Arctic Club Hotel Seattle Reviews
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Reviews
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4.7 out of 5 rating
4.7 Very good
4.7 out of 5 rating
19 Reviews
95% recommend it
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Quality of service 4.8 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 4.8 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 4.8 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.7 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.6 out of 5 rating
Awards
19
![Arctic Club Hotel Seattle - 1](https://cdn0.weddingwire.com/review/7209/original/640/jpg/3329027.jpeg)
![Arctic Club Hotel Seattle - 2](https://cdn0.weddingwire.com/review/1209/original/640/jpg/3329021.jpeg)
+2
User photos
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Weddingwire
4.7/5
19 reviews
Google
4.5/5
1268 reviews
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Viola E. Sent on 11/14/20185 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
One of the best experience ever!
The Artic Club staff was simply a dream to work with. We had quite a few changes that they so graciously helped us sort out. If, you are looking for a venue that is gorgeous and a staff that is top notch! Then the Artic Club is the place for you!The Artic Club staff was simply a dream to work with. We had quite a few changes that they so graciously helped us sort out. If, you are looking for a venue that is gorgeous and a staff that is top notch! Then the Artic Club is the place for you!Arctic Club Hotel Seattle's reply:
Thank you so much for the amazing review, Viola! While the wedding had a few changes, we were more than happy to accommodate and I'm so glad that everything went wonderfully. Thank you again for being so amazing to work with!
-Laura -
Quality of service
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Nicole Sent on 02/13/20185 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The Arctic Club was the perfect place to host our wedding and they were so flexible from ceremony arrangements to serving food, to last minute updates. Thanks for allowing us to do family style. For being a brand new endeavor we felt it went off seamlessly, none of which could have been possible with out Laura.The Arctic Club was the perfect place to host our wedding and they were so flexible from ceremony arrangements to serving food, to last minute updates. Thanks for allowing us to do family style. For being a brand new endeavor we felt it went off seamlessly, none of which could have been possible with out Laura.Arctic Club Hotel Seattle's reply:
Awww, thanks so much for taking the time to provide a review, Nicole! Your wedding vows were my absolute favorite and I hope you have that puppy that you were promised! :-)
Cheers!
-Laura -
Quality of service
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Meg Sent on 06/28/20175 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
This was the first and only venue we looked at for our June wedding. Knowing we wanted to get married in June...in Seattle... we knew it was a bit risky going with an outdoor venue. To find an indoor venue as magical as this one was thought to be impossible. It completely blew us away. The Dome Room is stunning and required little to no decoration. We just covered the room in candles to play off of the beautiful architecture and detail already designed into the room.
We worked with Nicole as our point person leading up to the big day. She was so accommodating, helpful and sweet. My multiple emails a day didn't seem to bother her : )
The rooms during the stay were comfortable, clean and perfectly designed to match the inspiration for the venue.
The food was so yummy and the chef was happy to make any adjustments to fit our preferences during our tasting.
If you book your wedding here, your expectations will not only be met but far exceeded.This was the first and only venue we looked at for our June wedding. Knowing we wanted to get married in June...in Seattle... we knew it was a bit risky going with an outdoor venue. To find an indoor venue as magical as this one was thought to be impossible. It completely blew us away. The Dome Room is stunning and required little to no decoration. We just covered the room in candles to play off of the beautiful architecture and detail already designed into the room.
We worked with Nicole as our point person leading up to the big day. She was so accommodating, helpful and sweet. My multiple emails a day didn't seem to bother her : )
The rooms during the stay were comfortable, clean and perfectly designed to match the inspiration for the venue.
The food was so yummy and the chef was happy to make any adjustments to fit our preferences during our tasting.
If you book your wedding here, your expectations will not only be met but far exceeded. -
Quality of service
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Morgan Sent on 06/14/20175 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
We used Arctic Club for our central getting ready location, our wedding night hotel, and our day after brunch! It all went so smoothly. They were very accommodating and super responsive to my questions. People had no issues booking rooms in the block, and they were great about calling up to our suite and letting people up as we were getting ready. It was really a fantastic place for us to stay near our venue! The brunch the next day was delicious and well put together too!We used Arctic Club for our central getting ready location, our wedding night hotel, and our day after brunch! It all went so smoothly. They were very accommodating and super responsive to my questions. People had no issues booking rooms in the block, and they were great about calling up to our suite and letting people up as we were getting ready. It was really a fantastic place for us to stay near our venue! The brunch the next day was delicious and well put together too! -
Quality of service
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Lauren Sent on 06/05/20155 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The dome room really speaks for itself. It's an insanely gorgeous space and just perfect for weddings! I only looked at one other venue before looking at AC. I was prepared to look at more, but once I walked inside the room, I just knew I had to have my wedding there.
