Renaissance At The Gables

We celebrated my cousin’s 50^th Birthday party at this location. We reserved the upstairs ballroom and the theme was «Arabian Nights.» I was really impressed with the décor. They were able to get us tablecloths in all different colors and the cake was absolutely on point and went beautifully with our theme.
But quite honestly, (and the reason I was inspired to write this review) what I was most impressed with was the service. Our party consisted of over 200 people and yet the 2 bartenders (Chacha & Lourdes) that were serving up all of our delicious drinks were able to keep that line moving like it was nobody’s business! They were fast, personable, and very professional. For me, the bar is a very important area, as believe it or not, it is where most of the people spend their time. Even after getting a drink, people just stand around talking and hanging out by the bar. It helps to have bartenders that are as personable as these two ladies. They really impressed me and I don’t impress easily, especially at a banquet hall!
These lades were so fantastic that when they party was over, they insisted on helping us load an entire table of gifts into the car. Everyone as that place was super awesome and helpful. They helped make this night an extra special one for my cousin and our family and friends.
The music was very good and I have the swollen feet to prove it! If you’re looking for a place to have a formal event without going broke, this is the place to have it at!

We thought this hall was exactly what we were looking for my daughter’s Sweet Sixteen. She was looking for a dance club theme and this place provided the look that she wanted. The price was reasonable too and the place was beautiful. What I found was that everyone who works in this hall for the most part are family. They promise you excellence at a bargain price but this is not what you receive after you sign the contract. By the time the party arrived, no one called me to settle last minute details such as color, food, cake, to calm the jitters. The only call I ever got was to turn in the final payment. The day of the party, when we walked into the hall, I thought that the setup was from the night before, little did I know that this was the set-​up for my party. It looked like a regular banquet hall party not like a «club». I had discussed the arrangement prior to the party with the owner but she recommended on two occasions to do it another way so that it looked more like a «club» so I agreed to her suggestion. So needless to say I was nervous and upset when I got there and it wasn’t to my expectations as she had discussed with me. My friend spoke to the gentleman who was at the hall at that time and he argued that that was what I requested although he was not involved with any of the conversations between me and the owner Rose. He ended up moving the furniture around with a bad attitude making noises and throwing it. We offered to do it ourselves but he did it with a bad attitude. Later the owner, Rose, came in literally screaming at us, saying that this was what we had requested and now her employee had to be moving furniture around instead of attending to the phone and other customers. I can’t express how upset this woman made me and how she ruined for me what was supposed to be a very special and memorable day in the life of my daughter. Sometimes the money savings isn’t worth it. This is something that I will remember the rest of my life, when I remember the turning of age of my daughter. Customer Service and Peace of Mind are very important.

What can I say about Rosemarie and all the folks at Renaissance? Fantastic!!! They worked so hard making our wedding day a memorable experience. I cannot say enough. The attention to detail and the level of service was lights out! Rosemarie was especially wonderful and accommodating. Renaissance knows how to deliver! The chicken almondine and the beef wellington were fantastic and the cake was devine. The flowers were absolutely beautiful and the décor matched perfectly. Luis drove us in a beautiful Rolls Royce and also served as the bartender. My only complaint would be the DJ. He didn’t play exactly what we had asked for and I didn’t like his mix but everyone had fun. I will definitely use Rosemarie and Renaissance again in the future!

