Chauncey Conference Center

Beautiful venue and accommodating staff. Cathy Geer has bent over backwards to accommodate and meet our needs. She instantly made me feel comfortable and at ease from my initial visit. We only looked at 3 or 4 venues and the decision was easy. Extremely affordable, secluded and unique. The Laurie House is an absolutely adorable Victorian B & B on site that makes for picturesque getting ready photos. Also convenient for guests as they can walk right to their rooms at the end of the night!

I got married here in June 2015 and had an awful experience. I agree with a previous poster that I would not recommend having the wedding here. When we visited, the grounds were nice and Cathy gave us a great tour, which led us to booking the site for our ceremony and reception. However, as soon as we booked, things started to rapidly decline. While Cathy was great at answering questions before we signed, she became unresponsive, or would give curt, unhelpful answers that referred to policy/​fact rather than trying to find a solution. For example, when we asked about a backup location in case of rain, she said she wouldn’t know anything until 3 days before and couldn’t guarantee a location.
Fast forward to the day of, and she was nowhere to be seen. Although Cathy was supposed to provide coordination services, my bridesmaids and the moms ended up doing everything for the wedding. As a result, everything seemed hectic and was very late. The food (out of our control) was over 2 hours later than scheduled, and by then, everyone was getting upset. Cathy did nothing to speak with the catering department and I had to find them myself! I would not recommend having your wedding here if you want it to go well!

This review is for our wedding on Saturday, October 3^rd. Where do I start? The planning was absolutely seamless from our initial meeting with Cathy Geer, a little over a year before the event, to the day of. We were confident in Cathy’s abilities from Day 1. The grounds are gorgeous and we planned for over a year to have a lovely early Fall wedding in the gazebo and tent outside, unfortunately, due to Hurricane Joaquin, we were moved inside 3 days before the event. While slightly disappointed, it was out of anyones control, I still maintained my confidence in this venue and staff. Not ever having seen the inside event space dressed for a wedding, I was blown away. What a lovely job they did accommodating our party of 100. We had such a memorable evening. A few notes about the staff…
Cathy Geer: You won’t find a more knowledgable and dedicated Catering/​Sales Manager. Her suggestions throughout the planning were spot on, she understood my vision and she let me have it. I read a review once that she was «snappy» or «rude». Having worked in the restaurant industry, my viewpoint could be different than someones who hasn’t, but I don’t read her that way at all. In fact, I was quite shocked when I read that. She knows what she’s doing, she’s done hundreds of events both at the Chauncey and previous venues and she is clear and concise in her instructions and her suggestions because she has seen it all. She knows how to make your event successful and that’s why you need her, so trust her. I’d rather work with a professional with years of experience than someone who «yeses» me to death then can’t deliver.
Executive Chef, Brian Wagner: Chef Wagner is fairly new to the Chauncey, coming from Vegas he is used to servicing a large amount of people at the same time. I chose to deviate from the offered menu, well before Chef Wagner’s arrival, and he not only agreed to my Family Style service but he delivered in expert fashion. I heard the cocktail hour was spectacular, I was too nervous to eat, and I was kicking myself the next day for not forcing myself to eat after my guests were telling me how great the food was. I WANT A REDO!!! :) I love food. I didn’t want the standard offering of 3 protein choices, some string beans that have seen better days, and some piped mashed potatoes like we’ve all seen at wedding factory venues. If you love food, like I do, and want some decision making power in your menu, than this is a great venue for you.
Kelly McGregor, Conference Planning Coordinator: Kelly handled all of my room block reservations and my two day rental of the Laurie House B&B on the property. She was always attentive, answered my calls and emails incredibly quickly and treated my guests well. She was an integral part in the success of my wedding weekend.
Additional note: I bit the bullet and chose to secure the Laurie House for Friday and Saturday night for my entire bridal party. It was an amazing decision on my part. It was nice to have everyone centrally located. I chose to have champagne and orange juice delivered at 10am the day of and lunch around noon. It was handled beautifully and the food was delicious and abundant. There was a teachers conference going on in the house at the same time due to Hurricane Joaquin and everyone having to be juggled around. They didn’t impact our enjoyment of the house, everyone had to be respectful of one another and their use of the their designated areas. I also chose to have an «after-​party» in the bar inside, after the wedding, again that didn’t disappoint, the bar staff was attentive and professional even when one guest had a few too many and needed to be cut-​off, it was handled quietly and professionally. I had after-​party food of sliders and soft pretzels served and that was abundant as well. No one walked away hungry. The included breakfast the next day was in the same room we had the wedding the night before, they gave us our own section of the space and even repurposed my «bride and groom» chair swags from the night before to our chairs that morning. That was a really sweet touch and it made me smile. It’s the little thoughtful touches that I will always remember.
I tried to be as inclusive as possible in this review to assist other brides and grooms that may be considering this venue. I am hard to please and I walked away very pleased.
Thank you to the entire staff for making our day so memorable.
–Lauren & Sean McLaughlin

