The Cotton Room

The Cotton Room was the perfect venue for our wedding. From the beginning, their communication was easy and timely, making the planning process so much smoother. The quality of their work and the overall value was simply beautiful and romantic and definitely worth the price! Courtney, our coordinator, was incredibly organized and answered all of our questions with patience and care. Their staff was efficient and very kind to us and all of our guests. The space itself is so gorgeous that decorations were a breeze - their all-inclusive experience made wedding planning stress-free. The Cotton Room team knows exactly what they're doing and they execute it flawlessly. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding day.

Our search for a wedding venue pretty much came to a complete stop once we found the cotton room. The decor was everything we had been looking for. From the exposed brick to the huge windows, the bride and groom suites to the location of the building itself. The space got a ton of natural light which was as perfect for the time of day of our ceremony. It literally had everything we could ask for. The staff were very accommodating and very friendly which made the entire wedding process that much easier for us. Very special thank you’s to Natalie and Melissa for all their hard work. The food was delicious and the drinks were very good too. Our wedding guests raved about both. The wait staff and bartenders went above and beyond not just for me and my wife but for all of our guests and it was very much appreciated. Our wedding day was perfect and The Cotton Room and their staff played a huge part in make that possible. Thank you so much again.

We got married in the cotton room Lian space in 3rd floor. It’s absolutely stunning. The bridal and groom suite is the prettiest and most spacious ones I’ve seen. our assigned event manager Melissa was amazing, she collaborated the timeline well with me, and step up to help coordinate the day of my wedding. Our wedding day couldn’t go so smooth Without her help. Kudos to all the staff as well, they are all super friendly, polite and personable, they go out of their way to help you out, chit chat with you like old friends. And of course the venue itself is so beautiful, and I love that they included a lot of items/ services. We also love the open house events , we got to try so many food and had a great sense of how the wedding day could be like.

We had our wedding there and the only word I can use to describe the whole experience is MAGNIFICENT! The venue itself is stunning. The open spaces and attention to details give it the classy look we wanted. The day of staff was so warm and pleasant and very accommodating. When we booked the place we were assigned a coordinator who was knowledgeable and patient and treated us as if we were her only clients, always available when needed. The venue required us to use their caterer but this was not an issue because their selection and food was amazing, not the typical wedding food. We even had options for late night snacks that were a hit with our guests. The process was easy and we felt like we got the custom made wedding of our dreams. Plus the location and parking are convenient. We looked at other venues but once we saw The Cotton Room we fell in love. Highly recommend.

What a beautiful venue and an amazing team to work with. We had our wedding here in February 2025 and were so glad we did. This venue is amazing because it’s in downtown Durham and close to all the hotels. The space is so beautiful. You don’t need to add much décor because the space is so beautiful on its own. We got so many compliments from our guests on how beautiful the space was. Many of them said it made the whole day more fun. The CR team was wonderful to work with. The food was delicious, even better than the tastings we did. The drinks were amazing. (And we loved having our drink tasting and getting to create some fun specialty drinks.) They sourced a local beer and our favorite New England beer for us to have at the wedding too much was a great treat. The staff made the whole event flow seamlessly, the space was beautiful, and we felt so well cared for. We can’t recommend this venue enough!

The venue is beautiful with a warm, inviting and romantic atmosphere. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They are also quick and efficient with flipping the room. The Cotton Room has a nice layout with plenty of room for a ceremony and reception in the same space. I would definitely recommend this venue for a social gathering, wedding, birthday party or baby shower.

The Cotton Room is a stunning venue! It was a great pleasure doing photography and video at this venue for a wedding last month. There is tons of natural light everywhere, this makes it really great for pictures and video. The bride and groom suites are some of the best I've seen and you have so many layout options to choose from. I am super excited to capture our upcoming weddings here.

The Cotton Room is, simply put, one of the best wedding venues in North Carolina. And I've photographed weddings at A LOT of venues. Every time I get an inquiry for a Cotton Room wedding, I cross all my fingers and toes that the couple will book me. The team at Cotton Room / TCH is outstanding and genuinely wants to make your wedding amazing.