We have one word for Rose Marie and the folks at Renaissance: wonderful. We had our wedding at a private location on Key Biscayne and had them cater it. The main reason we decided on them was because almost everything was included since they have their own florist, baker, DJs, tables and chairs, etc., and my fiancé and I were not prepared to do those things ourselves. Also, they were very reasonably priced, and after seeing how beautiful everything was at the wedding and the quality of the table decorations, flowers, lighting, food, I can definitely say we got a huge bang for our buck.
Rose Marie runs the show, and it’s a family business, which means that they work extra hard to make everything perfect because this is their livelihood, and that becomes apparent as you get closer to your wedding because there is a lot of attention to detail. Rosie is down to earth, funny, and loud but in an endearing way. She truly loves what she does and she treated me like a daughter, not a client. To pull off my wedding, she had to deal with a picky property management company and not one but two demanding mothers. But she was a trooper through it all.
I was picked up in a beautiful Rolls Royce by Luis, who is very nice and was very helpful especially after the ceremony when we went off premises to take pictures.
We got married on the beach and it was so pretty the way they set it up, with flowers hanging from holders in the sand, flowers on the chuppah, the red liner… it was really beautiful and we were so pleased with it. My bouquet was gorgeous, and the bouquet for the maid of honor and the bouquet for the toss were also very pretty. Rosie’s flower person was on hand to help put the boutonnieres on the men, help hold up my train as I approached the beach, she was so nice. She even took some pictures that she shared with us later because I didn’t have pictures of the venue prior to the ceremony.
The reception room was beautifully set up — the property manager said she’d never seen that room done up so pretty! The tablecovers, chairs, chargers, plates, lighting… everything was awesome. Rosie is not a coordinator, but she offers to do so much for you she might as well be one. She put our personalized napkin holders on the plates, set up our placecard holders, even set up our coffee station (we brought our own).
Cocktail hour was nice– we asked them to do just a signature drink, which was sangria, and several people commented on how yummy it was.
The food was very good — several people told me how delicious the beef in mushroom sauce and chicken almondine were, however when we finally sat down to eat, ours did not have much sauce, so it was good, but not as delicious as we’d expected. Appetizers were yummy.
The cake was beautiful… we gave her a description of what we wanted and we got it. And it was delicious — vanilla amaretto, I believe. Also, I got my groom a surprise Dallas Cowboys groom cake, also done by Rosie, and it was big and beautiful and delicious! Plus she charged me way less for it than if I’d had it made elsewhere.
Open bar was great — and Rosie let us upgrade our red wine and champagne selection, so we were very happy about that. The only thing was that the wine wasn’t being served in wine glasses, it was poured into plastic cups, which isn’t my preference, but I understand that logistics-​wise it would’ve been very difficult for them to transport enough additional wine glasses in addition to all the glasses they’d already brought. But everyone drank and had a good time.
The DJ was decent — he played the mix of music we requested and people danced, but I think he could’ve read the room a little better… sometimes the American music went on long after the dancefloor had cleared, and then the same would happen after a long stint of Latin music. I just feel like a wedding DJs main job is to keep the dancefloor happening, and when it isn’t, shift gears and try something else, not just wait till the song ends. But we still had a good time. And I think he brought the lighting and the place looked gorgeous, and the lighting would change colors, so it was real nice.
Overall it was a beautiful wedding, everything came out great, and we can’t thank Rose Marie and company enough. We will definitely be using Renaissance for future events!

My wedding was held here on July 4, 2015 and here is my experience: My ceremony was beautiful. The décor was really nice and it was intimate like I wanted. Rose set up the room as if she was getting married and it was nice.
Reception: I feel like I paid a lot of money for a lot of NOTHING! My reception was a mess. Firstly, when I first decided to go with this place I did a walk through and the facility was ok. Not drop dead gorgeous but good enough for someone on a budget. As the date neared I noticed that the carpet in the reception hall and on the stairs was VERY worn and there were a lot of obvious imperfections that were visible (that weren’t before). Also, the staff was AWFUL. None of the servers spoke English (or would admit to speaking English) and they served the appetizers cold. Also, when it was time for the main course they served the salad and the meal wasn’t served for about an hour. My coordinator had to go and inquire about the main course before it came out. The meal itself was amazing (all of my guest really enjoyed it). The DJ had to be asked 4 separate times to play the music on the list I gave him. My family and friends began to leave as a result of the reception going so slowly (slow music, classical music). Again the staff was so unresponsive and stood in the back and talked instead of paying attention to my guests. In addition, the mandatory $ 5.00 valet mixed up my guests keys and it took FOREVER to get their cars.
All in all, although the ceremony was beautiful and the food tasted good, the overall experience was frustrating and the condition of the facility was awful. To top it off, it seemed like every time we were close to paying off, another charge came up (like the 120 people was including the bride and groom). I think if you can find somewhere else to go then do so. I wish I had!