The wedding coordinator is Nicole and she is awesome to work with. Nicole is organized, prepared, answers emails quickly and was always willing to talk with me about any concerns I had.
The food was amazing, as well. Our guests all had great things to say about the salmon and the beef we served. I got a text from a wedding attendee 3 after our wedding asking how the salmon was prepared!
Overall, it's a really lovely venue and Nicole will go out of her way to help make it a special day for any bride. Thank you, Nicole!The dome room really speaks for itself. It's an insanely gorgeous space and just perfect for weddings! I only looked at one other venue before looking at AC. I was prepared to look at more, but once I walked inside the room, I just knew I had to have my wedding there.
The wedding coordinator is Nicole and she is awesome to work with. Nicole is organized, prepared, answers emails quickly and was always willing to talk with me about any concerns I had.
The food was amazing, as well. Our guests all had great things to say about the salmon and the beef we served. I got a text from a wedding attendee 3 after our wedding asking how the salmon was prepared!
Overall, it's a really lovely venue and Nicole will go out of her way to help make it a special day for any bride. Thank you, Nicole!Arctic Club Hotel Seattle's reply:
Hello Lauren,
Thank you for your review. We appreciate you taking the time to do this. We wish you both the very best and it was such a pleasure working with you. -
Quality of service
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Abbey Sent on 11/20/20145 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
We hosted our wedding of about 115 here and it was absolutely gorgeous! The bellman and event staff were extremely kind and helpful, our families and friends loved the venue. Also had lots of out of town guests stay here and they were accommodating with a block and special room rates that were extremely reasonable.We hosted our wedding of about 115 here and it was absolutely gorgeous! The bellman and event staff were extremely kind and helpful, our families and friends loved the venue. Also had lots of out of town guests stay here and they were accommodating with a block and special room rates that were extremely reasonable. -
Quality of service
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Tillie Sent on 02/20/20145 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
BEST EVER! This is the most breathtaking venue. I couldn't imagine it more beautiful but when it was filled with everything for both the ceremony and then reception, it became even better; i truly didn't think that was possible. All of the staff was amazing and really made the big day come to life. 100% would recommend!!BEST EVER! This is the most breathtaking venue. I couldn't imagine it more beautiful but when it was filled with everything for both the ceremony and then reception, it became even better; i truly didn't think that was possible. All of the staff was amazing and really made the big day come to life. 100% would recommend!! -
Quality of service
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Shantelle Sent on 01/07/20145 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The most beautiful venue you could get married at in Washington. The wedding team is fantastic and so helpful!!!The most beautiful venue you could get married at in Washington. The wedding team is fantastic and so helpful!!! -
Quality of service
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Piyali Sent on 04/02/20135 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
We LOVED this venue where we had both ceremony & reception on 3/23. Of course the dome room speaks for itself and we were totally in love with it, but the service of this venue and the ease of working with them is outstanding. We worked with Daneka Sarkies the entire time and she was phenomenal - responded to emails instantly, answered the thousands of questions I had, helped figure out many details, and was organized and dependable. We also worked with Chloe to help book rooms for guests/figure out where we were going to get ready for the day, etc. and she was amazing as well. From the front desk people to the bell service, everyone was truly outstanding and guests mentioned this repeatedly. The food tasting was so fun, and the items were all delicious, we were very impressed (and this is coming from a family of foodies!) and had trouble choosing! Everything was easy and flawless working with the Arctic Club - thank you!!!We LOVED this venue where we had both ceremony & reception on 3/23. Of course the dome room speaks for itself and we were totally in love with it, but the service of this venue and the ease of working with them is outstanding. We worked with Daneka Sarkies the entire time and she was phenomenal - responded to emails instantly, answered the thousands of questions I had, helped figure out many details, and was organized and dependable. We also worked with Chloe to help book rooms for guests/figure out where we were going to get ready for the day, etc. and she was amazing as well. From the front desk people to the bell service, everyone was truly outstanding and guests mentioned this repeatedly. The food tasting was so fun, and the items were all delicious, we were very impressed (and this is coming from a family of foodies!) and had trouble choosing! Everything was easy and flawless working with the Arctic Club - thank you!!! -
Quality of service
