The Castle at Skylands Manor

Had to park 1/4 mile away and walk to the manor in 90 degree heat. 3rd floor room had to carry my luggage up myself. No hot water. Leaking sink faucets. No knob on the inside of bathroom door. Poor TV reception. Paid $200+. Not worth $50. Don’t stay here

What a unique experience! The castle was beautiful and full of character as one would imagine. It’s quite literally in the middle of a botanical garden so that adds to the whimsy. Vinny the Innkeeper was friendly and helpful and he went above and beyond. As a solo woman traveler I felt very safe. I will be back!

The treatment you will receive is beyond unacceptable, especially if you're a bride or groom with anxiety. They are rude, will bark at you and make you feel like you are insignificant and just another business transaction--not someone getting married once, having a special day. I could go on and on about the ridiculousness and the horrible treatment that I, myself, my family, my photographer, and my guests received. The only thing it has going for it is that it is beautiful and the food is good. But that is not what a wedding is about. TRUST me, do NOT get married here, you WILL regret it. Suffice to say, the coordinator, Linda, ruined my day. She was wildly uncommunicative beforehand (who needs to plan, right?) and was rude and unhelpful when she did. The manager of the overnight rooms laughed at my MIL when she asked a question, and was unavailable for weeks when we were trying to book. They also tried to raise the prices of the rooms and make us pay an outrageous price when their new wedding packet (which they had a mean reply of ‘how we got a hold of it’) offered a discount. They also never seem to be working or to be available. We had multiple lapses and timelines of hearing nothing, despite multiple attempts. Then the replies would be so grammatically erroneous or mistyped that they were hard to read (what a priority I felt like receiving quick replies from an iPhone). They misplaced things the day of so guests did not even get some of our favors. They rushed me (the bride) so much that I did not even get all of the pictures I wanted, the one chance I had to do so. Linda's rudeness was noticed by all. We had the venue until 9, and they started cleaning up and closing things down as our guests were filing out... it was so embarrassing. The hotel guy made my family, including my 2-year-old nephew and mother who has lung cancer, to wait outside in the cold because "it's my job to get out of here in 15 minutes." They told certain people they could not eat because god forbid they had such a rushed timeline for whatever reason. They told one of our guests that there was no valet parking, even though there should have been, so they had to walk quite far. The day before the wedding we had an emergency and had to change the timeline, and Linda called and barked at me and told me it was alllll about her staff. I suspect that because my photographer was not one of their recommended vendors that she received the poor treatment that she did. I honestly could go on and on and I hope every person considering this place see's this. Not to mention, the rehearsal was a disaster... Linda was not even there because she never seems to work, and they acted so confused and had nothing organized. They also placed the microphone in front of myself and my groom during the ceremony so those pictures are just fantastic, we can only see our officiant. There were surprise fees, increase in prices, and never-ending contention when we tried to be reasonable

The castle is a beautiful historic building. They are not providing the kind of amenities and hospitality you expect for the amount of money they are charging. We were welcomed graciously and able to check in early. Our upgraded room had no functioning shower, no heat for the majority of time we were there and one light blanket, only two towels for two people and the lighting was terrible. The tv was set up behind the couch so you couldn’t watch it. There is no dinner served so we went out and when we returned we had to walk back from the parking lot which was down the unlit road so it was pitch dark. Breakfast consisted of ready made pastries, cereal and yogurts, a very roadside motel feel to it. There was not a holiday decoration in the whole place but there were cleaning products and tools in most rooms. I hope if a bride books this place she gets better hospitality.

What an enjoyable and memorable stay we had! Liz, the hostess, greeted us upon arrival making us feel welcome. She was friendly, helpful & extremely kind to my family. The castle is such a unique place to be able to stay & explore. The grounds are gorgeous with the NJ State Botanical Garden on the property. Our room was beautiful & breakfast by Liz was delicious!

This was the first time I had visited the Skylands Manor in five years for the Christmas decorations by all the local garden clubs and master gardeners. It is the most beautiful display of Christmas decorations combined by the beauty of the home. Each room was decorated to the hilt by the groups and all of them were on hand to explain their displays. It is only one weekend a year and it is not to be missed. I can't wait to see it again next year.