Avoid this dump at all costs.
The place has broken A/​C which was very unpleasant the day of my wedding.
The elevators broke down.
The bathrooms are falling apart.
The floor and carpets are old and have a terrible odor.
The food was cold and crappy by the time it was dinner time.
We were promised a Roll Royce Limo instead got a standard limo.
Rosa, yelled and screamed at me when I tried to talk to her.
Tony, the helper gets annoyed when you ask questions.
You have been warned this place is horrible!!!

My husband and I began looking for reception venues back in May 2014 for our January 2015 wedding. I fell in love with the décor at the Renaissance Ballroom in Coral Gables. We went for one (and only one appt) with the owner of the company. I don’t quite remember her name but she was very arrogant and spoke flamboyantly. Since my husband and I were on a budget, I tried to negotiate with her for a Sunday wedding during low wedding season. She did include some things such as chibbarri chairs and fondant cake, but after some talk, she turned around to my then fiancé and said, «Boy, she is a real bitch, how do you put up with her?»
For people who know me, I am a very soft spoken and educated person. That was a deal breaker for me. We also witnessed other young couples coming in to make payments and were made to wait and treated in this arrogant manner. This is a family owned business and the nephew is the photographer, etc. He was also a bit arrogant but at least had the decency to not insult prospective customers! lol!
These people offered a 4 hour reception (to include cocktail) with different prices on different days. They also required a 100 person minimum, so regardless of how many guests showed up, you would be charged for 100 people.
We were able to find another venue that offered a 6 hour reception with the same price on all days and they were absolutely EXCEPTIONAL! They also allowed to give a final guest count one week prior to the wedding. Well, our wedding went from 100 people to 70! Imagine all of the extra money we would have paid with the Renaissance with the 100 guest minimum? My actual reception hall also very professional and the food & drinks were great, great, great!
I think that it is important that the Renaissance come to realize that they are not the only venue out there and that they are not living up to their competition!
I had even seen them on ‘Four Weddings’ show recently and when a guest asked what a certain food was, the waiter could not speak English!
Get with the program, my friends!

First of all, if you are getting married, it is the most important day of your life, but regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen you have to stay optimistic and be grateful to be surrounded by your friends and family. The first thing you have to consider is your budget. If money is not an issue, then you probably wouldn’t come here, but for any and everyone else who has an actual budget, THIS IS THE PLACE!!! Don’t bother any where else. It is truly a one stop shop, the staff is very helpful and the end result is truly what you are promised. I have read other people’s reviews before writing my own, and I can tell you that while other individuals may have had a bad experience with one employee or another, I personally didn’t have any issues. People seem to forget that even the employees of Renaissance at the Gables are human, and they are planning several other events. They are really trying to help you have a perfect event, mistakes will occur no matter how much you are paying. If you were paying $ 50,000 or $ 75,000 I could totally understand someone blowing a gasket if something wasn’t perfect, but be REALISTIC. Normally you get what you pay for. Here at Renaissance, you get the best service AND outcome possible in MIAMI for what you are paying. I loved everything about my day and I loved that they let me bring my favors and a few personal touches to decorate, making my day EXACTLY what I had dreamed and planned. I loved my photographer, Tony. He is near and dear to my heart and will remain forever this way because I truly love my pictures. My only complaint about that day has nothing to do with Renaissance… It felt like 20 minutes!!! and it was 5 hours! So with that being said, regardless of where you host your wedding, enjoy every second, because it will be over in the blink of an eye. All that dreaming, planning, money etc. GONE… so don’t be a bridezilla and waste your time being mad and unpleasant. Be grateful to be marrying your love in the presence of God and your loved ones and just smile… You will be taking a lot of pics, so SMILE!!!

