Maria B.
Yelp
Compact: Nice event space. North Buffalo. Don't use Acqua for catering if you plan event here. Come with tip money.
Expanded: I came for an event. Thrilled to see this renovated building! Remodel of another eyesore on this part of Elmwood!
The building looks great, inside and out.
When I arrived there was only valet parking. Yuck. Let people park their own car and keep their keys. The valets were super nice though. But they did not really know where you could park if you did not want valet parking. Little education there would have helped. Parking was basically a mess here on a number of fronts. I assume they will work that out over time, but be aware if you are heading here soon.
Its a boutique hotel, and I was not a guest so I did not see any rooms. But I did see the small bar there, very trendy, sleek, modern etc. It was actually nice, and I went the following evening for drinks. The drinks were on the pricy side, but the environment is nice.
Our event took up two of their large rooms and the small area connecting the two rooms. The spaces are large and more or less unobstructed, great for parties, weddings etc. You could fit a lot of people here if you want to. This is a space to consider if you are in need of event space.
I don't know if the same person owns the hotel and Acqua, but Acqua catered the event. The cheeses for happy hour were nice, although not remotely original, cheddar and the like. They had some terrific bread, but once that was gone only crackers came back out. The veggies were ok, although a little tired looking. The dip was in a huge pot with a ladle. Very small plates made this awkward.
Dinner was buffet style and not great. Only one kind of salad dressing offered, honey mustard I think which was waaaay too sweet, and you had to pour it out of a pitcher, awkward. The salad was not cut small enough either, making it hard to eat. We were given small plates for the dinner, which was interesting as people put salad under their pasta serving to fit it on the plate. The pasta was some sort of tube noodle with a cream sauce. OK, but on the colder side. The protein was turkey, it was sliced in front of us and tasted alright, although limited seasoning.
Their were servers walking around clearing plates and glasses. Some asked before they cleared. Others did not. My drink walked away twice. Since it was a cash bar, this was a little annoying.
The tables were well arranged and easy to move around etc. Comfortable seating.
The live music was from the Colored Musicians Club and they are super talented. But much too loud for the space and the event. I think this is the venues fault, not theirs. Manage the sound better, people should not be shouting to be heard.
The speakers sound was better, so that was nice. They had a screen for a short video, also very nice. The auctioneer was also the right sound level after an early adjustment or two. So they know how to do it.
There is a large coat check, but when we left there were tons of coats lying on a table in the coat room. If mine had been one of those they might have had to dig for it. Not sure how well that would play at a wedding etc. But also not sure if those coats were for our event or not, perhaps not.
All in all, this is a great space. The hotel looks lovely. Im going with 4 stars, benefit of the doubt on this one, but if you come here for an event come with some singles. There were tip jars all over, the cash bar, the coat check, the valet. I don't like that constant asking for tips at events, but luckily I was prepared. Now you will be too.