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Jaclyn Sent on 07/28/20105 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Want to visit the early 1900s with modern day amenities? The Arctic Club Hotel is your ticket. Art-deco styling that emanates class in the heart of Seattle. The Arctic Club took amazing care of us. The words flexible and customer-oriented do not even begin to describe how far the Arctic Club, and the Director of Catering Brooke, went to meet our needs. The Dome room is amazing for a ceremony or reception, the hotel suites are equally stunning, the food is delicious and the service is impeccable. We ordered a keg of Pyramid beer which was served through their tap system, and we were allowed to bring our own wine and champagne (with a reasonable corkage fee of $15). They offer discounts on rooms for your wedding guests, and will work with you to design a menu of your choice. They supply tables, chairs and linens at no extra charge, but of course can accommodate other setups if desired. The Dome room has enough room for a small band, and it has outlets for plenty of DJ equipment. Cocktail hour is easily accomplished in the bar downstairs. Prices are competitive with other luxury wedding venues - but you definitely get what you pay for. This was our dream wedding venue that we never thought we could afford, but they worked with us to make it happen.Want to visit the early 1900s with modern day amenities? The Arctic Club Hotel is your ticket. Art-deco styling that emanates class in the heart of Seattle. The Arctic Club took amazing care of us. The words flexible and customer-oriented do not even begin to describe how far the Arctic Club, and the Director of Catering Brooke, went to meet our needs. The Dome room is amazing for a ceremony or reception, the hotel suites are equally stunning, the food is delicious and the service is impeccable. We ordered a keg of Pyramid beer which was served through their tap system, and we were allowed to bring our own wine and champagne (with a reasonable corkage fee of $15). They offer discounts on rooms for your wedding guests, and will work with you to design a menu of your choice. They supply tables, chairs and linens at no extra charge, but of course can accommodate other setups if desired. The Dome room has enough room for a small band, and it has outlets for plenty of DJ equipment. Cocktail hour is easily accomplished in the bar downstairs. Prices are competitive with other luxury wedding venues - but you definitely get what you pay for. This was our dream wedding venue that we never thought we could afford, but they worked with us to make it happen. -
Quality of service
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Robyn Sent on 12/30/20095 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
We were very pleased with the service we received from The Arctic Club Hotel. Brooke, Director of Catering, was phenomenal! She was so easy to work with and very understanding of our needs/requests. The day of our wedding, we did not have to worry about anything!!! We were able to enjoy our day to the fullest! We are so grateful to Brooke and her amazing staff for helping to make our wedding a day we will never forget!!!We were very pleased with the service we received from The Arctic Club Hotel. Brooke, Director of Catering, was phenomenal! She was so easy to work with and very understanding of our needs/requests. The day of our wedding, we did not have to worry about anything!!! We were able to enjoy our day to the fullest! We are so grateful to Brooke and her amazing staff for helping to make our wedding a day we will never forget!!! -
Quality of service
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Theresia Sent on 03/06/20124.9 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.5 out of 5 rating
Despite the 3 times change of the wedding/sales coordinators (from September 2011-February 2012) from the Arctic Club Hotel. Michelle & Maya were very helpful and experienced for my February 18th wedding- they know what they are doing! The staffs were very courteous and accomodating. All my guests enjoy the food. It was warm, the tenderloin was tender, so was the salmon well seasoned. Very pleased with them and will definitely recommend them for every bride if you want stress-free wedding =)Despite the 3 times change of the wedding/sales coordinators (from September 2011-February 2012) from the Arctic Club Hotel. Michelle & Maya were very helpful and experienced for my February 18th wedding- they know what they are doing! The staffs were very courteous and accomodating. All my guests enjoy the food. It was warm, the tenderloin was tender, so was the salmon well seasoned. Very pleased with them and will definitely recommend them for every bride if you want stress-free wedding =) -
Quality of service
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David Sent on 09/24/20184.8 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Overall, a lovely experience working with the Arctic Club staff. Laura is a pleasure to work with and always provided feedback in a timely, professional manner. The food was wonderful, as well as the table service on our wedding night. The valet service had a few challenges keeping track of guest vehicles and lost someone’s keys for several hours. They are independent from The Arctic Club, but a stronger valet service would add value to the overall experience. The ambiance of the lobby, Polar Bar, and the dome room was fantastic and each area was managed very well. We felt like the hotel was ours for an evening, and are so glad we chose the Arctic Club!Overall, a lovely experience working with the Arctic Club staff. Laura is a pleasure to work with and always provided feedback in a timely, professional manner. The food was wonderful, as well as the table service on our wedding night. The valet service had a few challenges keeping track of guest vehicles and lost someone’s keys for several hours. They are independent from The Arctic Club, but a stronger valet service would add value to the overall experience. The ambiance of the lobby, Polar Bar, and the dome room was fantastic and each area was managed very well. We felt like the hotel was ours for an evening, and are so glad we chose the Arctic Club!-
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+2 photos
Arctic Club Hotel Seattle's reply:
Thank you so much for your review! Your wedding was absolutely beautiful and we were honored to have played a part in that. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!