We needed to sue the Cotton Room to get our deposit back for our wedding reception that they never hosted. I would not trust them and do not recommend booking them for your event. We booked a wedding reception for 150 people for 9/5/20. On that day, the NC Governor had an Executive Order in place limiting mass gatherings due to COVID, so our wedding reception obviously could not safely or legally take place. We asked the Cotton Room to return our deposit since we could not have our wedding. The Executive Director's response included: "We will not be giving you a deposit back. That is non negotiable and will not happen" With no other choice, we were forced to sue to recoup the deposit we had given (more than $15,000). After nearly two years, we reluctantly agreed to a settlement so we could avoid further legal fees and start planning a new wedding. I feel the Cotton Room owners and Executive Director treated us rudely, callously, and unfairly, ruining what was supposed to be one of the best days of our lives. I would caution others to consider our customer experience when deciding whether to work with the Cotton Room in the future.

Very nice large room with high ceilings and a lot of light for meetings or possibly a reception. The parking is easy to find and plentiful. In addition, the arrows highlighting the direction to the conference were very helpful. The tables were arranged appropriately separated from the other. Intermittently, you can see a train go past a window, which surprisingly was not disruptive but gave a nice charm to the room and a industrial feel that you get in Downtown Durham.

We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine: Parking: 4 Location: 4 Decor/ambiance: 5 Customer Service: 5 Super swanky event space! My company had a company party here a few months ago and WOW what an amazing venue. Of course we had a decor company come in and jazz the place up but the general aesthetics of the building were nice and classy. The wood planks and floor gave for a nice elegant yet barn house feel to the facility. During the day, the lighting is amazing! The exterior of the venue is kinda worn as its old dusty bricks (just my opinion). They had nice working elevators as well as security and a hostess check in front desk area on the first floor. Parking is kind of limited but mostly a factor of the events popularity that you are attending. The location is great as this spot is grand central to downtown Durham!

We hosted a bat mitzvah event at The Cotton Room on Saturday, April 22, 2023 from 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. with approximately 160 people (100 kids and 60 adults) and spent over $30,000. It is rare for me to have such a negative experience with a vendor, but unfortunately, this was my experience with The Cotton Room. During the approximately six-month-long planning process, we had a very difficult time with our assigned event planner, Melissa, which I've detailed below. After the event, I contacted the owner of the company so we could meet and discuss the very poor customer service. A week had gone by with no response, so I messaged her again and let her know that I was still open to using The Cotton Room for my second daughter's bat mitzvah, but was frustrated by both my experience with Melissa and the owner's lack of response. The owner finally replied and only gave me one option of a date and time to come in to meet with her a few days later on a weekday at 10 a.m.). Since I'm a school teacher, that didn't work, so I provided all of my availability before the end of the school year and over the summer since it was near summer break. The owner never replied and it has now been three months with multiple follow up attempts by me to set up a meeting. I'm now not that surprised about the customer service from the event planner after being treated this way by the owner. I will say that the bartenders and food servers at The Cotton Room were all wonderful. I'm including a detailed list of issues we encountered both during the planning process and at the start of the event, which includes changing prices two weeks before the event, changing food and drink items at the event without any notification prior, forgetting to include items we paid for, mistakes on decorative items, not checking in with us during the entire event, losing items we provided, incorrect menu items served, incorrect room layout so our centerpieces didn't fit, and many others). Since the owner will not make time to hear about these issues directly, I felt compelled to write a review in order to prevent what happened to us from happening to anyone else. These are only a few of the MANY issues. Feel free to message me for more details. - I was very clear from the beginning that we were hosting a bat mitzvah with at least half of our guests being 12-13 year olds and that we wanted a station-style event with adult toppings on kid-friendly food items (e.g. a nacho bar with upscale add-on options for adults). We were quoted a less expensive kids price for all of the kids but were then told only a few weeks before the event that ALL GUESTS would be charged an adult price because the kids were over 10 years old (this was a $23 price differential per child and with 100 kids that meant an extra $2,300!). They refused to honor their original quote and we had no other choice but to pay the extra money or find another location two weeks before the event, which wasn't feasible. - The most important thing for my 13-year old daughter was the Boba Tea bar for her friends. She chose two flavors from the list they offered. Just two days before the event, they changed the flavors without telling us - I only noticed it on an invoice. We made phone calls and emailed to ensure we'd have the right flavors and Melissa ensured we would and I received confirmation via text message. However, when we arrived, they were the flavors listed on the invoice that my daughter didn't want (jasmine and matcha instead of strawberry and brown sugar, which is a huge difference for young teens). Instead of taking the family photos before our guests arrived, we had to taste test new boba tea combinations they were trying to put together with the ingredients they had on hand. There was never an apology from Melissa even though I explicitly expressed many times that this drink station was the most important thing to my teenage daughter. - We had to follow up multiple times (sometimes up to 5 times before we received a response), and when we did, Melissa would only respond to one small detail and avoided answering our other questions. We repeatedly followed up to finalize things but either were ignored completely or received minimal answers. When they finally did respond closer to the event, we were told it was too late to make any further changes. - I asked about the room layout countless times so we could order our decorations appropriately. We were given an answer very late, but when we arrived at the event, it was different from what they provided and our centerpieces didn't coordinate properly. - The Cotton Room ordered the wrong number of linens and didn't communicate with the rental company so even though I picked everything out 9 months prior, we had to re-pick from a limited stock the week before our event.