Ok follow up…
So mixed reviews for Chauncey as an Wedding Venue…
+: beautiful grounds!!! makes for amazing pictures
the possibility of having wedding + reception outdoors
open bar
food OK (don’t ask for vegetarian or vegan tho!)
Tent is nice and big
nice hotel rooms onsite (it’s a hotel)
—: Cathy, the event planner! A nightmare to work with!
Music off at 11pm
I only had 6 months to plan this wedding and finding this venue in Princeton was great! I wanted an outdoor wedding and this pace offers that. We had no money aside for a wedding and this place is affordable, especially in Hopewell Valley. You can get a regular menu + open bar from 100 $/​person.
But dealing with Cathy was traumatizing to me. She was not available, snappy, rude, she kept saying «no» to everything and would say «yes» a few weeks later, tried to change prices a million times, tried to charge us extra for standard things, etc… At some point I just couldn’t deal with her anymore and my husband and mother-​in-​law would communicate with her in my place.
On the wedding day, my mother-​in-​law took care of all the last (many) details while I was getting ready. She was sweet too keep me in the dark of everything that went wrong that day :)
But here is an extract of the complaint letter she sent to the Chauncey:
«I am writing to let you know about Cathy Geer.
For the 6 months or so that my daughter-​in-​law, Claudine, was preparing for her wedding, she expressed so much stress about dealing with Cathy.
I didn’t know though, if the problem was stemming from Claudine, being that she is French, and might have cultural differences. At one point Claudine was so stressed out by Cathy, that she asked my son and me to meet with her.
But when the wedding day arrived, I realized that the problem is with Cathy.
At one point, I overheard the bridesmaids making a joke „OMG! I’ve been Cathy’d!“
To be Cathy’d, they told me, means that Cathy has come up to you: Approached you and given you an order, in a rude, condescending, or autocratic way. The experience for these young women, to be bossed around in this way, was apparently quite shocking, and thus they began to support each other, and validate each other by making this „I’ve been Cathy’d“ joke.
Here are some of my personal experiences of the day of the wedding to give you a sense:
1. Cathy was nowhere to be found except for just a few times I caught her walking by.
2. When I’d ask her a question, she’d answer me in an angry and blunt way.
3. I asked if the televisions could be turned off. This is my son’s wedding. I didn’t want tv shows to be blaring in the room, The man behind the desk, and Cathy told me they’d do it, but I had to ask 4 times for this.
4. I asked Cathy, 30 minutes before the guests arrived, if she could have someone clean the bird poop off the chairs at the gazebo. She snapped at me angrily, saying „I’m doing my job!“ Frankly, I don’t think this request was exactly over the top.
5. I asked Cathy, if the floor of the tent could be attended to. This did not happen, as there were rotten cherry tomatoes, tops of beer, plastic wrappings, etc on the floor.
6. I asked Cathy for a table to be set up in the tent for gifts. This was on her plan with Claudine. Claudine had asked that no black linens be used in the tent, and Cathy had agreed. The table was not set up until I asked, and then they had black tablecloths. Then they used the table for coffee anyway, so again there was no gift table.
7. I was setting up a table in the corner of the tent where no eating tables were, with a bridesmaid and her boyfriend, when Cathy came into the tent and demanded „We are setting up now, you will have to vacate!“ The bridesmaid, of course, said „OMG We’ve been Cathy’d“ I don’t see any reason that Cathy had to speak with us in that manner. A polite and cheery request would have sufficed.
8. So all in all I made 4 requests. 3 of them should have been taken care of by Cathy if she were doing her job. And yet, she went to my son, and told him that I had been following her around all day bothering her. If my son had not had a sense of humor, this could have led to a very negative strain on our relationship
9. It was already half hour late and Cathy was nowhere to be found until then. I asked her if I should ask the guests to go to the gazebo. She snapped at me !
At this point, I thought to myself how it would have been for Claudine to have had to deal with Cathy like this all day. I am 56 years old, and I didn’t take anything Cathy said or did personally. But for a young woman, on the day of her weddingto have to deal with this kind of behavior would be so distressing for her I really don’t know how you can have her working in this job?»
Conclusion: If you book the Chauncey, get a wedding planner that will be there for you throughout the planning and the wedding day. It’s a good investment because Cathy is horrible to work with.