-Laura
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Quality of service
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Christine Sent on 10/25/20154.8 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
We chose the Arctic Club for our wedding after walking in the door. It was the only venue we looked at (probably not smart) but after doing online research, we fell in love with the venue. We loved the art deco building, it's story and of course the ridiculously beautiful Northern Lights Dome Room. We booked with Elaine - who was wonderful to work with. We later worked with Nicole after she came on board and found her to be just as helpful, flexible, responsive as Elaine. They are an amazing team. They shared their resources with us and it was through them that we found our wedding coordinator. The day of was amazing. The food was beyond delicious (I had guests tell me they were surprised that a "hotel" could deliver such an amazing meal). The logistics went off without a hitch, the staff were super friendly and Elaine made us feel like we were her favorite couple in the world. :) Value is the only area where I marked them down a bit. They are one of the expensive venues for details like overnight parking and the banquet pricing. But not that much more than any other hotel in downtown Seattle. It was well worth it for us because the evening was just what we wanted. A great party with great food, great booze and a wonderful vibe. I would definitely recommend the Arctic Club.We chose the Arctic Club for our wedding after walking in the door. It was the only venue we looked at (probably not smart) but after doing online research, we fell in love with the venue. We loved the art deco building, it's story and of course the ridiculously beautiful Northern Lights Dome Room. We booked with Elaine - who was wonderful to work with. We later worked with Nicole after she came on board and found her to be just as helpful, flexible, responsive as Elaine. They are an amazing team. They shared their resources with us and it was through them that we found our wedding coordinator. The day of was amazing. The food was beyond delicious (I had guests tell me they were surprised that a "hotel" could deliver such an amazing meal). The logistics went off without a hitch, the staff were super friendly and Elaine made us feel like we were her favorite couple in the world. :) Value is the only area where I marked them down a bit. They are one of the expensive venues for details like overnight parking and the banquet pricing. But not that much more than any other hotel in downtown Seattle. It was well worth it for us because the evening was just what we wanted. A great party with great food, great booze and a wonderful vibe. I would definitely recommend the Arctic Club. -
Quality of service
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Julia Sent on 07/25/20114.8 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 4.5 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.5 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The Arctic Club is a beautiful, recently remodeled hotel that has kept it's vintage charm. The hotel room made a great setting for "getting ready" photos and the Dome Room was the perfect setting for our reception. The catering and event planning staff were friendly, responsive, accommodating and easy to work with. Parking on the days surrounding our event was a bit difficult as the hotel only provides valet parking and we had a lot of various items to unload (as would be expected when arriving for your wedding) and the bell hops/valets seemed confused about where to have us park and how to help us. This made our arrival at the hotel feel a bit chaotic, but everything else seemed to run smoothly and without a glitch. Excellent food and service was enjoyed all evening.The Arctic Club is a beautiful, recently remodeled hotel that has kept it's vintage charm. The hotel room made a great setting for "getting ready" photos and the Dome Room was the perfect setting for our reception. The catering and event planning staff were friendly, responsive, accommodating and easy to work with. Parking on the days surrounding our event was a bit difficult as the hotel only provides valet parking and we had a lot of various items to unload (as would be expected when arriving for your wedding) and the bell hops/valets seemed confused about where to have us park and how to help us. This made our arrival at the hotel feel a bit chaotic, but everything else seemed to run smoothly and without a glitch. Excellent food and service was enjoyed all evening. -
Quality of service
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Kandj Sent on 03/17/20114.7 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.5 out of 5 rating
Beautiful place! My wedding was perfect. Brook helped with every detail. Everyone had such a great time. Food was awesome!Beautiful place! My wedding was perfect. Brook helped with every detail. Everyone had such a great time. Food was awesome! -
Quality of service
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Chelsea Sent on 10/18/20183.8 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 2.0 out of 5 rating
Unbelievably beautiful, and unbelievably expensive
When we set out with planning a 1920s-themed Gatsby styled wedding, I came across the Arctic Club's Dome Room and immediately knew it had to be our venue. When I asked about pricing for roughly 100-150 guests, they said it would be a $5k deposit and then $15k after that (and the deposit would go toward that amount). I'm no math expert but I assumed that meant I could anticipate another $10k in expenses after deducting the $5k deposit, for $15k total after all was said and done. Nope.
