guests about how wonderful the food was at our wedding. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed our tasting—which was itself a completely enjoyable and lovely event. But we did wonder whether the food would still stand out when produced en masse for our wedding. Given the rave reviews we received from our guests, we can confidently say that it did!

3) You will be rewarded with wonderful service! My husband and I took pictures during the cocktail hour with our families and thought we’d miss out on snagging some hors d’oeuvres. How wrong we were! Without us even asking, the banquet captain put together a plate for us of all of the wonderful hors d’oeuvres that were served during cocktail hour. We also did our table visits during dinner. Again, without us even having to ask, the banquet captain made sure that our plates weren’t served until we returned to our sweetheart table—at which point we were served our delicious, and still hot, dinners. And did I mention that we never even had to seek out anyone for a drink? Our banquet captain was on it!

4) You will enjoy working with these folks during what becomes a very long, and often stressful, planning process! Allison and Sarah in particular (our main contacts) were absolute joys to work with. They were extremely responsive, professional, friendly, and full of experience and suggestions every step of the way. It seems that they did everything possible to ensure that our wedding was a wonderful and memorable event. They were so incredibly warm and genuine and made us feel like our wedding really did matter!

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that you will not be disappointed with the Hotel Monaco. Everyone at the Monaco took such great care of us and did everything they could to make our wedding a huge success. We truly could not have asked for anything more and are extremely grateful to everyone at the Hotel Monaco for making our wedding such a wonderful event for us and our guests!

In short, hosting our ceremony and reception at the Hotel Monaco was THE BEST decision we made. The courtyard and Paris ballroom are absolutely gorgeous and the food was amazing! We received so many compliments on our choice of venue and the wedding food. But what made the Hotel Monaco so special was the attentiveness, professionalism, and kindness of every individual working at the hotel. Some highlights of our experience:

1) My husband and I were together during the cocktail hour and our bridal party was no where to be found, which means we thought we were missing out on all the delicious food being enjoyed by our guests. The banquet captain, without prompting, brought us a full spread of all our hors d'oeuvres, as well as drinks.

2) We had a problem with our linens a few hours before the wedding that were being provided by another company (they arrived "destroyed," whatever that means). Sarah, our contact with the Hotel Monaco, brought the issue to my husband so she didn't bother me, and provided him with a couple of alternatives. I got involved at this point at my husband's suggestion, and Sarah had done a wonderful job pinpointing great alternatives. She clearly had the situation under control and cared so much about the linens that I felt completely calm about the last minute change.

3) Justin, the master mixologist. This guy can make an awesome drink. I think my husband and I visited him at the bar every other week leading up to the wedding, perfecting specialty cocktails to serve our guests at the wedding reception. Hosting your wedding at the Monaco? Check out Justin on Friday nights at the bar and taste the decliciousness of his beverages.

4) After first getting engaged, my husband and I kept going back and forth between a traditional wedding and an awesome vacation where we would elope. My husband won and we held our wedding at the Monaco. But actually, it turned out to be an awesome vacation, as well, because of how everyone treated us. From the doormen to the front desk staff, everyone made our long weekend at the Hotel Monaco the BEST stay I've ever had at a hotel. Specifically, Madeline at the front desk was always checking in with us when she saw us, making sure that our stay was perfect.

So, to Allison and Sarah, our contacts with the Monaco, to the banquet captain, to Savier, one of our servers at the wedding, and everyone else at the Hotel Monaco, thank you.

To all you brides- and grooms- to-be, if you're considering the Hotel Monaco, just sign the contract already. The Hotel Monaco is a wonderful place to hold your wedding. It will be THE best decision you make (other than the decision of your groom or bride, of course!).

We hosted our ceremony and reception at the Hotel Monaco on May 6th - - it was amazing! The staff will bind over backwards for you and everyone is so nice! I highly recommend it!!

We could not have been happier with the level of service provided by the Hotel Monaco, especially Allison Manning. Allison was incredibly responsive, helpful, and patient throughout our planning process, and without her expertise our wedding would not have run as smoothly as it did. The service provided by the staff at the Hotel Monaco was amazing. Guests even commented on the professionalism of the staff. Additionally, Hotel Monaco served as a beautiful backdrop for our wedding. If we had to do it over again, we would still choose Hotel Monaco.

