The Warren Conference Center and Inn

We had an overnight retreat at the Warren Conference center and I can’t speak highly enough about it. It was AMAZING from start to finish. The meeting room we were using was perfect. It was large enough for our group, the seats were so comfortable and the media was easy to use. The food was also really great and the cabins as well as the inn rooms were comfortable and cozy. This will be our new destination for our yearly retreat, we were so happy with our experience!

There are not enough positive things to say about the Warren Conference Center and all the staff! I just had my wedding there 2 weeks ago and couldn’t be happier with how things turned out!
We began planning our wedding over a year and a half ago and when our original coordinator left her position, we thought things might fall through the cracks and that planning might become tricky. Not so! Ashley S. took over as our event manager and was amazing!
Ashley not only answered every email promptly (and believe me, I sent her a lot of emails over the course of 15 months!), but she also took the time to answer every question I had, no matter how insignificant it seemed.
During the entire planning process, Ashley helped me to figure out the logistics and all the moving pieces to make our wedding weekend flow seamlessly. When things seemed to get hectic the week before the wedding, Ashley assured me that she had done this many times and that things would work out — and they definitely did!
We had our rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding at the Warren Center and that was the BEST decision about the wedding we made — it was so easy and convenient to have all our friends and family check into their rooms (or for the bridal party, the super-​fun cabin!) and then be done traveling for the whole weekend!
I had a specific vision for our wedding and had lots of little details I wanted incorporated into the design — Ashley not only executed my ideas, but did so in a way that was so much better than anything I had imagined! Everything from the ceremony set up to the centerpieces and the donut «cake» that she somehow managed to create for us — it was ridiculously amazing!
The food at both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself was delicious and plentiful and we received many compliments on the «unique» menus. Ashley and Judy the catering manager on site made sure my husband and I both had plenty of time to eat as well as plenty of food! I never had an empty glass in my hand! I can’t thank them enough for ensuring that we were fed and happy all night!
If you’re looking for a wedding venue that offers everything in one location — rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, lodging — along with a beautiful location, amazing value, great food and the most friendly and helpful staff, then the Warren Center is it!

Hello ,
My name is Kasey Mauro. I recently had a wedding at an establishment names the Warren conference center and inn located in Ashland, ma. At the conference center there are hotel rooms in the main inn, 5 cabins with living room/​deck and then 4 additional rooms in a lodge separate from the the main cabin. When we booked the wedding we were really excited that they had option to have cabins as I was told there were no suites and all the rooms were the same size. My family is from
New Jersey and we were really excited with the ability to have all of my family in one common space as the cabins were able to fit 12 people. Back in May I reserved the cabins with the coordinator nancy montalto. She walked me through the cabin– which wasn’t glamorous by as any means but was clean and offered a common space for all of us to collect. (perfect because we were planning on being able to put some center pieces together, eat together, and just hang out) when we arrived to check into the cabin on ⁹⁄₂₃. I noticed that there was a musty smell in the cabin (not a big deal) also that there was a dehumidifier in the room that was full (also not a big deal I emptied it) then I put on the lights and noticed that the corners of the ceilings were COVERED in black mold. I called the front desk immediately and she said she was show me the other cabins, while walking me to see another cabin, someone over her walkie talkie said cabin five is having the same issue, so we walked to cabin 3 — it’s immediately on the beam when you walk in, cabin 1 and 2 are identical to cabin 4 — black mold on the ceiling. (there were actual people staying in these cabins !) we walked back up to the inn and she managed to piece together rooms for my family to stay in but now I was left without a common space to put things together and now had lost a day of prepping. I received a phone call from the coordinator the next day around 11 am and she said the entire establishment was booked there and offered us a room called the «arts room» to put together stuff that initially would have been done in the common space of the cabin. This was mildly helpful as we were still at the mercy of the workers at the building that said to my family at one point that they need to leave because no one told them that we would be there putting together flowers. After packing up from there, we went to the inn to have drink and hang out in the only common space that was left (the main lobby/​fireplace of the inn) to which they told us we couldn’t be there either, we had to drink in our room. (we found out later they have wine/​beer that we would have been happy to purchase in order to be able to spend actual time with one another and not be in someone’s technical bedroom.) the next morning, my family went back to the arts room to finish up some things, and an employee came into the room and told my aunts that they had to vacuum the room! I was told by the staff of the inn– specifically Susan that I needed to just «shake it off» and that I should be grateful because the inn was an upgrade for my guests. Maybe the problem was they didn’t understand that I was trying to spend time with my family — I wasn’t trying to be economical by choosing the cabin. The wedding day went ok — but the days prior when I should have been with my family and enjoying them we were instead running around to different rooms trying to accomplish things that were planned to be in one place. If nothing else — the mold in the cabins is a health hazard and these need to be shut down. I’m a nurse and one night in a room with that stuff can cause serious respiratory issues.

