Hollis Gardens Reviews

Name: Hollis Gardens
Address: 702 E Orange St, Lakeland, FL, 33815
Rating: 4.4

Hollis Gardens

Lakeland, FL

4.4 out of 5 rating, 18 Reviews

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Reviews

4.4 out of 5 rating

18 Reviews

89% recommend it

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Quality of service
4.6 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4.7 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.5 out of 5 rating
Value
4.6 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3.9 out of 5 rating

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Ashley Sent on 06/24/2015

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We held our wedding at Hollis Gardens and our reception at Magnolia Building and they were both such amazing venue choices! We chose to have our wedding on Valentine’s Day 2015, which happened to fall on a Saturday – so knowing that it would be a very popular day, we knew we had to book early. On the first day that we could book 2015 dates, which was the day after New Year’s Day 2014, I was the first person in the Lake Mirror rental office! I met with Beth that day and she was phenomenal – the phones were ringing off the hook, and I am so glad that I made the decision to go in person – if I had gotten a busy signal or have been placed on hold I would have been so worried! The booking process was easy and the team did a great job of being there for us during each of our tours. Crystal was another great help – always there to answer a question when I called and never made me feel bad for asking so many! Both of these venues are absolutely beautiful choices for wedding festivities, and they are both very well maintained – and so convenient to one of the only luxury hotels in Lakeland, The Terrace Hotel.

We held our wedding at Hollis Gardens and our reception at Magnolia Building and they were both such amazing venue choices! We chose to have our wedding on Valentine’s Day 2015, which happened to fall on a Saturday – so knowing that it would be a very popular day, we knew we had to book early. On the first day that we could book 2015 dates, which was the day after New Year’s Day 2014, I was the first person in the Lake Mirror rental office! I met with Beth that day and she was phenomenal – the phones were ringing off the hook, and I am so glad that I made the decision to go in person – if I had gotten a busy signal or have been placed on hold I would have been so worried! The booking process was easy and the team did a great job of being there for us during each of our tours. Crystal was another great help – always there to answer a question when I called and never made me feel bad for asking so many! Both of these venues are absolutely beautiful choices for wedding festivities, and they are both very well maintained – and so convenient to one of the only luxury hotels in Lakeland, The Terrace Hotel.
Lynne Sent on 11/11/2013

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We loved everything about the venue. The staff was easy to work with and professional and it is simply a gorgeous location!

We loved everything about the venue. The staff was easy to work with and professional and it is simply a gorgeous location!
Rosie Sent on 01/09/2012

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This was the perfect place for us to hold our Ceremony. The gardens are beautiful and well maintained year round. There are so many pretty views for pictures! We had our reception in the Magnolia Building right next door which was also perfect. We loved the wood floors, high ceilings and the beautiful views from the windows. I couldn't have asked for a better venue.

This was the perfect place for us to hold our Ceremony. The gardens are beautiful and well maintained year round. There are so many pretty views for pictures! We had our reception in the Magnolia Building right next door which was also perfect. We loved the wood floors, high ceilings and the beautiful views from the windows. I couldn't have asked for a better venue.

Makaila E. Sent on 05/21/2011

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Beautiful, easy to work with and the price is the best around!!!

Beautiful, easy to work with and the price is the best around!!!
Threasa Sent on 10/04/2010

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Absolutely Beautiful and affordable. Lake View. Small Waterfall, Hugh Fountain, Rod Iron Gates!

Absolutely Beautiful and affordable. Lake View. Small Waterfall, Hugh Fountain, Rod Iron Gates!
Heather Sent on 10/06/2010

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Beautiful place for an outdoor wedding. Quiet and peaceful setting. No need for extra decorations as the gardens are very nice and well kept. Great location in Lakeland, FL.

Beautiful place for an outdoor wedding. Quiet and peaceful setting. No need for extra decorations as the gardens are very nice and well kept. Great location in Lakeland, FL.
Stephanie Sent on 05/24/2009

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~Beautiful Gardens for outside weddings, right off Lake Mirror in Downtown Lakeland!
~Perfect setting!
~Beautiful fountains!
~Reception was at Magnolia Building, 5ft from the garden! It's a beautiful 1920's building with HUGE Arc windows and a great space for a fantastic reception!
~The staff are AWESOME! Super helpful and knowledgable!
~ FYI: Doesn't have much in the way of PLUGS! (it's an old building) The breaker was tripped a few times during our meal! whoops! (couldn't have twinkle lights on the ceiling.. no plugs up high)
~Great space for awesome wedding pictures!