The Hotel Monaco was a wonderful place for us to have a wedding. Allison was very responsive to every question and request. She was awesome. She had a great team in the banquet staff, in Annee and Sarah who were also available to help out when needed. We are still getting compliments on the food as well as the hotel. The front desk was great in responding to every need even though keeping track of our loot bags was not an easy feat. They did great and never made us feel as if they were put upon. Alot of our guests were from out of town and have been to alot of weddings. This was one of their favorites.

We couldn't be happier with our choice to have our New Year's Eve wedding at Hotel Monaco, Alexandria! Our guests loved the decor, the food/drink, the customer service, and the quality of the hotel rooms. After the original catering manager we booked with left, and Allison Manning joined in and made the transition almost seamless, corrected any issues/communication breakdowns that came up during the transition. The setting in Old Town is also perfect for pre or post wedding photos, and your guests will love staying in Old Town! Highly recommend!

The Hotel was amazing in every way possible. I got endless compliments on the food at the reception. The price was fair in the cost of food, and average for alcohol, but the rental fees were practically nothing. We had a great time and no request was to small. They handled everything like absolute professionals and definately aim to please. I would recommend them a thousand times over.

We loved the Monaco, they made everything easy! My questions were answered quickly and thoroughly. Allison was such a pleasure to work with. The whole staff at the hotel did everything to make sure we were happy. It is also a gorgeous setting for a ceremony and/or reception. We can't say enough good things about our experience with the Monaco!

Hotel Monaco was such a dream location to have a wedding reception! Absolutely stunning boutique hotel provides a lovely back drop! The service and quality of the staff and catering was top-notch! Well worth it!

We selected the Hotel Monaco Alexandria for two reasons: we wanted our wedding to take place in Old Town Alexandria and we love the eclectic vibe/décor of the hotel. 90% of our wedding guests were coming from out of state and we wanted to create a fun destination wedding experience in our “new” hometown. Old Town is a wonderful destination with a lot of amenities within walking distance and there simply is not a better venue in Old Town than the Hotel Monaco. The eclectic/fun vibe is carried throughout the Monaco’s event spaces which creates the perfect intimate setting for smaller sized weddings.



We booked our wedding at the Hotel Monaco about a year before our wedding so we worked with several coordinators during our planning. Unfortunately that meant that we received some different/conflicting information during that year. On a few occasions we were promised things that the Hotel later had to retract like allowing heaters in the courtyard or a specialty beer that they forgot to order. Nothing earth shattering by any means, but at times did cause some frustration and stress on our part. They did however work closely with us on a creative custom menu. This meant we were able to have a specialty hors d’oeuvre that meant a lot to us. We also added many specialty seasonal items which created the perfect Fall menu. I can honestly say that our wedding reception (cocktail hour and seated dinner) exceeded my expectations. The food, service, and ambiance were spectacular. We have received so many compliments by our guests on how wonderful everything was, particularly the food. I cannot thank the catering department enough for creating the prefect wedding reception for us.



Unfortunately I was less impressed with the front desk staff and it is for that reason that I lowered my overall scores. After having a special meeting prior to our wedding with the front desk manager about the room bag delivery, we had several guests who did not receive room bags. This was particularly important to us as the room bag included the only invitation to the brunch that our parents were hosting the following day. [Side note: we had a brunch in the Bombay room the next morning and it too was delicious!] Even though I followed up with the front desk manager every time I heard someone did not receive a bag, the problem still continued, though I was never clear why. We also had a major problem with my in-laws getting locked out of their room an hour before the wedding ceremony which delayed our wedding start time. And by locked out – I mean their key didn’t work, nor the engineers key! But probably the worst problem was when my then fiancé was told he did not have late check out (which he did) and being kicked out of his sleeping room when he was supposed to be taking getting ready photos with the photographer! Certainly not the pleasant experience we expected from a 4 star hotel!



I don’t like to focus on the front desk issues of our wedding because the overall day and reception were SPECTACULAR! I would recommend the Hotel Monaco in a...

I can't recommend Hotel Monaco Alexandria enough. I worked with Allison Manning throughout the planning process. Allison was beyond wonderful; very professional, responsive, flexible, I could go on and on. I don't think she ever said no to any of my requests, just made them happen! Overall, she was very calm which was so nice when that's not always possible as the bride:) Allison was a real pleasure to work with. The hotel was so wonderful throughout the wedding weekend, treating our guests like gold. We got nothing but compliments from everyone on the amazing customer service. The entire staff really went above and beyond to make everyone feel at home. As far as the actual wedding reception, it was flawless. The food was delicious and the room looked beautiful. This venue is such an amazing value in the heart of historic Old Town. I'm still on cloud nine about the whole experience.