I booked this place though Hotwire so I was not really thrilled to stay here in the first place. But did not have a choice. I work in education so staying on the campus with the ets was not my idea of fun. The room was ok but I was also not thrilled with being in a room that had a door to the outside. The rooms were ok and the carpeting was just gross. I would not stay here again. Just was not my idea of a nice hotel.

I have been to this hotel many times for workshops and I have been impressed each time! The staff is efficient n accommodating, the grounds are beautiful, and can we talk about the abundance of food and desserts?! The buffet is a pretty good spread for a hotel, which is not too surprising since this hotel facilitates many conferences and weddings. Everyone one from the workshop raves about this hotel and that is why we will likely keep coming back.

We’d been to Happy Hour twice before, both times on Fridays, and it was fine. This past Friday, however, our experience was completely different. We’d spent the afternoon hiking the Laurie Chauncey Nature Trail which is on the property (and which is lovely) Afterwards we went to the hotel bar for Happy Hour. It was about 5 pm, only one person was in the bar. We asked the bartender about the Happy Hour specials and she said that there was no Happy Hour on Fridays. I told her that I was fairly certain that Happy Hour was listed as Monday-​Friday on the website. (I didn’t have my cell with me) She was very pleasant and actually called her manager to check for us. She got off the phone and said, «Happy Hour ended on July 1.» With that, we left. When I got home, I checked the website where Happy Hour is STILL mentioned Monday-​Friday. The manager of this facility actually let 2 customers walk out of an empty bar, obviously without even checking to see what the website said. My husband and I thought that the whole experience was really strange. It’s a shame because it is a pretty spot, and it has never been crowded… Of course, maybe now I know why!

A really lovely place to take someone who’s never experienced afternoon tea. It’s pretty much out in the middle of nowhere but the surroundings are relaxing and calm. Sort of reminds me of a retreat or rehabilitation center for rich people. Not that that’s a bad thing. I saw a deer outside the window as we were roaming the halls and waiting for the bar and dining area to open.
We went here last year because of the Living Social special they were running for Afternoon Tea. Had a great experience. We started off with champagne and each received our own pot of tea. Cute little tea sandwiches and pastries came out on three tiered plates. This was probably the more fancier afternoon teas that I’ve been to. Probably a wrong decision on my part on taking my boyfriend. This place better suits a girl’s day out, mother’s day out, or treating that special woman in your life to a lavish luncheon.

We were planning to book our wedding here because we loved the space but I am so glad we didn’t move forward! The wedding coordinator Kathy was unorganized and pushy. She did not sit down with us and did not review anything. Very snippy. Basically a brides worst nightmare. I like to call it the chauncey nightmare. I wouldn’t waste your time. I am so excited to be having my wedding at an extremely accommodating venue with a friendly staff. It makes all the difference.

HORRIBLE STAFF Service by Alissa and calling a guest a CUNT. This is unacceptable and not tollerated. To enjoy a great night with friends and family too be shut down by staff who has had too much of our «attitude «. By the way, we were talking about our own family and she took our words as personal hits. SOME of them must of hit her because she treated us like crap most of the night.
Do not recommended this establishment for any event when the staff calls family HORRIBLE names.
You can follow me and talk to me in person about the quality of this event.
@mattylo83

I had a lovely time at my friend’s baby shower tea party. The tea was delicious, and the food provided was rather tasty. We had mini pastries, finger sandwiches, and scones, along with a pot of tea for each guest. The staff were attentive without being intrusive. I would recommend this spot for a baby or bridal shower.

Went to the C-​Bar for happy hour. Ordered two flatbreads that took very long, considering that there were not that many people there. The first one came out cold and soggy. The second one took another 10 minutes to come out. The bartender was not friendly and didn’t bother to ask if we wanted another drink.