When we were days from the wedding, they said we owed $23k. My jaw hit the floor. I had been constantly asking them throughout this process if the $15k amount would cover our anticipated guest list number (which turned out to be about 100 people). Over and over they assured me, yes, it will cover them. Then they also added an additional $3690 for "overages", which I only got a couple hundred dollars back from even after being told that we had met my bar cap and not gone over for the evening. I didn't fight it because I was tired of arguing and feeling misled. And yes, I pored over the contract many times and reviewed every page before signing it.
The way they do their contract is real slick. You will pay out the nose whether you end up having 1 guest or 300 guests, because they go by a minimum, not per head. There is no way to reduce the cost by having a smaller amount of alcohol, appetizers, guests, etc because of this food & beverage minimum.
Long story short, if you're even thinking about using this venue, on your first meeting demand an itemized bill showing EXACTLY what your final cost will be based on the head count and bar cap that you want, including their taxes, extra fees, overages, room fees, and 20 other hidden costs, so they can't spring an amount on you directly before the wedding that's several orders of magnitude more than you were budgeting for.
Now that that's out of the way, let me just say that the hotel itself is stunning. Our photos in the Polar Bar and Dome Room, and on the steps of the hotel, looked absolutely gorgeous. We and our guests were all very happy with the food, drinks, and service on the day of the wedding. I was not allowed to stay in our hotel room the night before the wedding, which was very inconvenient as we were driving from Olympia to Seattle two days in a row as a result, for the rehearsal dinner and then for the wedding. They said that 25 small candle votives were included in setup, so I asked them to line the sides of the aisle with them. They said it would be hard because "people kick them over", yet I've seen countless photos of people having weddings with giant candles, flower arrangements, floor runners, and much more. When I emerged to the ceremony, they had not put any of the candles out, so it was just a bare floor. The room still looked beautiful, but I'm sorry, when I'm paying this much money (and in fact, much more than I had ever anticipated), I do expect to receive what I asked for and what we had agreed upon in advance. Also, when we arrived to the rehearsal dinner at the agreed time of 7:00 PM, they were confused and said they thought it would be at 5, so we were late. Again, I had told them a million times it needed to start at 7 because my friends and family in Olympia had to get off work and drive up to Seattle for this. Not sure why there was so much miscommunication when everything is recorded in emails.
Everything else about our day was great. Our comped room for the evening was beautiful, and the setup switch from ceremony to reception went flawlessly. I only wish someone would have advised me to have them itemize every one of their costs, and that each of my requests had been honored.When we set out with planning a 1920s-themed Gatsby styled wedding, I came across the Arctic Club's Dome Room and immediately knew it had to be our venue. When I asked about pricing for roughly 100-150 guests, they said it would be a $5k deposit and then $15k after that (and the deposit would go toward that amount). I'm no math expert but I assumed that meant I could anticipate another $10k in expenses after deducting the $5k deposit, for $15k total after all was said and done. Nope.
When we were days from the wedding, they said we owed $23k. My jaw hit the floor. I had been constantly asking them throughout this process if the $15k amount would cover our anticipated guest list number (which turned out to be about 100 people). Over and over they assured me, yes, it will cover them. Then they also added an additional $3690 for "overages", which I only got a couple hundred dollars back from even after being told that we had met my bar cap and not gone over for the evening. I didn't fight it because I was tired of arguing and feeling misled. And yes, I pored over the contract many times and reviewed every page before signing it.