We booked the Hotel Monaco for our wedding ceremony and reception - it was the perfect place! Right from the beginning we knew we had made the right decision - the space was beautiful, the food was delicious and the staff was awesome. Allison helped coordinate every aspect of the day/night and was always responsive to my questions. The day of the wedding went very smoothly and all of our guests complimented the venue. I highly recommend using this venue!

We chose the Hotel Monaco for our wedding and reception venue because its interior is gorgeous and unusual; it's located in Old Town Alexandria, where our out-of-town guests could find a million things to do; and it's pet-friendly, so our two Labs could serve as ring bearers and stay the night with us. I was also looking for a place that could move our outdoor ceremony inside in the event of rain, and the Hotel Monaco had a plan for that. Everyone we worked with was very organized and eager to accommodate. We worked primarily with Allison, who was extremely communicative, detail-oriented, clear, and helpful. When near-disaster struck -- a fire down the street caused the hotel to lose power as the first of our guests were arriving on the Thursday before our Saturday wedding -- Allison was great about keeping us and our wedding coordinator informed. The power came back up in plenty of time, and the hotel left caramel apples and notes of apology for the guests who had been inconvenienced. We were very happy with the flexibility we had in choosing the menu and adding/subtracting "extras," like a sushi display and gelato bar. A number of our guests commented on how much they loved the food, and from what I ate of it, it was pretty awesome. As soon as my then-fiance and I walked into the lobby for the first time, I knew the Hotel Monaco was the right place. Our whole experience was excellent.

I cannot praise the Hotel Monaco of Old Town enough for how great they were to work with, how accomodating their staff was, and how spectacular the wedding was. we are still getting calls from loved ones about how amazing the venue, food, and service was. Thank you a million times for your professionalism and amazing hospitality. Working with Allison Manning was a dream for any bride.. shes was cool calm and collected at all times which makes the whole planning process that much easier and went out of her way to make sure all of my requests (big or small) were executed without hesitation. Thank you a million times over...The Romanoffs =)

We were two of the very fortunate soles to have gotten married during Hurricane Irene!!!

After months and months of planning the “perfect wedding”, all our plans were thrown out the window just days before our big event when we heard how bad Hurricane Irene was expected to be. The Friday before our wedding, 1/3 of our guests cancelled. The next day, we started to worry that dinner would not be finished if the hotel lost power while still cooking, that our guests could get stranded, and that our band would have to leave early so that they could make it home before the worst of the weather hit. Needless to say, we weren’t going to have the outdoor ceremony that we were hoping for.

Despite all this, our wedding turned out to be more memorable than we ever could have imagined. Everybody had such a good time, and it still was the perfect wedding, just in a very different sense than we had initially expected. In large part, we owe it to the Hotel Monaco and its staff for making the night so great. Through their heroic efforts we were able to roll with whatever punches Mother Nature threw at us and have some fun with the fact that a lady named Irene was going to be attending our wedding. Annee, the catering manager, and Allison, our catering sales manager sprang into action. They asked the bartenders to make hurricanes for our guests. Given the reduction in headcount, they were also great in allowing us to redesign the layout of the reception room. It was a lot of work for them and the rest of the staff, but they never hesitated in doing whatever was necessary to make our event wonderful. Through their experience, knowledge, and hard work they showed us how we could put the dance floor in the middle of the room, rearrange the tables, and move things around so that the room did not look empty. In the end, the room looked great. The hotel had already gone above and beyond, but it did not stop there.

When our rabbi informed us that we needed to have our ceremony in the early afternoon because of the impending storm, we were concerned that our guests would miss out on seeing us get married. Hotel Monaco to the rescue once again. Rob, the hotel general manager and an ordained minister, agreed to officiate a wedding service for our guests. Despite having met us just hours before, he did an incredible job. Everybody enjoyed the service - it was short, sweet, and sincere - and it really helped us kick off the evening on a great note.

Initially, my wife and I were seriously worried how the evening would turn out. However, seeing the Monaco do everything in their powers to make the night special gave us confidence that everything would be fine and allowed us to enjoy the evening as any bride and groom should. We continue to get comments from our guests on how nice the rooms were, how good the food was, the quality of the drinks, and the overall great service of the hotel. For guests that got stranded an extra day, the hotel was also generous enough to extend the wedding rate. It was clearly evident from the hotel manager on down to the waitstaff to the doormen that this level of service and willingness to go the extra mile is standard fare at the Hotel Monaco. It wasn’t a one-time occurrence.