This place was absolutely horrible. I got married here in November 2011 and was treated like 2^nd class. I spent a large amount of money to have my dreamcwedding but wjat I got was a nightmare. I had my wedding in the 1^st level. Which when I came down to the daycto get married they completely changed the look of the venue. That was not what I signed up for and I was never told that this was in the works. They’re all, nice and sweet before you sign that, contract. They told me that the 1^st level (where i was having my ceremony) turns into a nightclub and since i was having my full wedding there that, after the reception (2^nd floor) my guest could then go to the club. That was a lie the day of my wedding. After I said my do’s the photographer (who was the nephew) was rushing to finish my pictures the apparently they had rented out the down stairs and needed to get ready for the next party. The photos cam outhhorrible. The nephew (tony) has no business being a photographer. The videograpgher (who was apartnofntony’s team) cut the head of the officiant during my wedding ceremony. The whole video the guy had my head covering her the whole time. The dj that came with my wedding package played the wrong song when I was walking down the aisle. And he excuse he couldnt find the song I had requested. There was no communication. I spent like $ 2000 for upgraded light package and it was like they didnt do anything. And the worst these jerks acted as if they did nothing wrong. Please if your a bride take your time and find people that really care about making ur day special not just a group of people that are just after ur money. Once u pay they dont care. Trust me this place makes u feel low class and ur most important day. Its not worth cutting corners. Make ur day special and stay far away from renaissance at the gables and tony

Went to the Club with my friend and her husband after a New Years Eve party we attended. My friend remembered it to be cool and that the music is fabulous — we got there and the music was cool — we were standing at the bar and asked for some drinks and started to talk to the 2 bartenders there — one of them had not been there long and the other we later learned was the owner’s son — we were also talking to some other people at the bar — my friend was talking to the owner’s son and i was talking with her husband and others who were standing at the bar — i noticed something not right with my friend’s conversation with the owner’s son — turns out the owner’s son asked is she was single, she pointed at her husband and told him we came together — he proceeded to ask if i was single and then he said ’cause i had a nice body and that he would take me upstairs to f_​_​k me – she was shocked and so was the young bartender standing next to him, he tried to apologize for the owner’s son — she asked for the manager and the owner’s son said he was the manager with a smirk on his face — the bouncer came by and apologized to us and wanted to give us free drinks — we were so disgusted with the whole ordeal — that a person working there — especially someone related to the owner, would say such a thing and be so disrespectful — we couldn’t believe it, we were horrified. Hopefully the owner of the club will read this and take note that his son is an animal and not only would we not ever go back there, we will be spreading the word that this sick individual works there and is treating women this way. SHAME ON YOU!

If you are looking for the latest, trendiest, most popular club filled with hot looking men and women, amazing drinks, and shiek décor/​ambiance then this is not the place lol. Went here with friends for a night of dancing under the impression it was free style/80’s night. The music was awful yes they played some freestyle but most of the night all we heard was disco music. I love disco but there is just so much of it I can take, and they even repeated some of the songs. The place is clean, spacious dance floors, some couches, and small circular tables with chairs in front of the bar. When ordering our drinks the bartender took our order right away no long lines waiting or waiving at a bar tender to try to get your drink on. The crowd is mostly older people between 45 & 60 yrs old with some young ones between 30 & 45. Again music was terrible but however it was nice to be in a place that it is not full of thugs throwing sings in the air ugh. There is another room besides the «freestyle room» with a live Spanish band. The age group here jumped from 55 to 75 yrs old or I quote my spouse «nearly diseased». Drinks overpriced!!!, 10 $ for a small red bull & vodka that was mostly ice with red bull and maybe a splash of vodka. I guess they wanna take it easy on the older folks??? a bottle of water 5 $ !!! un robo!
Don’t get me wrong yes we had a blast. Only because we went with my super fun and alive friends EMINEM (Maria & Martin). But next time I think we will be going somewhere else.

Wedding: May 6, 2006
I loved that this was a one stop shop. I absolutely loved that I didn’t have to go anywhere else. We held the reception in the downstairs ballroom which was beautiful since there is a skylight. my only complaint is that it was a little warm and wished the a/​c would’ve been cranked up… but I really didn’t care since I was having a blast celebrating with my family and friends. I changed out a few items (garter, toasting glasses, cake cutter) and in exchange got an upgrade on the flowers! my wedding day went smoothly. the flowers were beautiful, the dj was great (kept people on the dance floor) and the food was delish. we served churrasco and they accommodated my vegetarian cousin at no charge.
I’m surprised to read the reviews of the hard time some brides and grooms had with them because my experience was amazing!

