Grand Occasions: Laurel — Attraction in Laurel

Since I heavily rely on reviews, I thought it was important for me to contribute my experience with this hall.

In February of 2022, Gladys informed me she was outbid for the hall and the new owners will take over. She said nothing will change regarding what I had planned for my wedding and I should wait to be contacted.

In March of 2022, I reached out to the hall because I haven’t heard from anyone. I spoke with Natasha (new owner) and she was a breath of fresh air. I scheduled time to meet with her. Between the meeting time, Natasha shared she needed proof of all previous payments in order to update our account. Thank God we had receipts because it’s clear they were trying to make us pay again even after Natasha said she saw our payments during the first call.

We finally met with Natasha in March. She gave me and my husband a tour of the hall and also shared some of the changes with us. The main changes included the color of the wall and kitchen policies. Little did we know, there were more changes, but they weren’t shared until we inquired. The chandelier center piece changed and they did not communicate that with us. Natasha took a payment from us that day and forgot to update the invoice reflecting the additional estate tables, this caused major confusion later. Please keep in mind, they do not admit when their wrong, they just proceed forward and assure you the matter is fixed.

In May of 2022, I had another meeting with the hall, but this time, I brought my day of coordinator. We arrived 18 mins early and sat in the main hall. Yesenia walks out and says “do you have an appointment?” I responded “Good Afternoon, yes”. She said “well you are early and we are with a client. You’re not allowed to be in here.” I inquired if I should wait in the car, she said “No, just come at the scheduled time next time. Also, you have a booking until 3am. Howard County only allows parties to go until 2am so we are changing your time.” I asked why didnt someone communicate this change, she said she was going to call but saw me on the schedule already.

Later in the meeting, Yesenia shared a few more updates regarding the change in decor. I couldn’t help to think, if I didn’t schedule this meeting, I wouldn’t know any of this. Yesenia took multiple breaks in the middle of the conversation as if we weren’t mid sentence. While explaining the estate table confusion, she says “I need coffee” then proceeds to converse with her co worker to order coffee. Yesenia gets back with us, but then her coffee order is delivered with the incorrect coffee. She walks away from her desk mid sentence to yell about the messed up order. At this point, I knew I was being pranked because this was beyond piss poor service.

During my interactions with Natasha & Yesenia, it was made clear, they don’t issue refunds.

During our walk through with Natasha, she shared, due to COVID regulations, food had to be served and they do not have a serving team. We secured a serving team. Nearing closer to the wedding, my husband noticed a $200 charge for buffet tables. How are we being charged for buffet tables if we hired servers? I called Natasha to inquire, she said she thought we had a buffet style wedding. How could she mistake this when she told us we couldn’t? During my call with her, she was short, rude, and filled with attitude. My husband called her regarding the refund for the buffet table and she was really kind to him. She processed our refund accordingly.

They don’t work as a team at all, it’s pure confusion. If I could do this all over, I would not choose this venue. My wedding reception wasn’t fully set up when I arrived. Yesenia told us she was great with operating the fog. She wasn’t even present when it was time to use the fog. The fog was supposed to be on the floor, it was in the air (waste of $1,500).

I would recommend the entire team complete a series of customer service training. I would recommend the hall hire an administrator/ client...

REAL REVIEW...1/16/2023 Gran Occassion Laurel Hall 9375 Washington Blvd Laurel MD Please read twice before rent this place, the place is overprized, too much rules and they do not accept complaints, They push to renters to use their companies who are working with them, AS decorators, servers and bartender, this people don't have idea how to be an professional how to run as waitress as simple is. My guest was against the wall, with no table, Gran Occasion hall they told me (a latin lady in the office named Remy) is not good to see empty tables or chairs, they will bring as I need it. I agree. But I bring my self chairs from their waiting office because some of my guest was against the wall. It was ridiculous trying to found chairs in the middle of the party. They charge for 1 security I didn't see him my husband neither. The servers or waitress offering are completely null on how to attend and event and how to serve a guest. I went to many formal parties and weddings and I never see this kind of problems or disorder. I complained with the manager and CEO her name is Natasha, she is completely arrogant, she cannot at least been able to preside an meeting with the host when we were explaining the problems in the party, and we was not satisfied at least said the place was very elegant and bla bla bla, his people they are not competent for the place. My party was on 12/16/23. I spend a lot money on the party and 50% of my guest without food, because the food was offered to guest without precaution, the servers was not covering their place as the way I explained them, at the moment of the food. Nathasha the CEO in this place or owner told me that It was necessary an party planner, and party planner just to push to do simple things? I don't get it the point. Just server the food, call table by table, or bring out the champagne for toast. I told them this things. They are ADULTS PERSONS, On the meeting on 12/18/23 she was on the side of the waitress . The servers ruined the Quinceañera dinner time.And also at 10pm they removed everything from the tables as like the party ended. My party ended at 10 pm. I spend a lot money and this extra HELP was nothing. THIS PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY NULL IN HOW TO SERVE THE GUEST. At the moment of the Toast, the call was ignored for the servers. Champagne $ 35 the bottle went to trash. Please if you don't want stress in your party, stay away from this place. Any party specially an Quinceañera are for fun, for happyness.This place is showing good reviews, I don't believed this reviews are real , can be the workers there, saying that there's plenty of parking, my guest was walking to the venue because the parking is very small. My party failed in simple things but ruined my imagen with my guest, my guest was most of them clients from my office. People came from Virginia Beach and they just enjoy 1 hour because the party ended at 10 pm, the servers or waithres just give without words the wrong message to the people.As mother I do not recommended this place. Arrogant people in the office specially this owner, there was 1 Spanish lady there with long black hair the only person in Grand Occasion on the meeting who was there and pay attention to my husband and me. Please stay away from this place. This is an...

I've experienced bad customer service before, I've even worked in human resources myself for the federal government. But I have never experienced "customer service" as messy, infuriating, unprofessional, obnoxious, condescending, and unacceptable as what my my wife, my wedding planner, my mother, and I received from Gladys Blango and Occasions Banquet Hall.

Imagine never being able to finish a sentence, being lectured to at every occasion, being promised a service at one juncture (with multiple witnesses), only to be told that the service was never promised at the 11th hour--these are a small number of the MANY issues we have had with Occasions for our wedding planning. Worst of all, our wedding event was canceled by Occasions because they could no longer service our guest count and somehow, they believe a lazily written No Liability clause warrants them keeping our 15K for a service that was not rendered (and could not be rescheduled because it was culturally tied to our wedding day, which is already past).

If I could rate this venue with 0 stars, I most definitely would. Fortunately, the rep I mentioned (Gladys) will be moving on from this venue within the next year, but the owner is apparently inaccessible and the venue organization overall is extremely unprofessional. From picking up phone calls with other clients WHILE IN A MEETING with a CURRENT client to developing a personal relationship with my mother, the contract holder, to gossiping with my mother and creating strife within my family...lol...this venue is a joke. Please proceed with the most extreme caution before booking OBH or anything managed by Gladys Blango. They deserve to be reported to the Better...