this establishment is such a gorgeous place. once on the inside and u start working for the owners u realize uve just walked into help all dressed up. I have been a bartender for 18yrs. I've worked every type of bar imagined. Ive worked for establishments, restaurants, temp agency's, high end places, bed and breakfasts and so many more. These ppl could care less about ur happy day they want ur money. The planners have no sense of control they only exist during the night. They are beyond disrespectful and have no education on professionalism. I'm not saying dont rent this venu. I'm only saying don't risk your memorys.

Beautiful space and good food. Day of planner absolutely sucked from the beginning. Cameras in changing area. Communication is super lacking even after trying to get clarification on my end. Ordered food to the suites and didn't get them until hours later then what was told. (Told it would be ready when we got there (9am)- wasn't there until after 2pm). Received attitude day of. Had minimal requests and felt like it was a huge burden to them. Suites aren't secure as told, so don't keep anything valuable there. Staff/bartenders were very kind and tried their best off the lack of communication. My DJ saved the day with the coordinating at the event. Day of coordinating was atrocious.

The Big East US Coffee Championships were held on January 17-19, 2014, in the Cotton Room on the 3rd floor of this beautifully renovated former textile mill in Durham's historic district. Hardwood flooring throughout, brick walls, natural wood columns, tall arched windows, and sleek white leather couches which provided cozy seating areas to socialize and enjoy the rich flavors of freshly brewed coffee and espresso. Beautiful warm, inviting spaces for brewmasters and baristas to expertly prepare their brews. Sunshine streaming through plenty of windows and skylights. The natural lighting was perfect for participants to charm the crowds and judges with their presentations. Overall, a gorgeous venue with plenty of allure and character.

We just flew in for a corporate event, I felt another social gathering, but boy was I amazed. We were met at the door with designer drinks and hors. I was greeted at the door by a gentleman names Chris. He shared he was a Sales Planner and he kept my team and I smiling all night. We were provided a DJ with great music, games to help unwind after a day of training & lectures. Drinks! Drinks Drinks..the Bar team executed with all with precision. Butler staff were amazing! If i lived on the East Coast I would defiantly use this place for more events. Now, here is the kicker food was AMAZING! Thank you Chris for a memorable occasion!

We've photographed several weddings at the Cotton Room and always look forward to more. The space is inviting and beautiful, irrespective of the time of day. Staff are well practiced at executing the room flip from ceremony space to full reception space, and in our experience, it never impedes guests' enjoyment of the event. If it's in your budget, the white drape adds a fantastic visual impact. We also cannot say enough good things about the new Magnolia Suite for getting ready; the windows, the mirrors, the decor, oh my! The clean, industrial chic look; the variety of spaces; the location and easy proximity to downtown Durham; and the overall feel of the Golden Belt property and variety it affords to photos all combine to make The Cotton Room one of our absolute favorite venues. If industrial chic is your style, The Cotton Room just might be the venue for you!

Went to a wedding here last weekend and it was lovely. Nice decorations in the venue, decent food, good sound system, really nice bartenders. Clean bathrooms and even had someone there to watch the coat rack. Great place to celebrate a joyous event

The event space is beautiful and I would have loved to have my wedding there but it seems as though the venue coordinator with whom I've been corresponding with does not want my money. I was sent a proposal with pricing, and met over the phone with her to make a few changes (and by a few I mean like two or 3 small changes), well that was at the beginning of August. Here were are literally a month later and I have not heard anything back from her. I can't begin really planning anything for this wedding (which I was trying to get a large head start on) until I book a a venue. And for the $70/per person catering fee and $5000+ venue use fee you would think the customer service would be a little more attentive. Especially when I've scaled my guest list back JUST to be able to use this space because I fell in love with the space. I feel like they don't deserve such a beautiful space if this is how they are going to treat their customers. It makes me sad that I have to even consider another venue after finding what I thought was my dream venue because the staff can't send an email or follow up call. I even began telling people that I found our venue now I have to backtrack. Go somewhere where your money will be appreciated.