The way they do their contract is real slick. You will pay out the nose whether you end up having 1 guest or 300 guests, because they go by a minimum, not per head. There is no way to reduce the cost by having a smaller amount of alcohol, appetizers, guests, etc because of this food & beverage minimum.
Long story short, if you're even thinking about using this venue, on your first meeting demand an itemized bill showing EXACTLY what your final cost will be based on the head count and bar cap that you want, including their taxes, extra fees, overages, room fees, and 20 other hidden costs, so they can't spring an amount on you directly before the wedding that's several orders of magnitude more than you were budgeting for.
Now that that's out of the way, let me just say that the hotel itself is stunning. Our photos in the Polar Bar and Dome Room, and on the steps of the hotel, looked absolutely gorgeous. We and our guests were all very happy with the food, drinks, and service on the day of the wedding. I was not allowed to stay in our hotel room the night before the wedding, which was very inconvenient as we were driving from Olympia to Seattle two days in a row as a result, for the rehearsal dinner and then for the wedding. They said that 25 small candle votives were included in setup, so I asked them to line the sides of the aisle with them. They said it would be hard because "people kick them over", yet I've seen countless photos of people having weddings with giant candles, flower arrangements, floor runners, and much more. When I emerged to the ceremony, they had not put any of the candles out, so it was just a bare floor. The room still looked beautiful, but I'm sorry, when I'm paying this much money (and in fact, much more than I had ever anticipated), I do expect to receive what I asked for and what we had agreed upon in advance. Also, when we arrived to the rehearsal dinner at the agreed time of 7:00 PM, they were confused and said they thought it would be at 5, so we were late. Again, I had told them a million times it needed to start at 7 because my friends and family in Olympia had to get off work and drive up to Seattle for this. Not sure why there was so much miscommunication when everything is recorded in emails.
Everything else about our day was great. Our comped room for the evening was beautiful, and the setup switch from ceremony to reception went flawlessly. I only wish someone would have advised me to have them itemize every one of their costs, and that each of my requests had been honored.Arctic Club Hotel Seattle's reply:
Hi Chelsea,
Thank you so much for providing your valuable feedback! It is reviews like yours that assist us in our on-going efforts to provide exemplary customer service to past and present clients. I personally enjoyed working with you both very much and am thankful that you selected The Arctic Club for your big day! I enjoyed working with you so much that I took on a few duties that would typically be handled by a day-of Coordinator. I loved being able to setup your escort card table and welcome table. Your decor items were beautiful! I must agree, our venue is A-MAZ-ING for Great Gatsby themed events.
I'm very sorry that you felt our contracts were misleading. I am always happy to discuss contracts in detail, as I understand that they contain verbiage that may be difficult to decipher if you don't deal with them regularly. I would like to address all of your concerns, comments and questions below.
First, I must note that your deposit was $5,000 and you had a $15,000 F&B minimum. You did not mention the contracted $5,000 room rental. These fees bring you up to $20,000 rather than $15,000. You also had guest rooms the night of the wedding, which were contracted and added on an additional $1,500+. It would not have been possible to hold your wedding for a flat rate of $15,000 when the contract amount well exceeded that.
As noted on pg. 1 of all contracts, "Client must meet a food and beverage minimum of _____." (typically $15,000 for Saturday Weddings) This is the minimum amount of revenue that must be achieved via food and beverage purchases only. While we do have a food and beverage minimum that must be met, our pricing for meal service is per person. As a concession, I am thrilled that we were able to reduce your food and beverage minimum mere days before the wedding. I hope that took some of the stresses away leading up to the wedding day.
Please note that pg. 1 of the contract also states "**Does not include service charges, labor fees, applicable federal, state or local taxes or any other fees outside of food and beverage product sales.**" The possibility of incurring any additional fees are clearly noted on the contract and there is no intent to deceive our clients.
Yes, you're correct that we do charge a 15% overage on the cost of weddings. The overage is utilized to cover unanticipated costs that are incurred leading up to and on the wedding day. The overage is typically used for things such as an increased bar cap day-of or an increased guest count after final payment is received. It can also cover incidental charges or guest room charges. Overages are 100% refundable, provided they're not utilized. You did not receive the full return of your overage because you had guest rooms that were not filled. We actually had a room reserved for you the night before the wedding (as you had requested) but that room was not utilized. You were sent a full billing breakdown which reflects the final overage reimbursement.