Wedding 1−31−10 Renaissance at the Gables: Scala Ballroom
My mom’s comment to me during my wedding reception best describes my experience with the Renaissance…“I can’t believe my daughter is having a Platinum Wedding.” And I agree. I made all my receptions arrangements through Tony. I also used him as my photographer. He was very patient with me. Especially, since I stopped by to see him a zillion times. He gave me all the help I needed picking invitations, décor, center pieces, color coordination, etc. This was especially important to me since my bridesmaids and family didn’t live close enough to help out. He was very flexible and gave me a lot of ideas to help me stay within my budget. We had a few issues with our first tasting so Tony gave us a complimentary second tasting to make sure everything would be prepared exactly to our liking… which it was. (The food came out just as we agreed for the wedding. I made a point to eat at my wedding, knowing that most brides don’t get the chance. I even got compliments on the food from the guests.)
My ceremony took place on the beach. Tony helped me find an inexpensive chair rental place which saved me over $ 100. From what I can tell, Tony and his videographer, Ted, from Eikon Photography captured the moments beautifully. (I don’t have the pictures/​video yet, but each time something important was happening I glanced up to see they were there to capture the moment.)
Also, Tony’s mom, Nancy, did a fantastic job with my bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages. I was utterly flabbergasted by the number of roses in my bouquet. I spent the whole ride in the limo trying to count how many, but I kept loosing count when I got to 40-​something.
Tony took lovely shots of us around and inside the limo once we got to the reception. Family members kept sneaking out to tell us how lovely everything looked inside. All the tables were awesome. We opted to bring our own center pieces with rose petals instead of flowers to save money, but Tony surprised me with extra red rose petals on the bride/​groom table, gift table, and sign in table. Also, I was only expecting a two tier cake, but we were given a three tier. The cake was tasty (although the slices could have been bigger).
The DJ was OK. We brought all of our own music for the DJ, but he didn’t locate our CD’s until after the hors d’oeuvres. He kind of followed our instructions for the music. My main complaint was that he didn’t announce/​acknowledge the cake cutting, so my mom missed the event. But when I consider the bargain price of the DJ, I’m still satisfied. Besides, he did a good job of building up our comic dance to «Total Eclipse of the Heart» from the movie Old School. Everyone was happy with the open bar (also included in the price).
Oh, I also got a lot of compliments on the champagne.
Our sweetheart table was adorable. I felt like royalty. Everyone said they thought my smile was going to be burned on my face because I could not stop smiling for a minute. I had all the bells and whistles while still sticking to my budget. I can’t wait to see the pictures and the video! Perhaps I will update my post when I get them.

I just held my daughter’s baptism in the Fontana Ballroom.
I must say I went on the first saturday in January and they were extremly busy. I was supposed to see Tony but he was very busy. So Rosy showed me around. They did not have the scala room available which is what i wanted.
I knew i wanted my party there as i really liked the place so i got the Fontana ballroom. I felt very rushed doing my contract and the package i got included nothing but at a good price. I added the DJ, Cake, appetizers, chair covers and center pieces. I think it came out to more at the end anyways.
I left feeling like what the heck have I done. Now I am experienced at doing parties. I celebrate my son’s b-​day every year in a big event. all my events are celebrated in ballrooms or halls.
BUT the day of the event everything was perfect!!! except the cake. I did not like the cake very much but that’s O.K. Tony was very helpful a few days before the event and i calmed myself. The DJ was very nice. The staff who worked at my party were also very attentive and helpful.
I will do another event here in the future. They book alot and fast, i guess b/​c they are offering good specials but it feels like a meat market sometimes.