Right after my wife and I were engaged, we were looking for a place to hold our wedding reception. In the interest of full disclosure, we had an awful experience just trying to meet with the staff. We first set up an appointment to tour the facility, only to show up and find no one there. Eventually a poor soul who was attempting to setup for another event that day attempted to give us a quick overview, but was obviously busy trying to set up for the other event. I waited, expecting to receive an email apologizing for missing the meeting and offering to reschedule at our convenience, but ended up having to contact the staff to remind them that they had missed our appointment. Needless to say, I was not keen on even returning to meet with them, but we did. Absent our negative first experience, I'll attempt to give as objective a review as possible. Pros: The venue is beautiful. The exposed brick and natural lighting are wonderful. There are a huge number of options for how to set up the room. The staff is very willing to work with you on seating arrangements, layout, etc. to make the best use of the space for your event. Cons: We found the prices to be a bit steep, particularly in regard to minimum amounts. This was a con for us, but for large receptions, this may not be an issue. The Cotton Room can make an excellent venue, but it almost seemed like their staff were stretched too thin. It seems that they do a large number of corporate events, and weddings (particularly wedding receptions, where the ceremony is at another site) may not be a huge priority for them. That could be totally wrong, but that's the feeling I was left with. For our wedding day, we wanted a place that would make our reception a priority, and given the initial negative experience, we didn't feel that this was the place.

We were at this venue today for the Eastern Regional Barista Coffee Championships running here this weekend. I'd say there were around 200 people in the venue and it felt bustling but not too full. The acoustics seemed really good. This is one of the historic tobacco warehouse spaces Durham is famous for. The windows and skylights are very nice and let in a lot of light. I really enjoyed being in the venue, I liked the white leather couches and wood floors. We parked in a back lot that was mostly empty and about 250 feet from the entrance.

Came here on a Friday night with my date for a wedding. Parking wasn't too bad since there is a nice parking lot outside of the building. When you walk inside, you have to take the elevator up to the Cotton Room. The venue itself was excellent in terms of decor. The food was excellent and so was the open bar. The employees were all very friendly and helpful. Overall, definitely a great place for a wedding.

I attended my first event ever at The Cotton Room last night. I was looking forward to it as it's a well-known venue in Durham that I've heard wonderful things about. Unfortunately, last night they seemed more like a place that had just opened and didn't know what they were doing. The event was 7-11. The internet was apparently down in the building so check-in took a long time (it was a fundraising gala that had an auction so you had to check in and get set up with payments, etc.). By the time we got inside, which was well after 7, they were only just starting to bring out the food. The staff chastised people for trying to take food before they were done being set up, even though everyone was just super hungry. My friend who was on the committee for the event said the food was supposed to be totally set up at 7, but they were just starting to bring it out at 7:30. People quickly consumed the food that was out, and then there was a huge delay while they brought out the second round - the kitchen was clearly very behind. In the meantime, the tables were a mess - dirty dishes piled up, signs knocked over, food spilled. One station had crab dip that was quickly eaten (it was delicious!) and then it didn't get refilled for 30 minutes or so. The staff was harried and kind of mean to guests. I asked a staff member what kind of sandwich a slider was that he'd just placed on a table and he said rudely he didn't know under his breath and then turned and walked away. I was taken aback. The bar also had huge lines all night. It was an open bar and I have no idea what the problem was since there were no transactions to be rung up - not enough bartenders? - but you had to wait about 20 minutes to get a drink. People were asking for two drinks at a time. Finally they started bringing out trays of beer to try to alleviate the lines a bit. The sound system also had some problems - a space like that should have a sound system installed throughout the venue because it's large and not just one open rectangle. Instead they had a temporary PA system set up in one part of the venue. The band sounded great but when they made announcements about the auction or stuff happening, no one could understand what was being said. The space is gorgeous, and it was really nicely decorated, and the food all tasted really good. I heard there was a wedding in there until 4:30 (not sure of the truth though) so maybe they didn't leave enough time to flip the venue. The Cotton Room has been around for years and is one of the more expensive venues in Durham, so the kitchen and staff issues are pretty inexcusable, particularly the rudeness of the people working there. I hope the non-profit gets their money back. If you are considering holding an event or wedding there, ask them about WTF happened at the gala on October 26, 2019 and how they can be sure it won't happen to your event. If it was my wedding or event this happened at, I would have been tremendously disappointed.

