The Westin Great Southern Columbus

Beautiful Venue, But a Disappointing Experience

We recently hosted our wedding at The Westin, and while the venue itself is beautiful and the food was genuinely excellent, our experience was unfortunately overshadowed by a pattern of poor service, disorganization, and — most seriously — theft during our stay. The planning process was frustrating from the start. Our original coordinator was unresponsive and disorganized, and we faced multiple last-minute staff changes with no proper introductions or transitions. Just days before the wedding, a new coordinator was assigned, yet never introduced themselves or made any contact on the day. While Chelsea, one of the coordinators, was helpful in the final weeks, the process overall lacked consistency and professionalism. The front desk experience left a similarly negative impression. When we dropped off over 30 welcome bags for our guests — something coordinated in advance — we were met with eye rolls, dismissive comments, and no offer of assistance. In contrast, the staff at a nearby hotel we also worked with were warm, welcoming, and helpful without hesitation. Room logistics were poorly handled as well. The groom’s room was not ready until after 10 PM — well past the promised check-in time — and no proactive communication was provided, despite leaving contact information. Staff responses felt indifferent, and the overall attitude did not reflect the significance of the occasion. The ceremony setup was another disappointment. Despite repeated confirmations, the ceremony seating was misaligned — a small but significant detail that affected the visual symmetry of the space and permanently impacted our photos from that moment. To make matters worse, multiple guests witnessed Westin staff helping themselves to our late-night food — pizza that was specifically ordered for our guests. Neither of us ever got to enjoy it, as we assumed it had run out — only to later learn that staff had taken it back to the kitchen. But the most serious and upsetting issue was a theft from our hotel room during our stay. Instead of enjoying our wedding day weekend, we were filing a police report and sending uncomfortable texts to guests to ask if they had dropped off cards. It was an emotional and deeply violating experience. While The Westin eventually made things right in a logistical and financial sense, what continues to hurt is the lack of accountability. Follow-up was slow, required multiple efforts from us, and felt more like damage control than genuine concern. Promised phone calls were missed, and no one ever truly owned the situation. We chose The Westin expecting top-tier service, professionalism, and trust for one of the most important weekends of our lives. Unfortunately, those expectations were not met. The emotional toll of these failures — especially the security breach — continues to linger long after the event. We truly hope The Westin takes this feedback seriously and uses it to improve. Every couple deserves to feel cared for, respected, and safe on their wedding day.