DONT even bother with nassau inn. rent a car and stay here.
view is so good.
has a gym.
good continental breakfast but it doesn’t get offered every day (based on what i’ve heard only when a conference group makes a reservation)

This venue is located outside of downtown Princeton, «in the cut» as I like to say, in the wooded area off the beaten path. We almost missed it driving down Rosedale Road but just look out for signs.
We came here since I had a Living Social deal for Tea for 2. I brought my mom. Upon entering the center, we were greeted by the front lobby staff. We were directed to the upstairs dining area where tea was being held. *Be sure to call ahead since they serve tea at certain times during the weekend. The dining area is clean, airy, and modernly decorated. We had a view of the back area of the center and could see a tent. I think there was a wedding there the night before. Our server brought out our samples of tea and we both chose the Acai Pomegrante tea. She brought us some nibbles on a 3 tier tray. How lovely! The scones were delicious and fresh. The sandwiches were good, but the bread was a bit stale. Tea was nice! We used dainty little tea pots which came with a strainer to catch the loose leaves. We had such a nice time and appreciated the patience and friendliness of the waitress. She was a doll. I think everyone should make time for tea at Chauncey, especially if you’re in the area.

I stayed at Chauncey for about a week as part of a company training course. On my first day I needed to ship a small package, and the front desk said that they’d do it for me. Unfortunately they never did. I had purchased tracking for the package, and USPS’s tracking service showed that it never got to USPS. Someone at Chauncey either lost or stole it, which is unfortunate because the contents were reasonably valuable.
What’s worse is that I called the hotel repeatedly over the next ~month trying to figure out what happened, and they weren’t even remotely helpful. I got one phone call returned out of many, many promises.
Very disappointed — I’ve never had anything like this happen at a hotel before.

Went here for an afternoon tea. Delicious tea and food and excellent service. We used a living social voucher but I ave to confess that after paying about twice their full price the last time I had tea (London) even full price seems perfectly reasonable.

We loved this place because of its 70s ski lodge vibe — sunken lobby, big fireplace, gorgeous grounds. We got a terrific deal from Hotwire and upgraded to a suite which with a double high ceiling and enormous king bed and lots of extra room was well worth it. Except for a the plump, grumpy girl at the front desk on Friday night who checked us in, the staff was exceptionally helpful. Room opened directly onto the very pretty grounds. Charming little bed and breakfast on the grounds too. Would love to return.

Came here for a bridal showcase and was surprised by the grounds and the food! The outdoor tent had really nice views of the landscape and the buffet had a small sample of different appetizers: sushi, cheese plates, grilled vegetables, cold cuts, pasta bar and drinks! I left pretty full especially after all the cake samples.
The staff continued to serve all the guests throughout the event and everything went smoothly. I think it is a great conference center for the area!

Came here for afternoon noon via a Living Social promotion. The place was situated in the huge non-​profit ETS camp ground and has a tranquil garden with a fountain and bright red painted lounge chairs. We were offered choices of eight different kinds of teas and three layers of finger foods. The top layer scones were fresh and authentic when spread with Devonshire cream. The middle layer sandwich breads were a little stale. The bottom layer had common too-​sweet American cookies. They also offered a glass of Champagne as part of the deal but was wondering what would Queen Mother thought if she was offered that as part of her afternoon cream tea?

I recently stayed at the Chauncey for a work function, and really enjoyed my time here! Every single staff member I encountered was incredibly polite and friendly. The grounds are beautiful — unfortunately the weather was pretty mediocre the whole time I was here, it would have been *amazing* if it wasn’t cold and rainy!
The room was very comfortable — very spacious, it opened directly out into a central garden, nice products provided in the bathroom, and a *lot* of towels and extra bedding already in the room. Oooh, and bonus points for free wired and wireless internet.
I ate several meals in the Solomon Dining Room, and all of them were quite delicious! It was all served buffet style, but all the dishes were very fresh and tasty.
I also drank several beers in their Bar, which was very nice. They had a couple pool tables AND a foosball table! Had a great time — despite the couple of missing players on the table (and the table’s tendency to let the ball roll right into my goal).
Overall, this place was pretty awesome. Probably should be 4.5 stars, only a couple annoyances, but nothing worth actually complaining about.