Talk about accommodating. The Cotton Room created a beautiful nikah (Islamic ceremony) setting for us; agreed to let us use an outside caterer for the South Asian/halal menu we wanted for the reception; and were extremely responsive to my calls and emails since I was planning the wedding from DC. The venue is beautiful: it shows very nicely in pictures with its wooden floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and exposed ductwork. The linens, chinaware, glassware, and silverware were included in the rental and all we had to do was pick out the colors we wanted. For decorations, nothing more was needed than flowers and candle holders for the table settings (and that's because we wanted them, not because they were required). Our friends and family also loved the venue and commented on the beauty of the space. I'm really glad we found The Cotton Room. I smile every time I look at the pictures of our wedding and think about the great experience we had working with Jeriann, our awesome event coordinator.

What a wonderful venue for an event. I recently attended the Power Company Relive and Remember Reunion at the Cotton Room. It was an event meant to reunite the people who used to enjoy a very popular gay bar in downtown Durham called The Power Company (AKA 42nd Street when it first opened). Legendary female impersonators from "back in the day" were there to perform once again to music spun by some of the original DJs, and the crowd was thick with friends and acquaintances that you'd normally see at the bar but may have lost touch with over the years. The space was lovely. There was a stage for the DJs along the back wall with a dance floor in the middle of the room. There were some nice seating areas, tall tables near the dance floor so you could sit your cocktail down while you watched the show or got out there and danced, a rope swing near the entrance for some fun photo-ops, and two cash bars. The restrooms were right there in the event space. The coat check was downstairs. The location at Golden Belt is easy to find and parking was plentiful. It's a great space for a great time!

I came here for a wedding and I've got to say the venue was beautiful. The staff was amazing and it ran like a well oiled machine. The feel of the space was very rustic which contributed to the ambiance of the venue.

I am planning my wedding and looking for full service event spaces in town. Someone recommended the Cotton Room based on their positive experience at an event they attended there. I emailed the staff at the Cotton Room to receive a brochure and set up an appointment to view the space. They gave me a few options, I made my selection, and they confirmed. The coordinator also asked for my cell phone, I assumed in case anything changed. I spent a marathon weekend touring spaces and meeting with event coordinators saving the Cotton Room (what I thought was going to be IT) for last. Only to arrive and NO ONE WAS THERE. It was a Friday, at noon, and NO ONE WAS THERE. No one answered the phone, no one answered my email. I emailed a couple of days later to inquire about what happened and to make sure I had the correct appointment time (I know I did), and didn't get a response. Don't waste your time, Wedding planning is all about communication and coordination, and this place gets 0 stars for both. If you are into chasing your wedding/reception staff check them out! The space is absolutely beautiful! Edited to add: I also received a brochure that said that the per person rate includes tax and gratuity. How they can continue to make that "mistake" is beyond me.

I posted a review over the weekend and don't know why it was taken off Yelp. Last Thursday I attended a breakfast at The Cotton Room. The elevator was out the entire time; several attendees struggled to walk up the stairs, one on a walker, another with a cane. The floor was sticky. Due to the lighting it was impossible to see the projection screen. Lastly, right after the breakfast ended, two attendees were talking by one of the tables and were told to continue the conversation in the lobby by a banquet employee, saying that they needed to clean off the tables.

The cotton room is a really cool venue. Outside looks like a number of redone warehouses but once you get upstairs the room is awesome. I attended a wedding reception there this past Saturday and the theme was brunch. They had a endless mimosa bar with traditional, mango and blackberry mimosa's. The staff was very friendly. They passed around apple fritters and prosciutto wrapped eggs until the wedding party arrived. The brunch included breakfast favorites with a made to order omelette bar. Fantastic choice..