We just had a departmental retreat here and this was a great location. Located off the beaten path, this serene lakefront facility provides lovely scenery. The conference center was clean and well kept-​up, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. There were multiple other events happening at the same time as ours, but there was no crowding or inconvenience at all. Also, the food was TO DIE FOR.

Just had my wedding here. My sister had her wedding here 8 years ago as well. Amazing experience and a pleasure to work with Ashley.
The lodge is a great reception venue as you can have an outdoor cocktail hour on a covered patio and the dinner inside the lodge, which has great floor to ceiling windows and very high ceilings.
The food is good, we had one of the chicken dishes and the beef. The chicken was moist and the beef seemed to be cooked with a sous-​vide machine, which made every steak perfectly medium and uniformly cooked.
The staff for the night was very nice. They donated our flowers the next day to a senior home which was nice of them.
Having a hotel on site was great for guests. The room rates were very reasonable. The setting is very woodsy and beautiful.

We just had our wedding here. It was above and beyond the amazing time we expected to have, and you better believe we expected it to kick ass! Ashley and Ash are freaking amazing. If you’re looking for a hidden gem in and around Boston, look no further.

My wife and I got married here at the beginning of October. We thought our wedding would be nice, but the the Warren Center exceeded all of our expectations. The venue is really beautiful. The accommodations are great. They offer a continental breakfast that really goes above and beyond. Our wedding planner Nicole and her staff really met all of our wedding needs. All and all the Warren Center is a top notch venue to hold your gathering at

I first visited the Warren Center in 2010 at a leadership treat with work and thought it was nice. Food was good, meeting rooms were nice, staff treated us well. Had a good time during my stay there but wasn’t blown away or anything.
During my search for a wedding venue, I stumbled upon the Warren Center once again. Remembering the place with fondness, I told my fiancé that we should check it out. We did, we loved what they had to offer, and we booked our wedding! This place is great. They were much more affordable than most of the venues this close to Boston. They have amazing packages that really let you treat your wedding guests to lots of food and drink!
We just got married this past weekend and I can’t think of one way that our wedding could have been more perfect. Erika was our wedding coordinator and over the past year she has been WONDERFUL to work with. She always made sure we had everything we wanted and even helped us with things that didn’t necessarily fall into her jurisdiction. Can’t say enough good things about Erika.
Our ceremony was outside on their BEAUTIFUL grounds. If you’re considering a fall wedding, this is the place for you. Don’t even look anywhere else. Get married here.
The Hayden Lodge, where the receptions take place, is beautiful. The waitstaff is wonderful. Multiple people came up to me at the end of the night RAVING about the food.
I could go on and on and on but I won’t. The Warren Center served us well, I have absolutely no regrets about our choice to get married there. I just wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Had my sister’s wedding here this past weekend and it was a complete success! Cortney was the wedding planner and she was absolutely awesome. She kept my sister calm, kept things organized and running smoothly. She was so responsive to all our needs and requests. The grounds are beautiful and it’s very nice to have both the inn and reception in the same location, no driving needed. Staff were friendly and weren’t rude or mean when our partying was getting a little out of hand. Continental breakfast was convenient each morning and had great items for breakfast including fresh fruit.

I’ve been to the Warren Center twice — both times were for day-​long leadership training and team building exercises. It’s the perfect place for outdoor exercises like the ones we engaged in. There was a ropes climbing activity, lake-​side exercises, and a great area set up with tents for lunch and mid-​day refreshments. It was overcast and raining when we arrived, but within an hour it cleared up and turned out to be a perfect day.
My only not-​so-​pleasant memory was the bees… they were EVERYWHERE. I’m pretty terrified of being stung so I found myself silently screaming when one would fly or land near me. In particular, they were all over the food at both lunch and the snack breaks. When we went to wrap up our day, we circled up on a nice stretch of grass only to be swarmed with bees. Not my favorite memory.

I hate team meetings. I love visiting the Warren Center. If you haven’t hung yourself Following a cumbaya session or training with your team, the grounds are beautiful for walking and the food is always plentiful and delicious. And their bread pudding is always a crowd pleaser.