~Beautiful Gardens for outside weddings, right off Lake Mirror in Downtown Lakeland!
~Perfect setting!
~Beautiful fountains!
~Reception was at Magnolia Building, 5ft from the garden! It's a beautiful 1920's building with HUGE Arc windows and a great space for a fantastic reception!
~The staff are AWESOME! Super helpful and knowledgable!
~ FYI: Doesn't have much in the way of PLUGS! (it's an old building) The breaker was tripped a few times during our meal! whoops! (couldn't have twinkle lights on the ceiling.. no plugs up high)
~Great space for awesome wedding pictures!
Rachel Sent on 11/09/2008

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What a wonderful group of people to work with. They were always available to answer all of our silly questions, show us the Magnolia building too many times to count. And when it was time for the wedding, they were just so professional and helpful. Thank you so much for all of your time and effort. We had a beautiful wedding with all of your help.

What a wonderful group of people to work with. They were always available to answer all of our silly questions, show us the Magnolia building too many times to count. And when it was time for the wedding, they were just so professional and helpful. Thank you so much for all of your time and effort. We had a beautiful wedding with all of your help.
Leah Sent on 09/27/2008

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We had our wedding reception in the Magnolia Room at Hollis Gardens. The Magnolia room is a beautiful setting for any wedding reception. The 1930's architecture of the ballroom is beautiful. The inside of the room has beautiful hardwood floors, a double sided fireplace, and a stage for a band. There is a balcony alongside the back of the room that has a gorgeous lake view. We had our buffet in this space. The best part of the Magnolia room is the price. You can't beat it.

We had our wedding reception in the Magnolia Room at Hollis Gardens. The Magnolia room is a beautiful setting for any wedding reception. The 1930's architecture of the ballroom is beautiful. The inside of the room has beautiful hardwood floors, a double sided fireplace, and a stage for a band. There is a balcony alongside the back of the room that has a gorgeous lake view. We had our buffet in this space. The best part of the Magnolia room is the price. You can't beat it.
Christie Sent on 05/26/2011

4.8 out of 5 rating
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We used the Amphitheater for our ceremony and Magnolia Building for the reception...with pictures before and after in Hollis Gardens. (We had too many people to be able to have the ceremony in the Gardens). City of Lakeland was extremely easy to work with. We were able to add additional hours the day before and they were very flexible. The Magnolia building was BEAUTIFUL and the gardens were the perfect place for wedding pictures. Everyone remarked on how gorgeous it is, and for the price, you really can't beat it. Granted, you have to plan over a year in advance if you want a Saturday, but it's worth it. The only thing I wasn't very happy about was the night of our event, someone came in about a half hour before we needed to be out and just stood in the lobby staring at us...even though we still had time left on our contract. And that was only because they had another event the next morning and needed to set up for that. But, still. Other than that, a WONDERFUL place to have your wedding.

We used the Amphitheater for our ceremony and Magnolia Building for the reception...with pictures before and after in Hollis Gardens. (We had too many people to be able to have the ceremony in the Gardens). City of Lakeland was extremely easy to work with. We were able to add additional hours the day before and they were very flexible. The Magnolia building was BEAUTIFUL and the gardens were the perfect place for wedding pictures. Everyone remarked on how gorgeous it is, and for the price, you really can't beat it. Granted, you have to plan over a year in advance if you want a Saturday, but it's worth it. The only thing I wasn't very happy about was the night of our event, someone came in about a half hour before we needed to be out and just stood in the lobby staring at us...even though we still had time left on our contract. And that was only because they had another event the next morning and needed to set up for that. But, still. Other than that, a WONDERFUL place to have your wedding.
Heather Sent on 06/20/2015