This review is about the wedding and event portion of this company, not the bar. Your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life and you expect the people you’re paying, to ensure that it is.
Melissa, and I were looking for a place to have our wedding. Since she was still in school and I was working. We didn’t have much time on our hands to plan.
I called beforehand to make an appointment since I was taking a day off work. When we arrived, there was another couple speaking to Tony Elias and we had to wait.
He apologized and seemed sincere. I accepted and started talking about what were were looking for. He explained how they were a one stop shop. We loved this because it meant we wouldn’t have to stress and worry (or so we thought.) When it came to the cake, we mentioned that I was diabetic as well as a few members of my family. I asked if we could get one tier of the cake made sugar free. He said «That will be no problem, my parents are diabetic too.»
We were thinking that this was everything we could want. After a couple months I called and made another appointment to come in and set the date. When we got there, once again we had to wait. We told Tony that we saw a number of venues but we were happy to choose them. His face lit up and he pulled out his paperwork. We signed and handed him the check. As soon as we did, his attention went to his computer and what seemed like an IM conversation.
I told him we wanted to make all of our choices, since neither of us had time to make multiple trips in. He was very against that. He said, «If we make our choices now, we might change them five times before the day of the wedding.»
To which I replied, «My wife and I already know what we want and we made these decisions a while ago, we aren’t going to change our minds.» Still he refused, but I wanted to remind him of the cake needing to have a portion that is sugar free. Now that we gave him the check the story changed. «I have to check with my baker.»
The next week Tony and I had a big argument over the phone when I had to call him for the baker’s decision. The baker said no. When I expressed my aggravation over the fact that he told me before I paid him he would, he called the baker back. Now he told me that they would only make a cake that is sugar free, or one with sugar, not a single sugar free tier. I agreed to have them make a sugar free cake and we left it at that.
Over the next few months my wife and I stuck to the choices we had made and I called to set up another appointment to finalize all the details. I take yet another day off work and we drive the 20 miles. We get there and Tony is nowhere to be found. We walked into the kitchen and asked for him. They didn’t know where he was. Finally a woman tells us that he took the day off and she will help us. (This woman turns out to be Tony’s aunt.) We tell her we are there to make all of our wedding choices. She tells us that she can’t take all that information, she’s too busy because Tony isn’t there.
«You just said you can help me.»
«I thought you needed to make a payment or something.»
«Why would I make an appointment to make a payment? I can do that through the mail.»
«Well I’m sorry but I can still take your payment for the month.» She pulls up our records and tells us how much we owe. It’s $ 2000 more than what my records show. By this time I am seeing red. She starts pulling out log books and after, a long, 10 to 15 minutes she apologizes and explains that they started using a new log system and they missed our deposit. We leave there unhappy, unfinished and minus one honeymoon day because now I would have to take another day off work and set things up, Plus we kept running into the same $ 2000 discrepancy until the last payment was made!
The last few weeks before the wedding we were totally paid up. The lack of interest in making us happy before was nothing compared to the loathing of having to help us. I got a call from the baker asking me if I wanted them to leave the frosting off the cake since it has sugar.
I was outraged and Rosemarie (Tony’s mom and owner) called me back and YELLED at me. She refused to make it and told me to buy a cake somewhere else and they will charge us to cut it and pass it out.
The next week I called Tony to ask about place cards. He told me to do them «however I wanted.» So I did. When I brought them in she YELLED at me again, in front of other customers because I did the place cards WRONG.
I have to admit, the wedding was beautiful. It went a lot smoother than I was expecting. There were a few things I could complain about but I will only make one more. When I was leaving after the wedding I grabbed the top of the cake. A waiter took it from me to put it in a box. The box looked as if he pulled it out of the dumpster. Even worse the flaps were folded in, and touching the cake. My wife posted a picture of this and Unilocal REMOVED IT!
Stay away from Renaissance At the Gables and their other locations