We could not have been any happier with how our wedding turned out and are so glad that we chose to entrust the Hotel Monaco with holding our special occasion. We will forever remember this day and the Hotel Monaco.

What a gorgeous hotel...the Monaco of Old Town mixes rich history with modern flair. Our wedding theme was vintage-inspired and the Monaco had just the right vibe. Allison, the hotel's event coordinator, was so sweet and attentive and super-professional. She helped make our dream wedding a reality. The service was amazing and our event was fabulous! The Monaco of Old Town gives the royal treatment!

We had both our ceremony and reception at the Hotel Monaco Old Town Alexandria and were very pleased with everything. It went off without a hitch! We worked with Kristin there, who I believe is not working at this Hotel as of last week, because she was promoted for another part of Kimpton properties (who owns the Hotel Monaco).

We choose the Monaco for a few reasons: 1) for an indoor wedding in February it is perfect because it is a FUNKY space - just tons of "fun" elements to the ballroom and the lobby and the building that make for great wedding pictures, your wedding is not in just some boring white ballroom; 2) again for a February wedding, all our guests had to do was GET to Reagan Airport, and as long as they got there, the Monaco has a shuttle from the Airport, and they could stay there at the hotel, eat there, and everything was right there - ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, a bar if they wanted to go out afterwards, etc.; 3) it's in the heart of Old Town Alexandria which is very fun if you have lots of out of town guests; 4) the food & the price for the food (discussed later).

Accomodations-

The Hotel offered a good rate for all our friends and family who were staying in the block for the wedding (although, it was a February wedding, so it might be a bit easier to get a good discount then). They were very flexible with it and were kind enough to extend that rate beyond just the two days for the wedding for our parents rooms.

The rooms were clean, nice, and are decorated in a very fun manner which really helps with the 'getting ready' pictures. They were prompt with our room service, we even got a fish in a fishbowl to be our guest for the stay, who they appropriately named "Cupid"! We asked for the wedding night suite we were staying in to be cleaned after all the ladies "getting ready" occurred in it, so when we came up from the wedding we would have a nice clean room - the cleaning staff were there, right on time at 4:45 ready to get the room clean right as we were heading down to the staging room before the ceremony began. Perfect!

Food/Service -

We LOVED the menu tasting - oh my goodness prepare to eat! Jackson 20, the restaurant at the Hotel caters the weddings and wow was it good. They have a fun menu selection, but some staples on there too, so everyone would be pleased.

The food at the wedding was as good as at the tasting. Everybody had compliments about how yummy the ouerderves (sp?) were as well as the food. They have some neat upgrades if you have the extra money for stations, and duets, etc. We stuck with the standard package (6 passed ouerderves, 1 first course, 3 plated entrees, 4 hour open bar, wine and champagne with dinner) and it was PLENTY of food and plenty to drink! Our guests were drunk, bellies were full, everyone was very pleased.

The Hotel was very gracious about things - I really wanted a signature cocktail and they concocted a great one (hot chocolate spiked with bourbon and with cinnamon sugar whipped cream!), at no extra charge. They had champagne in the staging room for me and my bridesmaids, as well as in our wedding night suite, again, at no extra charge.

The waiters made sure to come by with ouerderves for the bridal party as we were taking pictures - yeah! The service was great too - plates were served promptly, picked up promptly, wine was offered and poured timely - very courteous and helpful! Plenty of ouerderves to go around.

Wedding Details -
Because it was February we got married indoors in the Ballroom, which they then flipped to be the room for the reception. I was amazed the timing of everything went off so perfectly. Everything was completely ready for the ceremony and cocktail rooms well before the guests arrived. The Hotel was able to flip the room in the exact one hour to accommodate 11 tables for 94 guests, all set with placecards, table number cards, all the tables were set, centerpieces, cake table, dance floor, photo slideshow projection screen, other decorative elements - all perfect and ready at 7:00! I looked around and I'm 90% positive even all the guests were EXACTLY as I had put them on the placecard layout - I was impressed they even got all the placecards right in that short time!