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The garden was absolutely beautiful and left us with some amazing photos! The only problem is that they don't close off the entire garden so there were some random people standing on the outskirts that ended up in a few photos :(

The garden was absolutely beautiful and left us with some amazing photos! The only problem is that they don't close off the entire garden so there were some random people standing on the outskirts that ended up in a few photos :(
Jessica Sent on 12/30/2011

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Hollis Gardens, is a great place for an outdoor wedding. It's a very pretty location for the Polk County area. I've seen the Garden year round, and it is always picture perfect. The disadvantages I found is that it only allows for 12 seats during a wedding, and it's limited in the number of guests you can have there. It can get pretty hot too if your guests aren't under the shading, but my guests didn't really complain too much. The staff with the Hollis Gardens are friendly, but remember that when your two hour time limit is up- you gotta get moving out for the next wedding. Things to consider also, is that there is a train track nearby, although this was not an issue for us.

Hollis Gardens, is a great place for an outdoor wedding. It's a very pretty location for the Polk County area. I've seen the Garden year round, and it is always picture perfect. The disadvantages I found is that it only allows for 12 seats during a wedding, and it's limited in the number of guests you can have there. It can get pretty hot too if your guests aren't under the shading, but my guests didn't really complain too much. The staff with the Hollis Gardens are friendly, but remember that when your two hour time limit is up- you gotta get moving out for the next wedding. Things to consider also, is that there is a train track nearby, although this was not an issue for us.
Loralie Sent on 07/15/2008

4.6 out of 5 rating
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We had our wedding ceremony at Hollis Garden and the garden is truly beautiful. It makes for beautiful wedding pictures. The price for renting the venue is kind of steep but it is worth it and I have no regret about that. Now the only thing people should know about is that because it's an outdoor wedding, seating is limited (12-20 seats maximum) and it is not very practical since it is so hot in Central Florida.
But unless you're having the ceremony at the same location than the reception, in the end, you save since you don't have to pay for flowers to make the place look pretty. Rental also includes the booth where a DJ can play wedding ceremony music etc..

We had our wedding ceremony at Hollis Garden and the garden is truly beautiful. It makes for beautiful wedding pictures. The price for renting the venue is kind of steep but it is worth it and I have no regret about that. Now the only thing people should know about is that because it's an outdoor wedding, seating is limited (12-20 seats maximum) and it is not very practical since it is so hot in Central Florida.
But unless you're having the ceremony at the same location than the reception, in the end, you save since you don't have to pay for flowers to make the place look pretty. Rental also includes the booth where a DJ can play wedding ceremony music etc..
Jessica Sent on 10/19/2008

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Beautiful place to get married and hold a reception. The venue is the building and seating ONLY. Everything else must be provided on your own but it is absolutely gorgeous. The building books over a year in advance unless your wedding is on any other day besides Saturday.

Beautiful place to get married and hold a reception. The venue is the building and seating ONLY. Everything else must be provided on your own but it is absolutely gorgeous. The building books over a year in advance unless your wedding is on any other day besides Saturday.
Venessa Sent on 06/17/2013

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The grounds itself are beautiful and compared to surrounding areas the price is great ! There were a few rules that didnt quite make sense such as only ten chairs being allowed in the garden . I dont know too many people who can make 10 chairs work for a wedding . We had an expected 165 guest so we used The Loggia on the other side of the lake for our ceremony and gardens for the pictures. Our pictures came out great and we didnt break the bank. The garden was too busy from random people coming in and out , other brides and young girls doing there sweet 15 all at the same time! The space it too small for more than the bride taking pics . No bride likes to see another bride on there special day let alone seeing three or four of them all walking around . My photographer made it work however it did effect the video we were doing . Overall if they allowed for people to rent the garden for even a mere 30 minutes at a time to do pics and have privacy I think it would be great ! The staff was great however the rules and the way of doing things needs to be looked at again. Over all you cant beat the price if you can mange to teak the rest .