My daughter just got married at the Warren Center on 10.10.10. Luckily the weather was just perfect and the ceremony was outside at 5pm. It was sunny, crisp and just beautiful on the grounds of the Warren Center. The staff at the Warren Center were just great. Lynn our wedding coordinator was wonderful and she accomplished every detail we requested. The food was excellent and the fillet mignon was like butter. I will agree with Amy S that reviewed on 7÷7÷2010 that the mattress’s in the cabins need some updating. The wedding party stayed there the first night and they were very uncomfortable but the next night they slept in a regular beds in the Inn, and that was so much better. The layout of the dinning room where the reception was held is interesting. The sound and announcements from the DJ were lost in the layout of the room and if a dear friend hadn’t pointed out my daughter was cutting the cake, I would have missed it. Thank goodness I didn’t… All and all the wedding was a great success and we have wonderful memories that will last forever. Thank you Warren Center for everything you did to make it special.

I came here for a wedding and reception this past weekend and I loved it. The grounds are beautiful and it’s very close to Hopkinton State Park, where we had an afternoon bbq the day before the wedding.
The grounds: I can’t speak for the rest of the year, but Warren is gorgeous in the summer. Everything is green and blooming and they keep the place very clean. The wedding ceremony took place in the back lawn where they set up aisles of white chairs. The sound system didn’t seem to be working so I couldn’t hear some of what when on during the wedding, but I’m not sure if that’s Warren’s fault. The reception was held in their large conference hall and the set up was perfect. No table was too far from the main table. The best part about Warren is it only takes 5 – 10 min to walk from the lobby to the lake. The lake was so picturesque and so warm! There’s an area roped off for swimming and a couple of docks if you just want to sit and put your feet in the water. I also saw people kayaking and fishing. The lake is closed at night, but we didn’t know that and tried to go for a midnight swim after the reception. A cop car showed up within minutes and we had barely put our toes in the water before they shooed us away. How did they find out so fast?!
The lodgings: There are two types of accommodations at Warren: cabins and hotel rooms attached to the main lobby building. Warren has 5 cabins, with 16 twin-​sized beds in each (4 in each of the 4 rooms). Each cabin has two bathrooms. Towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion were all provided. There’s also a common room connecting the bedrooms, with a TV, fridge, couches, rocking chairs, and fireplace. Even though the wedding was small, all the guests were spread out into the 5 cabins and hotel rooms, and I ended up with my own room and own bathroom in my cabin. The cabins reminded me of summer camp, and while not everyone would be excited by that description, I loved it. They even thoughtfully provided an alarm clock in each room. Unfortunately, there’s one major flaw in the cabins and it’s the mattresses. The beds were extremely uncomfortable; I could feel all the springs. I think the beds in the hotel rooms were probably nicer.
The food: The breakfast buffet on both mornings were complimentary with our reservations. Pretty standard breakfast fare here, although it’s notable that all the fruits and pastries were very fresh. We had drinks and hors d’oeuvres between the ceremony and reception. I didn’t try all the hors d’oeuvres but the melon wrapped in prosciutto and cheese tart were not bad. I heard there were mini lobster rolls going around but I didn’t manage to snag any. The baked brie platter was the highlight~ warm, slightly melted brie wrapped in a flaky puff pastry: perfection. For dinner at the reception, everyone started with a salad of mixed greens with poached pear, walnuts, and gorgonzola, topped with a light and tangy vinaigrette. Even though the point of the salad was the poached pears, I actually preferred the salad without it. In my opinion, the poached pears texturally and taste-​wise didn’t seem to go well with the rest of the salad. For entrées, we had the choice of herb chicken or wild mushroom ravioli. I opted for the wild mushroom ravioli, which was beautifully presented (the ravioli had stripes!). The cream sauce was good– rich but light and sweet. The mushroom ravioli was very good, with al dente skins and deliciously savory mushrooms. However I found the combination of the sauce and ravioli to be odd. The problem was similar to the salad: all the parts worked well individually but not as a whole. The mildness of the red pepper purée helped slightly to bridge the flavors but not enough to be really successful. I ended up sacrificing the sauce to eat the ravioli because the mushrooms were just too good to waste.
The verdict: So despite the uncomfortable beds and getting kicked out of the lake, I still had a great time here. I’d recommend this place if you’re thinking about having a small wedding like the one I attended. Also, the lake and conference center parking is free, a fact that seems relatively undiscovered, so if you live near here the lake makes a nice day trip alternative to the overcrowded Hopkinton State Park.

I came here for a work retreat. The food was delicious, gourmet and local. If you are planning a retreat or reception the views and the food are delicious. One of the workers that worked at the reception desk in the evening was a bit creepy but other than that it was great. The rooms were nicely decorated and large. The outdoor landscaping was also well maintained. The desserts, lunch and breakfast were amazing.