I'm so pleased that you and your guests were very happy with the food, drinks and service on the day of the wedding. We're so lucky to have an amazing Chef and highly skilled service staff. Our teams are truly the backbone of the hotel and we're very grateful for them. I'm also happy that you loved your suite the night of the wedding and hope you enjoyed the Champagne and hand-written note. Also, I must agree that your photos were stunning! You two are a beautiful couple!
I would like to address the rehearsal dinner mix-up. Again, please accept my sincerest apologies. That was absolutely my error and I am grateful that our staff was able to accommodate everything, just as you had requested. Dinner service still took place at your desired time and the room was beautiful and ready to go when you and your guests arrived.
I am also sorry that we were not able to place our votive candles on the floor, as it would've posed a potential fire hazard and we must abide by fire code. It is correct that you have seen giant candles lining the aisle in photos. These are acceptable, as they range in 12"-36" in height and are clearly visible to all guests in attendance.
I hope that I have addressed all of your comments and concerns and provided clear and concise information in regard to our wedding practices here at The Arctic Club. Thank you again!
Laura
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Quality of service
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Lauren Sent on 03/25/20183.8 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 3.5 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 3.5 out of 5 rating
The minute we walked into the Arctic Club, we loved it! I would definitely recommend this venue and loved the day of service and the event execution! For weeks after the wedding our guests could not stop talking about that being the best wedding they had attended. Let’s just say we hit it out of the park with our venue selection!
I was a little disappointed with the coordination of the hotel as a whole leading up to the wedding though.
Food: The food was absolutely delicious. Everyone raved about it! They did a great job serving 170 people. My guests were also very happy with the bartenders.
Day of Staff: I thought the event staff absolutely nailed it! They were amazing and really provided first-class service. The staff was very accommodating to myself and my husband, our guests and my coordinator.
Tasting: The chef has some fabulous options. It was hard to choose because the options were so good! He also had a lot of fun ideas to throw in a twist to your wedding.
Communication: For the most part communication was okay, but this is where we had some issues. 1. My personal coordinator and myself had to resend information multiple times to make sure everything was organized. 2. There was a double booking of the venue for our rehearsal night. I was told I was no longer going to be able to use it, even though I reserved it almost a year in advance. I had to make a few calls to sort that out. 3. We attempted to see the wedding night suite 2 times and were not able to because of miscommunication. We finally saw the suite a week before the wedding.
Overall the wedding was absolutely perfect! The event flowed very smoothly. The logistics leading up to the wedding were so-so, I am just happy that things were eventually resolved. I would suggest to a bride to triple check that things are completed w/ the venue.The minute we walked into the Arctic Club, we loved it! I would definitely recommend this venue and loved the day of service and the event execution! For weeks after the wedding our guests could not stop talking about that being the best wedding they had attended. Let’s just say we hit it out of the park with our venue selection!
I was a little disappointed with the coordination of the hotel as a whole leading up to the wedding though.
Food: The food was absolutely delicious. Everyone raved about it! They did a great job serving 170 people. My guests were also very happy with the bartenders.
Day of Staff: I thought the event staff absolutely nailed it! They were amazing and really provided first-class service. The staff was very accommodating to myself and my husband, our guests and my coordinator.
Tasting: The chef has some fabulous options. It was hard to choose because the options were so good! He also had a lot of fun ideas to throw in a twist to your wedding.
Communication: For the most part communication was okay, but this is where we had some issues. 1. My personal coordinator and myself had to resend information multiple times to make sure everything was organized. 2. There was a double booking of the venue for our rehearsal night. I was told I was no longer going to be able to use it, even though I reserved it almost a year in advance. I had to make a few calls to sort that out. 3. We attempted to see the wedding night suite 2 times and were not able to because of miscommunication. We finally saw the suite a week before the wedding.
Overall the wedding was absolutely perfect! The event flowed very smoothly. The logistics leading up to the wedding were so-so, I am just happy that things were eventually resolved. I would suggest to a bride to triple check that things are completed w/ the venue.Arctic Club Hotel Seattle's reply:
Thank you so much for taking the time to review The Arctic Club, Lauren! We appreciate you allowing us to play a role in your big day & we’re delighted that you and your guests enjoyed an absolutely perfect evening!
