Palo Alto Elks Lodge No 1471

We held an event for 110 people in the Palo Alto Room at the Elks Club. Rosa Ruiz worked with me to plan the menu, and her recommendations were excellent. Our guests raved about the food. We needed audio-video equipment, and everything we needed was provided. The room is spacious with uplifting natural light and a view overlooking the beautiful pool. It was a pleasure to work with Lisa Winnovich, who was efficient and friendly. I would highly recommend this venue for weddings or any sophisticated event. You do not need to be a member to use this facility.

GORGEOUS Facility. TERRIBLE Management.

The facility is beautifully constructed and the local staff (secretary, maintenance, janitor) are very nice. But the management is worse than any organization I have EVER worked with. They have terrible communication, don't talk to each other, and all have different stories for what is going on. No one seems to be in charge or capable of making any decision. They are extremely disorganized and rude.

During my almost 2 years of teaching exercise classes at the lodge I've been locked out of the room, missing sound systems, told my class had to move the day of class, ignored, every couple weeks. Lost many students.

One person tells me they will send me a new contract soon and will get back to me, then never does. They tell me to keep classes going until they get back to me. A month later a new person tells me the day of class that we are banned from the room until I provide a contract. They are outraged that I have been using the facility "without permission". 2 weeks after providing a contract with their specific requirements they tell me they don't have a contract. They ask for insurance, then say they are canceling classes because I don't have insurance which I've been emailing them every two months and which I bought specifically for this facility only ($300 cost).  They give me a new person to talk to whom I have never heard of every couple weeks. I've repeated a similar process with at least FIVE people.

After banning us from the room and emphasizing we can't have class, when my students email, they tell them that class is not cancelled and they are just waiting on me for some paperwork. So we are temporarily banned randomly for indefinite periods of time, but somehow that doesn't count as "canceling the class". The vast majority of the students are their own Lodge members which are paying many hundreds of dollars for membership. Other instructors and volunteers I know have had a similar experience and frustration, but they had the common sense to give up and leave before I did.

IF you can bypass the politics because you know someone, the facility is beautiful and the members and local staff are very helpful. DO IT. It is possible to have a beautiful event and community experience IF you know the right people and have some luck.  IF you don't have the magic connection to whatever mysterious powers run the lodge then forget it. Expect to be treated in a very inconsistent manner where you will be welcomed and appreciated one day, and treated with hostility the next day, and have to repeat the process indefinitely. The place is run by volunteers and maybe that's why the staff changes all the time and no one has a clue what's going on. It's unprofessional to say the least.

Had an event here and liked the venue.  Easy to find with lots of parking, and a clean, modern interior.  
Had a slightly unusual odor though that I couldn't quite place my finger on...