I had a decent amount of decorations and Kristin helped 100% to ensure everything was put out for us. This was AWESOME because then none of my family were tagged with the task of say, making sure the personalized cocktail napkins we ordered were out at the bar or anything like that. All I did was made a list for her of all the "decorative elements" we had in the wedding, we met twice in the month or two leading up to the wedding to go over the timeline and I brought examples of everything so she knew what I was talking about. Every SINGLE detail was put out - our birdcage for guests wedding cards, a photo of us on the gift table, a board with cards directing all the guests to the appropriate table number was on the easles, favor bags, our personalized aisle runner, the unity candle and holder set, our fun lighted ice cubes, our personalized cocktail napkins, you name it. They even put the "cling" on the dance floor for us (which is sort of like a giant personalized sticker with our names and wedding date that can be easily removed).

We asked for a slice of each layer of our cake to be in our room for when the wedding was over (because we had 3 different flavors and wanted to try them all!) and it was. Everything was just perfect.

Kristin flexed with my changes with ease - she had it all down! She was also always responsive - there were NUMEROUS emails over the course of the months leading up to the wedding (I had questions about the size of the tables, the room dimensions and layouts, the AV equipment, etc.) and Kristin always replied back to me promptly, courteously, and with the information I needed.

Cost -

The Monaco was not inexpensive, but it was reasonable for this area. For everything that came in the package, I think it was a very good price (because I probably got prices/details from about 60-70 places).

One itty bitty problem that I mention because it was the ONLY thing all weekend that caused me any stress, but just to be realistic in the review:
There was only one problem the whole weekend and it was very very minor. We had Welcome Bags for the guests which were delivered all incorrectly. The plan had been the guests would receive the bag at check-in. The bag had a sticker with the guests name on it on the outside of the bag, which was important, because we had written each guest a personalized note inside the bag, so it mattered who got what bag. What happened is the Hotel delivered the bags to any room in the wedding block without verifying who was in what room, so Mr. and Mrs. Smith got to their room and found a bag for Mr. and Mrs. Brown. I actually believe this mix-up happened because we delivered the bags at 9:00 p.m. at night on Thursday when Kristin was not there (because she works normal business hours). I believe the front desk staff committed the error, but I think if Kristin had been there it would have been done correctly. I called Kristin on Friday after the error was discovered and I believe it was basically resolved. I think one of the problems was that the stickers peeled off a few of the bags - so maybe the Hotel thought it didn't matter who got what. It wasn't that big of a deal because all 20 hotel rooms were reserved by members of my family who knew each other, so they just brought their bag down and got the right bag.

I gave the Moanco a 5 on everything because we really were treated very well, the wedding went off perfect, the timing on everything went like clockwork, they worked great with all our vendors, fun all around for all our guests and us!

We had a wonderful experience with Hotel Monaco! Since our wedding was in February, our venue options were limited. However, once I saw this hotel, I knew this was the right choice. The decor is amazing, and I knew our photographs would come out stunning in this location. I also loved that its in the heart of Old Town so guests loved being able to enjoy what the rest of the area has to offer. We also loved working with the Kristin, the catering sales manger. She was always prompt in responding to my numerous emails and inquiries. On the wedding day itself, I never had to worry that things weren't being taken care of. When I saw everything set up, it was exactly as we had planned! The food was amazing as well...especially the halibut! I highly recommend Hotel Monaco!

Hotel Monaco's facilities were great. The day of went well, without a hitch. The only problems we had were the months leading up to the wedding where our point of contact changed about 3x and we had to follow up numerous times for the Hotel to charge us for the incremental payments. However, that was forgotten after the wedding because they did make up for it during the wedding reception.

Hotel Monaco served as our home base for the wedding. Many of our guests stayed there, we had several receptions there, and the bridal party got ready at Hotel Monaco. The actual wedding was at GW River Farm. As a result we had to coordinate so many logistics so the day would go smoothly. We had brunch brought to the suite for the bride's party (6), the makeup ladies, the hair ladies, mother of the bride, and more. The groom's party also had lunch brought up. The service was amazing. The food was amazing. When we requested something like a steamer for dresses, or more chairs for the makeshift beauty parlor, they were there in a flash. They also would come up several times to pick up and they knew there was a bit of chaos ongoing in the room and the photographer was taking portraits in the room early on. We never asked them to do this, they just did. They were extremely helpful with the planning also - the various meals, many room switches at the last minute. The rooms are large and beautiful. All our guests were so happy with their accommodations. We ran a shuttle and a limo back and forth between River Farm and Hotel Monaco and they helped us with all the logistics also. During the planning whenever we had a question Coleen Walsh, the coordinator for the hotel, returned emails and calls immediately. The place is simply beautiful. The photographer took many of the photos there while everyone was still fresh. The colors in the lobby are incredible and made the pictures beautiful. We are so glad that Hotel Monaco was such a big part of the wedding. It added so much to the event. Thank You , Hotel Monaco!