The Cotton Room is a really cool venue, though I was thrown off at first. From the outside, it had a factory feel and my immediate impression was that we were not in a fancy part of town. After I entered the building, however, I was astonished at how lovely it was. I was here for a work get-together and it was the perfect venue for our event. It was extremely spacious with a industrial chic motif. The room had a simplistic design that consisted of hors d'oeuvre tables, dining tables, several areas of white couches with wood coffee tables, a bar, and plenty of space for a dance floor. The oversized windows allowed for plenty of natural light and enhanced the open feel. The outside is not pretty enough, in my opinion, to be a wedding venue but I think it would be a great spot for a reception dinner, birthday/anniversary party, baby shower, or any other type of large group gathering.

Came here for my work place president's award ceremony. From the outside, the place looks like all the other surrounding buildings. Once we entered the building, we were directed to the 3rd floor to the dining hall. The floor presentation was amazing. There were plenty of natural light which was nice. The food was good too although I was disappointed they didn't have any dressings for the salad or any steak sauce for the steaks. I even asked for ketchup but they didn't have it. Both sweet tea and unsweetened tea were served; however, once the sweet tea was gone, it was gone. Apparently they ran out. The servers were good. They filled our glasses and made sure our table was clean by taking away all the finished plates. Finally, I would give a 5 star score on the dessert as there was a variety of choices to choose from. Overall, my experience here was very positive.

I wanted to personally send my deepest gratitude and sincere thanks for everything that The Cotton Room did to make our wedding so special. My wife and I have gotten countless comments and positive feedback regarding the entire experience, from the food, to the venue and friendliness of the staff. Everyone was so accommodating and helpful! We appreciate and admire your ability to work with us. I know at times we could be overbearing and worry warts, but we wanted to have the best wedding we could and give or family and friends a great experience as we celebrated or special day. You made it all happen for us and we couldn't have asked for a better day!

Absolutely beautiful venue for having an event. Wonderfully kept large space that I would jump at the chance to rent for any occasion!

I had the most amazing wedding here. A countless number of guests told me this was the best wedding they have ever been to. The food, flowers, and staff were immaculate. I couldn't recommend more highly.

Attended a wedding at the Cotton Room recently and it was an absolutely stunning venue for any event. Tall ceilings, exposed brick and wood, and tons of soft natural light creates just a wonderfully magical atmosphere. This is apparently a pretty popular venue for weddings in the area, so book your date in advance if you're committed. Just one word of warning though, I heard from my friend that you have to do catering and alcohol through them, which is fine but the food that served was pretty subpar and the bartenders didn't know how to make anything that wasn't simple (ie I got a straight up "I don't know how to make that" when I ordered a Tom Collins - um, try googling it dude?), which was my only complaint.

Sheri K. Cary, NC 12/14/18 My son and now daughter in law were married at The Cotton Room in a beautiful Christmas wedding on December 14th last year. I feel compelled to share my experience so others might avoid the same. The venue space was absolutely stunning with the provided Christmas decorations and then the brides added decor. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time with our fantastic DJ and all commented on how beautiful the ceremony and the space was. I am thankful for that because the food and beverage service was absolutely terrible! Our trouble seemed to start with the ceremony being 20 minutes late for no explainable reason. Both sides were ready well ahead of the expected start time. The bar service was to include 3 bartenders at all times with 3 wine and 4 beer selections that had been made earlier. They never put out one of the most popular of our beer selections. We had our own experience plus were told of at least several others where guests were told to come back in 30 minutes because there was no cold beer or cold signature cocktails. Several times there was only one elderly and very slow bartender. The water and drinks on tables were taken up an hour before the reception ended and when guests went to get water from the bartenders, they were out of glasses. I could go on! Then the food....the passed hors d'ouvres at the cocktail hour were delicious. Beyond that, at least 2/3 of the food was completely inedible. The shrimp and grits were underdone and cold, the flaming pasta wheel tasted like pure alcohol and was cold, the chicken and waffles were cold, the fried pickles were cold and tasted like cardboard. The beef tenderloin was delicious but ran out quickly (before all guests went through the stations) and was never replenished despite there being a two hour food service listed in the contract. Soon after the event, both the bride's parents as well as myself and my husband wrote and called The Cotton Room to talk about all of the issues. It was our experience that there was never a sincere apology for things gone wrong and instead, excuses. Finally after about eight weeks, the bride's family was able to get a partial refund for the food (not nearly enough in our opinion...especially since we had raved about how great the food was going to be). For us, with a botched bar service, we were offered the cost of four cases of the IPA they didn't put out for a total of $237 out of the thousands that we payed. I cannot even express the frustration that we (the parents) experienced with all of this. Avoid!