The grounds itself are beautiful and compared to surrounding areas the price is great ! There were a few rules that didnt quite make sense such as only ten chairs being allowed in the garden . I dont know too many people who can make 10 chairs work for a wedding . We had an expected 165 guest so we used The Loggia on the other side of the lake for our ceremony and gardens for the pictures. Our pictures came out great and we didnt break the bank. The garden was too busy from random people coming in and out , other brides and young girls doing there sweet 15 all at the same time! The space it too small for more than the bride taking pics . No bride likes to see another bride on there special day let alone seeing three or four of them all walking around . My photographer made it work however it did effect the video we were doing . Overall if they allowed for people to rent the garden for even a mere 30 minutes at a time to do pics and have privacy I think it would be great ! The staff was great however the rules and the way of doing things needs to be looked at again. Over all you cant beat the price if you can mange to teak the rest .
Heather Sent on 04/24/2015

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The location was absolutely beautiful and reasonably priced. The garden is phenomenal and with the lake on the other side I couldn't have found a more perfect place. The staff were really helpful and the ceremony went perfectly. My only complaint is that they don't shut down the entire garden, just the central area, so there are strangers watching in the background of some of my photos.

The location was absolutely beautiful and reasonably priced. The garden is phenomenal and with the lake on the other side I couldn't have found a more perfect place. The staff were really helpful and the ceremony went perfectly. My only complaint is that they don't shut down the entire garden, just the central area, so there are strangers watching in the background of some of my photos.
Megan Sent on 03/03/2009

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Pros: The gardens are beautiful!!! Exceptional!! Also nice that you can set up your own alcohol at Peggy Brown without worrying about the high cost of catered liquor. We bought our own kegs and wine and got to bring home the wine we didnt finished. This ended up saving a ton of money compared to what hotels were charging per person. Peggy Brown also turned out to be much more spacious than I had originally thought and was a very pretty building overlooking the lake.

Cons: Noise at the gardens can be distracting. There was an ice cream truck, arguing Mexicans, and a loud passing train all within the 30 minutes it took to complete the ceremony. The building staff at Peggy Brown took out the garbage all night which was fine, but three of them took the courtesy of getting in line for our food! The caterer came to ask me if I knew them and I said No Get them out! Very rude! Also, must book these venues New Years Day of previous year. They book up for the whole year nearly immediately!!

Pros: The gardens are beautiful!!! Exceptional!! Also nice that you can set up your own alcohol at Peggy Brown without worrying about the high cost of catered liquor. We bought our own kegs and wine and got to bring home the wine we didnt finished. This ended up saving a ton of money compared to what hotels were charging per person. Peggy Brown also turned out to be much more spacious than I had originally thought and was a very pretty building overlooking the lake.

Cons: Noise at the gardens can be distracting. There was an ice cream truck, arguing Mexicans, and a loud passing train all within the 30 minutes it took to complete the ceremony. The building staff at Peggy Brown took out the garbage all night which was fine, but three of them took the courtesy of getting in line for our food! The caterer came to ask me if I knew them and I said No Get them out! Very rude! Also, must book these venues New Years Day of previous year. They book up for the whole year nearly immediately!!
Karen Sent on 02/14/2019

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Read the fine print! The Garden is open to the public.

I had reserved the gardens for my wedding photoshoot for two hours in April 2018 and spent $1250 to reserve. The day of our wedding, the garden was not roped off, another wedding party was having their photos taken, and a birthday party was also being held. You think that paying $1250 for two hours for wedding photos you would have the area to yourself. We went in and complained the following Monday and in the tiny fine print, it says the gardens are open to the public. Why pay this outrages fee when you have to share it with others. We were very disappointed in how we were treated. The photographer had to shoot around the other people in the park. Needless to say, our photos turned out beautiful, but its not the stress a bride wants on her wedding day. Brides beware!

I had reserved the gardens for my wedding photoshoot for two hours in April 2018 and spent $1250 to reserve. The day of our wedding, the garden was not roped off, another wedding party was having their photos taken, and a birthday party was also being held. You think that paying $1250 for two hours for wedding photos you would have the area to yourself. We went in and complained the following Monday and in the tiny fine print, it says the gardens are open to the public. Why pay this outrages fee when you have to share it with others. We were very disappointed in how we were treated. The photographer had to shoot around the other people in the park. Needless to say, our photos turned out beautiful, but its not the stress a bride wants on her wedding day. Brides beware!