We had our ceremony in the courtyard and reception in the ballroom. Hotel Monaco definitely lived up to the Kimpton Hotel reputation of providing great service. All of the staff were so attentive to our guest's needs and ensured our wedding ran perfectly. The ballroom comfortably fits 120 people and a dance floor. Great for small-mid size weddings. Jackson 20 caters the events at Hotel Monaco and they also did an amazing job. We received so many compliments on the food. Would highly recommend this venue!

Even though we live so close to the Hotel Monaco, we hadn't really gone to look at it for our wedding. However, we decided to meet with the coordinator, Joi, to have an official tour and get more information. It was her professionalism and expertise, along with the ambience, that led us to book this venue for our reception.
Soon after this Joi left on maternity leave, but her (now permanent) replacement, Stephanie Hulbert, was amazing! Stephanie met with us and our wedding planner every step of the way. She coordinated our signature drinks, the service details we wanted, essentially everything down to where the signing table went.
We did have a little snafu with some people not being in the reserved block, and therefore not getting the special price, but when we brought it up to Stephanie, it was rectified immediately.
My mom, myself, and the bridesmaids ordered lunch from the hotel, and when I told Stephanie a few days before the wedding that I'd like it to arrive at little before 11, she was on it. At 10:50 am, the food arrived and was set up. It's a silly example, but you can tell that really cared about us and our day. She organized everything to allow our vendors access, and the day was perfect!
The courtyard was the perfect cocktail space and the ballroom looked beautiful!
Yes, I wish they had served our cupcakes sooner than they did, and yes I wish the temperature in the ballroom was about 5 degrees cooler, but those were just tiny things in comparison to the whole day.
Definitely take a look--this is a must-see venue!

Like the previous reviewer, I have some mixed feelings about using the Hotel Monaco- Alexandria. We spotted the location while walking through Old Town, and wandered in. I remember the days when it was a beat up Holiday Inn, but also knew the hotel downtown in Penn Quarter. The staff were immediately helpful and happy to take us on a tour of the venue and answer the basic questions we had, also providing us with contact information for the catering coordinator: Joi Funches. Joi, was helpful from the start and ready to take care of our needs at each step of the way. She went to bat for us at the end of the event, which I will get to in a sec.

The venue is very lovely. Well appointed with a new, hip feel the place looks fresh and sophisticated throughout. The courtyard, where we were married (thank you weather gods!) makes for an intimate, but open air place. My only issue is once of maintenance: the wall where we had to set up our chuppah had a large area where the plaster had been damaged and repaired... poorly. In the grand scheme no one noticed it because it was blocked our bridesmaids. Still this is easily fixed with... sandpaper.

The reception hall was just right for us and our 65 guests. Not too big, or small and close to everything we needed. The wait staff was professional unobtrusive. Again, very nice. When we sat down finally for dinner we were excited and most of our guests gave thumbs up to their dinners. I, personally was a little disappointed. Our tasting was great... with good food, attention from Maitre d' and head chef. We really enjoyed all the food we tasted and the wines paired with them... I just with it had translated into what I received at the dinner. It can be hard to prepare food for a large group and I think this was the case here. To me the upsizing of scale for a party of 65 didn't quite happen. It was good food, but not like I remembered it. Maybe uneven is the word to use.

I think the coordination between hotel and restaurant is also a bit uneven as evidenced by the diners lunching at a table in the courtyard a mere hour before our ceremony. That should not be. The space should be ready by the time the bridal party arrives on site! Dirty dishes and such should not be sitting, waiting to be cleaned up while we are decorating for the event. No excuse.

So the coordination and communication amongst the staff can be an issue. This was most grossly seen when the hotel lost our marriage license. Left at the front desk with express orders to give to us, it was no where to be found the next morning. You can imagine the stress this caused. There is absolutely no reason this should have happened. I cannot easily forgive that a legal envelope, clearly labeled as a marriage license (and with our names), was not in any way tracked by the hotel. They are not following any procedures that I can determine for logging articles brought to the front desk for delivery to guests, and they only found the license by canvasing *every* room for the mis-delivery.

The general mis-communication issues seemed rather endemic, frankly. Food was not prepared for the bridal party in a timely fashion in a smaller room (prior to photos), so we did not get to have basically any of the cocktail hors d'oeuvres as initially discussed. I think this had little to do with Joi, who managed as best she could, but the hotel catering staff is obviously under-staffed and ill able to handle crises when they do occur.