Spacious rental facility in Downtown Durham. Location maybe a bit difficult to find if you're not familiar with the area, but it's a great location, not far from downtown or 147. Ample parking behind the building. Easy to get to elevator up to the room through a welcoming reception area. Inside the Cotton Room it's very open and allows renters to really make the space their own with decorations, etc. Restrooms are within the space. Overall a very nice location for a special party or wedding reception.

We attended a wedding reception at The Cotton Room on December 2, 2016. The food was superb. The wait staff was extremely attentive, polite, and truly exemplified "service with a smile". The venue was elegantly decorated. We highly recommend this venue for your next event.

I was fortunate enough to attend Downtown Durham Inc.'s annual meeting held at The Cotton Room at Golden Belt. What a gorgeous venue. The natural light from the floor to ceiling windows open up the intimate venue. So you'll need to keep this in mind if you plan to have any video during your event. With a creative event planner, the space is a blank canvas and offers up many possibilities.

We booked our wedding at the cotton room, and the space is amazing. You look at the set up and look and feel, and it is wonderful. I will give credit where credit is due. Venue - 4 to 5 stars Food - 4 to 5 stars Service from the staff that were serving food - 4 to 5 stars That is where the accolades start to fade. The Groom's suite had not been cleaned from the night before, and there were empty beer bottles in the trash can and the room smelt like a frat house after a long Friday night. The K-cup coffee maker was dysfunctional, and would not work.. They did bring a couple of cups of coffee down for me, which was nice gesture, but didn't fix the problem. The iPad photo booth, that we paid for was there, but none of the props for it were. My bride asked the maid of honor to check on it with our "wedding coordinator " and she informed the maid of honor that it was my wife's fault for not having any props. She said my wife was going to supply them. Once confronted, she remembered our conversation, and did apologize. Luckily we had brought some custom props. They do not offer a cash bar like they promised. And did not tell us until about two weeks before the wedding when they asked how we wanted to do the bar. I told them cash bar, and she said we don't do those. We went back and forth, and she asked me to show her where I had that in the contract. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!!!! I would not even talk to them, unless it was in writing. The owner, was not any more helpful. She has no idea what customer service is about, she just points to policies and contracts. My fault for taking someone at their word. Pink Lemonade - We ordered the pink lemonade, and noticed it wasn't there during the wedding. She told us that the container broke, and they were sorry. They reimbursed us for this and the photo booth. There is a long list of emails that went back and forth after the comedy of errors on their part. There were several other issues that happened that day, and Triangle Catering was only interested in one thing. Their wallets or more importantly yours. If you choose to spend your very hard earned money on this place hire your own coordinator, or wedding planner. And get absolutely everything in writing. After months of chasing them, and no I wish I was kidding, months of chasing them I finally was told "that after much thought and prayer that the "$$$ (very small amount) "is the most appropriate and accurate amount." Two things, GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING, AND HIRE YOUR OWN WEDDING PLANNER.

I was just here for my professional organization's opening reception for a conference and it was a really, really nice venue. It has the warehouse feel of Bay 7 over at American Tobacco, with great lighting and ambiance and lots of room to accommodate a large group. I could see this as a perfect setting for a wedding or any special occasion gathering.

It's an all-inclusive wedding and special event venue. Logistics and day-of wedding planning was done professionally and efficiently. Room transformation, spacing, food, bar selection, really everything was done very well. There's even a fully stocked bar in the "groom's suite" complete with PS4. If I were to guess, using them for a wedding is probably at the top tier high end for the research triangle area. But you get what you pay for and I thought everything was performed perfectly. I should make it clear that this review is from a friend's wedding, not my own, so cannot comment on dealing with the staff directly on planning.

Came here for a wedding reception and this place is beautiful. They've got gorgeous hardwood floor, floor to ceiling windows and lovely decorations . The staff are professional and efficient and the food and drinks are great. My one and only wish was that they placed more trash cans and had wi fi for those of us less social guests.