I also was in attandance at the reception in which Lauren V wrote about. Being in the bridal party I was there for 2 nights rather than 1.
The place is really beautiful. Upon arrival I felt like it was a scene out of Dirty Dancing, it just kind of has that feeling to it.
The first night there I stayed in what is considered the «honeymoon suite» with the bride and a few other bridesmaids. The bed was small but comfortable and there was plenty of room for us to all cram in and have a roll away brought to us. However, there seemed to be some major confusion as the bride was under the impression that she had all 4 rooms in this little white house and not just 1… well that was not the case. Bride was not happy, but we dealt with it.
The next morning we headed down for a «continental breakfast»…lets try full buffett! It was pretty amazing. However, this breakfast, which came with our rooms, the bride was going to be paying $ 20 per person the next day??? Once again, bride not happy. But it was already apid for, what could she do?
At about 2:00 myself and another birdesmaid headed to the main house to check into out 16 person cabin that the bride had reserved for us and any friend swho wouldn’t be able to drive home. Going down at 2:00 we figured this would give us enough time to check in, move out stuff to the cabin, change into our dresses and be ready for the limo at 3:00. Well we thought wrong! The brides resevation was not there. They said she must have been confused. I know for a fact she had issues with them in regards to this and asked for all 5 cabin on site to be held for her group. ONly 2 were rented and one was reserved for us. About a half hour later the guy at the desk tells us he can do nothing till 3:00 when the planned gets there. Basically I say «F-​it» and pay an insane amount for a room which would sleep 5 of us. I then had to race back change and just make the limo. We decided to not mention this to the bride.
The day was a bit of a worldwind, but after the ceremony we were back to the conference center by 5:30. Cocktail hour would not start till 6:00 so we got started on some pictures. Part of the bridal package was cart service for apps and drinks. Around 5:40 the cart came over but wouldn’t serve us! They said we had to wait till 6:00 when the cocktail hour started! Apparently bride had told them we would be there early and had paid extra for us to be served… you guessed it, bride not happy! Eventually they did serve us and the food was so good. Plus they had champagne on the cart which was awesome.
The wedding itself was a ton of fun. The food was pretty good (what I got to eat of is as mine was cleared without my knowledge while I was taking pictures of the maid of honor speech).
At the end of the wedding the bride had paid for nacks to be put out for an extra half hour. Well no one was aware of them. I grabbed a moss stick and 5 minutes later went back for another one and all the food was gone. They didn’t even pack it all up for us to take!
As for the bonfire situation, we did that knowing we were’t supposed to. We did it the night before illegally as well, we just didn’t get caught!
So, to make a long story short, customer service couldn’t definetly use some help, but the overall location is very pretty.

My friend had her reception here this past weekend. The location itself is really gorgeous tucked away in Ashland, MA on the periphery of a state park.
During the cocktail hour, the wine flowed and the bartenders were efficient if not the most amiable of folk. Servers circulated with trays of chicken, shrimp, tarts, etc. To be honest, I liked the hors d’oeuvres better than my meal. Given that it was chilly and I was in a dress, I was incredibly thankful for the handful of heat lamps that were on the patio. They kept me warm until the wine could do its job. :)
The reception hall itself has an interesting layout. There is a room that is almost an alcove in that it opens up to the rest of the reception area. I sat in this area and felt slightly cut off from the rest of the party. The DJ’s sound equipment didn’t really broadcast into this area either. (Not that I am too upset about missing introductions.) Music was audible, but individual speeches were not.
The food was served quickly which I appreciated and was your typical wedding fare. Really not much to be said here.
As with any large celebration or gathering, there were a few hitches throughout the day:
First and foremost is that they «lost» our cabin reservation. Cabins (which can house up to 16 people) can be rented for a fraction of the normal price for weddings. A very good idea when you have a group of people who do not live nearby and have been drinking for an extended period of time. ‘Twas not to be for us. They offered to rent us a cabin at the normal price ($ 450) but we declined. Instead 5 of us opted for a hotel room. Now, I am not sure if this was a legitimate mistake on their behalf but the fact that they were unwilling to extend any discount is pretty unprofessional.
Another party from the wedding HAD rented a cabin and in retrospect I am glad that we had the hotel room. The cabins looked akin to a kids’ summer camp. Actually, they were more depressing… like some kind of compound. Rooms crammed with flimsy-​mattressed beds. No thanks.
Secondly, the fire pits are apparently there for decoration only. After the wedding, a group of us built a fire (something they had also done the night before without complaint). About 45 minutes into our little social hour, two women came screaming up on a golf cart. One got out of the cart and immediately yelled that we must put out the fire immediately. So we made moves to do so. Not quickly enough for her. She yelled that she would not be leaving until we did so and she continued shouting that she would not leave until the fire was put out as «fires are NOT allowed!!» Seriously, a calm request would have done the trick as it does take a few minutes to douse a bonfire. And again, what is with the fire pits if fires are strictly prohibited?
All in all, the venue is situated in a beautiful area and is actually pretty convenient to Boston, Worcester, Natick or Framingham. Personally, I think this center might be better for professional or corporate retreats.