Oh, and a bridesmaid dress was lost (and not found until after the wedding), when it was taken by the hotel for pressing. This issue was resolved to the best of the hotel's capabilities, however- they called in Hannelore's in Alexandria to bring a substitute dress, had it altered for my bridesmaid, and paid for all of it. They also comped her one night at the hotel as recompense for her trouble. But the fact that the dress was lost... was very upsetting to discover the day of the wedding.

Did I mention that there were several occassions when our guests called to make reservations and no one knew about our event? This was quickly remedied, but required a phone call or two. :sigh:

I guess the flip side is that the staff was professional in trying to address issues when brought to their attention, they were understanding, and supportive. Joi really worked hard to fix the issues calling and coordinating with her staff, our officiant, and day of coordinator Tiffany Parry (Ribbon Box Events), and us until all was resolved. We are also sure she went out of her way make sure we got the best deal for our event that we could, and to contact their sister hotel in Miami, where we stayed for our honeymoon, to see to it that we got the royal treatment, which we did. (hats off to the Epic!)

So, in the end would we go back there? Yes. If we had had more of these reviews to go on we would have been more careful and handled things differently. It was a lovely time, location and the memories and pictures tell the true tale. Give them some consideration if you are looking in old town. Hopefully this review will help you prepare to navigate any potential issues before/should they occur. I have no doubt they will only continue to improve, if the other hotels in the chain are any indicator.

#Positives:
- Pretty, well appointed, comfortable
- Great Catering Coordinator
- Reduced prices made it affordable for Northern Virgina
- Comped suite for bridal couple the evening of the event, lovely with complementary Champagne among other things
- Easy access to airports, metro, and site seeing for out of town guests.
- Staff friendly and responsive, even if there are mistakes.

#Negatives:
- Lacking communication and coordination between staff members/teams.
- Food better than average but not up to tasting quality.
- Confusion with reservation department and event staff.

I am conflicted in my review.. on one hand it was MORE than I ever expected... on the other hand.. it was disappointing.. but they're both on opposite ends of the spectrum so I'll deal with them individually.

MORE than I ever expected: Firstly the venue is gorgeous.. Bohemian, Moroccan gorgeous.. RIGHT in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. one of the most Historic Cities on the East Coast (2nd to Savannah,GA) We met...a YEAR before our desired date.. got a tour and my then fiancee (who is a chef) discussed with the POC and Executive Chef that he wanted something specific with regard to the food. Fast Forward 6 months - our POC was SO helpful with accommodating me (I had recently lost my job) went ABOVE AND BEYOND to help us. I am so grateful for her help. We reserved the Loft Suite and I am SO GLAD we did! It was perfect!!! Wow... I got ready upstairs and everyone stayed downstairs to get hair/makeup done. When I got to the room, there was a nice surprise from the Hotel waiting for me. SO nice!!! The Hotel makes you feel so at home.. with a Goldfish in the room.. so nice! Free WiFi and Oh my gosh People.... THEY USE AVEDA PRODUCTS!!! This ALONE made my stay worth it!!! My husband surprised my party with an IN ROOM Massage Therapist... and then brought Champagne and sandwiches to the room.. via the Hotel..It was wonderful!!! It unfortunately rained and so we had to move the ceremony from Oronoco Bay Park a few blocks down to inside the Paris Ballroom... Thankfully we hired a wonderful coordinator... but the Hotel had it done for us perfectly! We had about 125 people attending.. and it was perfect. The reception was perfect.. I had a wonderful wonderful experience at the Hotel and would say you're in great hands with respect to being taken care of on your Wedding Weekend.

Disappointing: I wish I didn't have to bring this up but two things..because FOR ME the things that were important to me went off without a hitch. The cost and the food (inter related) was dissapointing. I really do not want to go into this too much.. would rather focus on what was WONDERFUL but the food did not meet my husbands expectations at all. It was disappointing to him and to many of our guests who was expecting fine dining food. Also the cost was more than we expected to pay but the pluses (the location, the ambiance... the 'look' we wanted. That we paid it but if we had to do it again.. the Food (which led the cost) did NOT meet up with how many thousands of dollars we paid.