For the past several years, my husband's work group has had their big Christmas party here, and this year's was last night. I felt compelled to write a review because the venue consistently does an amazing job hosting us, and last night was no exception. They adapted to the rain well, changing the check in process to make things work faster/go more smoothly. They have a fast and efficient coat check, which is always great in the winter months. The venue itself is gorgeous with amazing floors, high ceilings, and exposed brick, and holiday lighting and decorations are beautiful, with a large fireplace, heavy mantle, and beautifully decorated tree, perfect for photo backdrops when you're all dressed up. They were able to set up a second small room for a photo booth, and there were 3 bars upstairs, as well as a full bar downstairs. Multiple serving stations were placed throughout the room to control crowds and keep lines down, and the lines the did form were managed well. When the staff realized that the dessert station was backing up (donut flambé station-- really fun and unique option), they promptly started a second station upstairs. The staff communicated with one another throughout the evening on head sets, appetizers were passed throughout the crowds, bussers cleared tables consistently, and the restrooms were clean and well stocked all evening with no issues to speak of. The bartenders and serving staff were friendly and efficient. The dance floor is large, with high tables placed within easy reach along the sides for setting drinks and plates on your way to enjoy your favorite songs. There was space on the stage to accommodate a 9 piece band during our event, and in the past, there has been a DJ, so whatever your choice for music, it shouldn't be a problem. Overall, I enjoy this party every year, it's beautifully presented, the food is outstanding, and the fact that the group keeps coming back says a lot, because they certainly spare no expense, and the market for venues is fairly competitive in this area.

I met with Shelley Clayton here and she could not have been more rude! She had the worst attitude I have ever seen for someone in the customer service industry and acted as if she had some place better to be during our entire meeting. She even rolled her eyes as I asked questions. She told several negative stories about other clients and insisted that she would be right no matter what we suggested, as she had been in the past with these other clients and no matter what we asked for, it couldn't be done our way. She even accused us of "trying to keep our deposit low" because we told her we had not finalized our guest list. Emails to her, other staff members and the owner were not even returned after our meeting. So unprofessional!

We had our wedding and reception at this venue and the night was more than I could have imagined. They had everything transformed and did it perfectly. The transformation from ceremony to cocktail hour, to reception and dancing was fantastic. They have everything planned and know exactly how to make things run smoothly. The venue also does the catering and our guests were thrilled with everything they tasted. The bridal suite and groom's suites are very beautiful and there is someone to meet any need that comes up. They stock the fridges, there are TVs, music, and even a Play station in the groom's suite. It was definitely a top notch venue for our event.

My daughter got married this month at the Cotton Room. Both families toured with Amelia in December right after the engagement . We were all impressed with her from our first meeting. She showed us the beautiful venue . We all decided thus is where we wanted our children to have their special day. Amelia handled everything. From the decor, meeting DJ , florist and cake , Amelia handled everyone. A family member was the officiant and he was very impressed with her organization and kindness to everyone. We gave Amelia the pictures and personal touches we wanted displayed and she handled everything. Everything was exactly as we had discussed. Our guests loved the food and bar service. Buffett and bar lines moved so well no waiting .. If you are looking for a beautiful place , great food and unbelievable service .. Book the Cotton Room!,,

Our daughter got married on August 2, 2014 in The Cotton Room. Her wedding and reception were held in the same facility. Our experience from start to finish was incredible. The wedding planner that came with the venue, Amalia, was the best. She was so helpful throughout the planning stages. She walked us through every aspect of the wedding process. We had a small issue with the availability of a piano two days before the wedding. She had the issue resolved within 24 hours! She was so calm the day of the wedding and gently guided everyone. The support staff were also very helpful. Our guests said they thought the food was very good! Overall, it was a perfect day for our daughter. Thanks Amalia and The Cotton Room!!!!

I received printed information from this venue regarding having a wedding/reception on two separate occasions. The information stated that the price per person for the plated dinner included tax and service charge. However when I received the proposal, tax and service had been added to the food. When I questioned them about it they stated that they had changed this as of last July and I must have received old information. I explained to them that I had attended their open house on January 19, 2013 and that is what the information stated. I was disappointed that they would not honor their printed information. I was even more disappointed of their nonchalant attitude that I was given incorrect information on two different occasions. They even said to me that no one else had brought this to their attention!! Well excuse me for taking spending a large amount of money seriously and reading things very carefully!! I was so excited about having my wedding at this venue but this left a very bad taste in my month! Needless to say I am looking else where!