The Cotton Room

Related:	motorco
Address:	807 E Main St, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Phone:	+1 919-530-8380
Site:	thecottonroomdurham.com
Rating:	4.2

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Sarah Butterfield

I had my bridal portraits taken at the Cotton Room. The overall experience, especially customer service was very disappointing. One of the employees walked me and my photographer to the Cotton Room where I was shocked to see workers cleaning up the space. Scattered in all areas were chairs, ladders, vacuums, cords, 3 feet tall blocks (that were too heavy to move), and bars. All of these items were not confined to one corner, so we could only get certain shots. The employee that walked us to the room was surprised and said she would get someone else for me to speak to. The workers cleaned up the cords, vacuums, and ladders. One of the workers said that they normally clean on Wednesdays and could have cleaned tomorrow instead of that day (it was a Tuesday). The workers were very polite, cleaned up their supplies, and left. However the chairs, blocks, and bars were still scattered in all areas of the room. Two other employees came back to address my concerns. I told them that when I reserved the space (for $150) I was told that no one would be using it. Neither employee apologized and suggested I reschedule. They did not seem to care that I was upset about not having the entire space, as told on the phone (when reserving the room). They talked down to me and made it seem as if it was my problem, not theirs. Their overall attitudes and manners were rude and disrespectful. There was no way I could reschedule as I had taken the day off from work to pick up my bouquet and get my hair/makeup done. I ended up staying, using only certain areas of the room, and paying the entire $150. I do not recommend having bridal portraits at the Cotton Room. The useable space was not worth $150 and their employees do not understand how to interact with customers.I had my bridal portraits taken at the Cotton Room. The overall experience was very disappointing. One of the employees walked me and my photographer to the Cotton Room where we were all surprised to see workers cleaning up the space. There were chairs, vaccuums, cords, bar set u

A Private User

Like the other reviewer, I loved the venue itself, and it worked well for our 80-person reception. The food was delicious, and they were also able to pull off a very nice event that all of our guests enjoyed with just a few months of lead time. They were always very polite and helpful for my partner and I, though I did feel a bit patronized at times because we didnt know how to plan a traditional wedding, and didnt have one. That said, they treated us VERY differently than they did others associated with our wedding, and really dropped the ball on a few things. They were convinced that we werent having a cake, when wed had several conversations as late as two days prior to the event about when said (supposedly imaginary?) cake was to be delivered. And then once the cake was delivered, they were extremely rude to my friend who baked it, because it was "lopsided" (it wasnt) and they had already used the flowers I reserved for her to decorate it with (clearly labeled "for [Name] to decorate cake" when I delivered them) to decorate something else. They were so rude to her, in fact, that she ended up crying and almost late to our ceremony. They also never returned the cake stand, which was hers. I imagine it got swallowed up into their collection, and now well have to purchase a new one. They havent been very helpful in my follow-ups attempting to find it now that the events over (and I dont owe them any more money). I was also really ticked off that they came to me DURING OUR RECEPTION to consult on a few details of the event that really didnt need deciding, especially not by me. Not the first conversation I wanted to have after arriving at my own reception. In short, this is great if youre putting together a traditional wedding, can afford to shell out more money that it seems at first, and arent having friends whose feelings you care about help with the event. And put your name on everything youd like to get back from them.

Hooman Bahrani

The Cotton Room is one of the top venues for weddings and social events in North Carolina and Durham. As a professional photographer based in NC, I have traveled as far as California, Denver and New York for weddings, and have been all through NC. I have seen very good and very bad, and I know what someone should expect from a wedding or event venue. And if youre looking for a cool, upscale but rustic look, with a very cool, friendly and professional staff, this is it. With huge windows, old exposed bricks and great wood floors, this facility can handle it all. But what really sets this place apart is the owner and staff. I have photographer over 10 events and weddings at the Cotton Room, from 200 guest weddings to round table events with the President of Duke and the Mayor of Durham. Regardless of event, I have seen the same staff members taking care of guests at all of the events in the most professional and timely manner of any as good or better than any of the best event locations Ive been too. Unlike many event locations, the manager stays until the last guest leaves and is walking the floor the entire night, checking in with the bride and groom or parents to see if they need anything (and many times that manager is the owner). I have noticed several low reviews on here, and I simply do not believe anyone at the Cotton Room has ever been rude or something has not gone properly. Had I only been there once or twice, maybe, but given how often I have been there for events, as a professional who sees everything, I simply do not believe it. The Cotton Room is worth your time to check out - but check early, they book fast and often a year in advance!

Orion A. Teal

The Cotton Room is a beautiful venue staffed by warm and professional people. We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding day, thanks in large part to Michelle and Lauran’s help. Though we were not their only clients, they made us feel special and did everything they could to make sure the day went smoothly and the whole event was memorable. They made planning our event relaxed, fun, and easy. We especially appreciated that the Cotton Room was all-inclusive but still flexible enough to accommodate some of the DIY elements we wanted, such as bringing in our own flowers and decorating a wedding canopy earlier on the day of the ceremony. The staff was incredibly helpful in this regard. The cooks made space in the walk-in for our flowers the day before, despite a busy schedule. Lauran even came in on her day off to check if everything was going well. Our wedding was the last one of the weekend, but you never would have known it. We had both the ceremony and reception in the same space at the center of the room. The staff was incredibly efficient at shifting the room during the cocktail hour. The food and drink was fantastic and skillfully served. Our friends and family are still raving about the food, especially the hush puppy hors doeuvres! We felt the staff’s attention to detail was very high. Nothing was overlooked. At the end of the night, Michelle even had all of our presents on a cart and helped us load up the car. We wanted to give our wedding an authentically “Durham” feel, celebrating the history, food, and culture of our little city. The Cotton Room was the perfect place for our wedding.