This review is based on the perspective of how we were treated as clients behind the scene. The guests enjoyed our wedding — we’re happy about that. I was nervous, not because I was about to be the wife, but because I almost didn’t trust the consultants of the wedding. I was definitely not a bridezilla; I had to kiss ass for almost more than a year for this planning to end up being not a disaster.
Our wedding took place on May 10, 2009. We wanted a place that had a pre-​planned package (I had work, school, & internship). With the place looking elegant, being close to the hotels and the airport, the price seemed reasonable. However, their appt. hours sucked: 11am to 5pm on Tuesday thru Thursday. One time we made an appt. during those business hours, & my husband had to take an unnecessary day off. Not only was Tony (our consultant, also the catering mgr and does photography on the side, but we didn’t want to complicate it with having photography if he was going to help plan the wedding) not there at all, but he didn’t bother to call us to cancel the appointment. No one else there could do anything for us. It was a completely wasted vacation day that Ralphie had to take away from our honeymoon. Another time we saw him, he seemed a little too busy looking at his computer when we were talking to him.
THE CAKE — Tony said that «there would be no problem. Some of my family members are diabetic.» After a couple of months signing the contract, he goes «Oh, I’m not sure. I have to see about that.» Not cool, man! We also got a call A WEEK before the wedding about the cake. At the end of their convo this lady tells my husband: «You know what, why don’t you get your sugar free cake from Publix and we will make the regular wedding cake. I can’t take this anymore. I’m diabetic!» Ralph: «Well, I’m diabetic, too! I shouldn’t have to deal with this as your client» Ok, maybe my husband came out as groomzilla on this one, but come on. Tony shouldn’t have said they could do the sugar free cake, and that includes the icing, which Publix can easily make. I have a feeling that Tony probably got yelled at by the same lady, too. On top of that, when the wedding was over, we asked for a box for the top of the cake. The box looked like it was picked out of a garbage can.
3 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING — Our two friends, both in the wedding party, went along with Ralphie to help and witnessed the SAME lady on the phone about the cake yelling at his face and saying he was doing everything wrong. When Ralphie asked, «Aren’t you being a little rude in front of other clients?» She gets back him: «Oh, they’re my friends.» First of all, that was very unprofessional. And, secondly, why wasn’t Tony there when he said he would be there? TALK ABOUT FEAR OF TRUST.
CEREMONY — The view at the top window made it look romantic and we almost forgot the negativity. There was supposed to be a fountain, but it was covered behind the stage, which was awkward. thank goodness I didn’t have a long train/​very poofy dress to climb up the stairs to it.
RECEPTION — The Hors D’oeuvres were too dry by the time I tried them. But I loved the London Broil. Once I was in the restroom, I find the same angry lady smoking. She wouldn’t allow anyone to smoke indoors but she’s doing that. Total hypocrisy! Champagne was nice and sweet to drink. wish we knew the name of it. Also, when we were eating, she thanked us both for using their service. I just sucked up and smiled. What was I gonna do, give her an attitude? lol
DJ – We didn’t get to see Nancy until the wedding. We only talked by phone/​e-​mail a week before the event. She at least didn’t give us a hard time.
PAYMENT — How could I ever forget about this one. We diligently paid monthly and even finished the amount 2 months earlier. They kept mistaking the amount in the last month saying we still owe 2 grand. Uh, yeah, duh, that’s because they forgot to include our deposit (which was required first) in the total amount. Thanks to saving our records in Excel and checking out statements by online banking, we didn’t end up being vulnerable.
Overall, I think this place needs a nicer and more attentive staff that can be flexible. and less yelling. I was thinking about this place as 4 – 5 stars. that rating went down, b/​c of arguments with this lady over the phone and then constant yelling at my hubby in person. Nothing against you, Tony. I have to be honest with my feelings about this place. this is what Unilocal is about.

The place is now called The Club at Renaissance. If you want to enjoy excellent freestyle and disco music, you had better be here on Saturday nights. They also have a Friday happy hour which I haven’t partaken — yet.
Three words: DJ Ciro Llerena. He was one of the original DJ’s at Casanova and like a fine wine his mixes get better with age. This is the only place in Miami where one can still groove to disco and freestyle. They occassionally even have live acts (Nyasia; Will to Power is coming 6÷27÷09). The music starts at 9, and includes a live broadcast on 92.3 FM so you can get warmed up to party.
The décor is Miami 80’s. You can almost picture Tony Montana at the Babylon in there (minus the yeyo :) To fans of the movie like myself — and those of who partied in the 80’s — it is a great thing!
The hostesses are wonderful and attentive, and their drinks are great. Try their amaretto on the rock; it’s just right. Parking’s plentiful, and there are even a few food places around to eat at before you drive :)