We pride ourselves on being thorough and attentive and apologize if you felt that the level of communication was not what you had hoped for leading up to your wedding. There are always several last minute adjustments that occur, making clarifying emails a necessary part of the final planning process.
While we certainly do our best to work with brides to ensure that their rehearsal is tailored to meet their needs, our contract does outline that this is a complimentary service and requires flexibility as we do host other events. We’re so glad that we were able to resolve this and host your rehearsal in our beautiful dome room, as we completely understand the importance of rehearsing in the space that you’re getting married in.
In regard to the suite, we sincerely apologize that you had experienced inconveniences in your attempts to view the room prior to your wedding. We certainly strive to accommodate every request for a tour however, having only two suites in-house and it being a busy time for our hotel, our tours are based upon availability and are subject to change.
Thank you again! It was our honor and privilege to host your wedding ceremony and reception. We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!
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Quality of service
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Lauren Sent on 05/21/20183.6 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 3.5 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 2.5 out of 5 rating
The minute we walked into the Arctic Club, we loved it! It was a beautiful venue for our wedding on Dec. 2, 2017. I would definitely recommend this venue and loved the day of service and the event execution! I was a little disappointed with the coordination of the hotel as a whole leading up to the wedding though. For weeks after the wedding our guests could not stop talking about the entire wedding for weeks!
Food: The food was absolutely delicious. We did not hear one complaint. Everyone raved about it! They did a great job serving 170 people.
Beautiful: The hotel itself is breathtaking, so many people loved the look and the story behind it.
Day of Staff: I thought the event staff absolutely nailed it! They were amazing and really provided first-class service. I work in the event world, and you don’t see that every day.
Tasting: It was hard to choose because the options were so good! He also had a lot of fun ideas to throw in a twist to your wedding. You will not be disappointed with the food from the Arctic Club.
Communication: For the most part communication was okay, but this is where we had some issues. 1. My coordinator and myself had to resend information multiple times to make sure The Arctic Club was organized. 2. There was a double booking of the venue for our rehearsal night and I was told I couldn’t use it. After a few conversations, I gave us the space since they made a mistake. The new coordinator (Laura) was a hard worker and she did try to fix the obstacles we were running in to.
Thoughtful: Our coordinator left us a very sweet note and bottle of bubbly to celebrate the night once we got to our room. I thought she did do a good job overall and that was a lovely touch to end the night.
Overall the wedding day was absolutely perfect! The event flowed so smoothly. The logistics leading up to the wedding were so-so, BUT things were eventually resolved. I would just suggest to a bride or coordinator to triple check that things are completed.The minute we walked into the Arctic Club, we loved it! It was a beautiful venue for our wedding on Dec. 2, 2017. I would definitely recommend this venue and loved the day of service and the event execution! I was a little disappointed with the coordination of the hotel as a whole leading up to the wedding though. For weeks after the wedding our guests could not stop talking about the entire wedding for weeks!
Food: The food was absolutely delicious. We did not hear one complaint. Everyone raved about it! They did a great job serving 170 people.
Beautiful: The hotel itself is breathtaking, so many people loved the look and the story behind it.
Day of Staff: I thought the event staff absolutely nailed it! They were amazing and really provided first-class service. I work in the event world, and you don’t see that every day.
Tasting: It was hard to choose because the options were so good! He also had a lot of fun ideas to throw in a twist to your wedding. You will not be disappointed with the food from the Arctic Club.
Communication: For the most part communication was okay, but this is where we had some issues. 1. My coordinator and myself had to resend information multiple times to make sure The Arctic Club was organized. 2. There was a double booking of the venue for our rehearsal night and I was told I couldn’t use it. After a few conversations, I gave us the space since they made a mistake. The new coordinator (Laura) was a hard worker and she did try to fix the obstacles we were running in to.
Thoughtful: Our coordinator left us a very sweet note and bottle of bubbly to celebrate the night once we got to our room. I thought she did do a good job overall and that was a lovely touch to end the night.
Overall the wedding day was absolutely perfect! The event flowed so smoothly. The logistics leading up to the wedding were so-so, BUT things were eventually resolved. I would just suggest to a bride or coordinator to triple check that things are completed. -
Quality of service
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