The Paris Ballroom and outdoor courtyard at the Monaco was a fantastic space for our wedding reception of 85 guests. Actually there is nothing about the ambiance of the entire hotel that I would change. The location was fabulous as well, being located in the midst of Old Town Alexandria which has all the charm, luxury, and romance that creates a fabulous backdrop for any wedding. I feel as though I did not have to spend a lot of additional money on decor, set-up, food and drink b/c the Monaco has it right there for you included in the cost. I was not thrilled with the recommendations on how to set-up the room blocks as we did not end up having enough rooms available for all of our guests. And the only visible hiccups on their behalf had to do with a few details of how the staff arranged the tables (the parents of the bride and groom were for some reason located at the back walls rather than near the head table as directed and taught in event/ wedding planning 101) along with confusion as to what to do once the cake was cut (again, event/ wedding planning 101). But all-in-all, the venue was well worth it and I would recommend it to anyone planning a wedding in Old Town Alexandria. Also, the food from Jackson 20 was fantastic, compliments to Chef Derek!! Also, Joi Bradley was a pleasure to work with from start to end.

We found the Hotel Monaco difficult to work with right from the start. The only reason we had it there is because we loved the look of the hotel and it was very close to our church. It worked much better once our wedding planner was the contact person for the hotel. Some examples of issues: wanting to move me from one room to another on my wedding day, despite a tasting and a printed menu they did not serve the sides we chose, some of our guests were harassed by hotel staff upon checking in because they had a special rate reserved for our guests. The sales office lacks customer service skills.

The Hotel Monaco is a beautiful place for a wedding. We had our ceremony in the outdoor courtyard and the reception inside. They catered all the food and it was delicious and everything went off without a hitch.

Hands down my favorite venue to shoot in Alexandria. I've been the photographer at upwards of ten events here, and every one has been stunning. The staff are wonderful, the food is great, and the location can't be beat!

Hotel Monaco is a stunningly gorgeous venue! I absolutely love when I get hired to photograph a wedding there because there is no doubt the photos will be colorful, artistic, and fun! Alison Manning is such a talent and does such a great job coordinating with brides before the wedding! The food is super yummy and the staff is always helpful, professional, and courteous. Looking forward to photographing more awesome couples and events at the Hotel Monaco in the future!

A Kimpton Hotel - enough said!

I've had the wonderful opportunity to work at this gorgeous venue quite a few times. Every client I've had that has held their wedding there was blown away with the friendly staff, amazing food, and gorgeous intimate spaces. I always know that I'm in good hands with Kimpton!

Allison Manning, the Catering Sales Manager, is the "bee's...

Lovely venue, excellent custom service, a delight to work with.

The Hotel Monaco Alexandria is a fabulous venue that I never hestitate recommending for my clients. Besides the great space and wonderful location, Allison Manning and the rest of the staff at the hotel are amazing to work with. One of the best compliments I can give is every time I go there, you continually see the same faces. That seems to be rare find in hotels. Kimpton obviously does a great job retaining talent and they will be sure to make your day truly special!

What a beautiful Space! I have worked at both of your locations and I just LOVE the feeling I get when I go there! Truly welcoming staff and wonderful accommodations, very impressed! Look forward to having more Weddings here!

I have worked at many venues in the MD-DC-VA area and I would have to say the Hotel Monaco is by far my favorite venue. If you are getting married anytime soon I would highly recommend the Monaco. The staff and food are the best in the industry. You get treated like a royalty as soon as you walk through the doors.The ambiance is wonderful and there is no other venue like it in the area. Allison the catering sales manager has a wonderful personality, keeps everything running very smoothly and is just great to work with. I feel like part of their family and team and always love when I book a wedding at the Hotel Monaco. You will love it!

The Hotel Monaco in Alexandria goes so far beyond a typical "hotel" experience -- the event space is beautiful, the food is amazing and the staff is so talented. We feel fortunate to do many weddings there each year and always look forward to the next one! A great space for a wedding!

I had a wonderful experience at this Hotel. The staff was great! Very cozy place, and my clients loved it. Every single staff member was pleasant to work with. Jennifer, Pink Swan Events.

I had the pleasure of photographing a wedding for one of my clients at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria a couple of weeks ago, and I just had to write a recommendation. Set on a main street in Old Town, the Hotel Monaco features dramatic lighting, vintage charm and incredible details that make it a wonderful venue for photography.

As a wedding vendor, I absolutely love working at Kimpton Hotels. Not only is the decor always gorgeous and unique at each one, but I always find the staff to be extremely courteous and helpful, which I can't say about every venue that I work...