We held our wedding at the WCC and, while the setting was wonderful, the place is clearly geared for business, not a wedding. We had a number of problems, which I detailed in a letter to them. To summarize:
*They double-​booked our wedding day, forcing us to change the date of our wedding
*contract prices were inaccurate
*they upped the required number of people per room for our booking
*both the groomsmen and bridal party were sent to the wrong rooms and had to repack their belongings and move
*Our after-​hours party was relocated from a very nice reception room to a business conference room
*The wedding coordinator was nowhere to be found at our rehearsal time
*The seating set-​up for the wedding blocked the groomsmen from doing the procession — I and my groomsmen rearranged the seats as per what had been agreed upon, just before the wedding
*Several guests were sent to the wrong ceremony at the site
*no food or drink was brought to the wedding party after we were told someone would take care of us. Rumor has it the food was quite good.
*Our reception dinner was supposed to be stations, but they set up a buffet. The buffet was so slow that the last dinners were served 1 ½ hours before last call.
*guests had no drinks for the toasts, and were turned away from the bar.
*We wanted top shelf liquor for our open bar, and had ordered such but only generic liquor was at the bar. The wedding coordinator then went on a liquor store run to restock it.
*We were left to our own devices for the cake cutting ceremony, even though the wedding coordinator said she was going to handle it. Luckily, our DJ stepped in and saved the moment…
*2 guests who had not RSVP’d arrived for the ceremony, and the coordinator said she would take care of getting them table spots for the reception. When they arrived at the reception, she told them «You didn’t RSVP. We can try to squeeze you in.» They felt awkward and left.
*I brought a special bottle of Cognac which a groomsman had given me 5 years earlier, to be opened when I settled down. I had been told this would not be a problem. During the reception, when I went to open it, I was told they would shut down the wedding if I did so.
*When elderly guests tried to use an elevator, they were told it was just for the bride and groom. Luckily, one member of the bridal party ignored this and helped the older guests inside.
*Similarly, when 2 elderly guests needed to go back to their room to get a gift, and asked for the use of a golf cart, they were told they «had already been given a ride.»
Overall, I would highly recommend AGAINST using this center for a wedding. We enjoyed our wedding IN SPITE OF the WCC and its staff.

I have to say that I loved the wedding coordinator at this venue, but it’s super overpriced and requires a high minimum number of people for your event. So much so that my 10% NU discount is wiped out by the minimum spend floor that is in place. I’m sure it would be lovely for a large event or conference, but just not right for our wedding. Some of the spaces are a little tired and need updating.

Well apparently I’m a «leader» so I was selected to go on this leadership retreat which was to be held at the Warren Center. Somehow I was up at 7AM and on the bus to this prison-​sounding place (doesn’t warren sound like warden?). Long story short, I had a marvelous time!
It rained but we still managed to head out to the ropes and do some team-​bonding. I was hoisted 40 feet in the air by an army of my fellow classmates… pretty exciting stuff.
Each cabin had four rooms and a common room with four beds in each room. Each bed was neatly made with blankets and pillow, and the dresser had free travel sized bottles of Bath & Body Works shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. The common room has a TV, fridge, fireplace and board games.
The highlight? Omg the food!!! Crab-​stuffed sole, lamb shanks, lasagna, and desserts galore! The service is ridiculously impeccable. Although the food is served buffet-​style, as soon as you sit down, a waiter offers you a beverage and when you’re stuffed to capacity, whisks away your dirty dishes with a smile. The room adjacent to the conference room was constantly stocked with beverages, coffee, tea, baked goods, candy, nutrition bars, and fresh fruit. When we left, we stripped that room bare and stuffed EVERYTHING into our duffle bags… I think we even took a decorative pumpkin.
Our facilitator, Roy, was really high energy, fun, and insightful. If you’re willing to drop $ 240/​person on training a group to work as one then this is the tops.