Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda Comparative Summary

Few companies in the weddings and events field earn the prestigious Diamond Certified award, which means they’ve been independently rated Highest in Quality. With its status as the first Diamond Certified event venue in Santa Cruz County, Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda has further distinguished itself from its competitors. Located in Soquel on a 300-acre property overlooking Monterey Bay, the family-owned and operated company hosts weddings and special events such as holiday parties, anniversaries, birthdays, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and corporate retreats and events. “Our whole focus is events, and we only do one event at a time,” says General Manager Pam Caldwell Nootbaar. “We’re not a hotel with multiple concurrent events and other guests, so we can fully concentrate on our clients and their special days.”

Because its entire facility and staff are at each client’s disposal, Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda can customize events to oblige most requests—a practice rarely seen at large hotels. “Our customized service doesn’t stop with substituting items on the menu or choosing the musical entertainment,” says Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar. “If a client wants to add time or change the schedule, we can accommodate. If there are outside vendors and contractors they want to use, we can work with them.”

Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda’s typical wedding package includes overnight stays for two nights, a rehearsal dinner/welcome reception, the wedding reception itself, two continental breakfasts and two lunches. The facility can accommodate 123 overnight guests in its private setting among the redwoods, which includes a swimming pool, 300 acres of hiking trails, 30 cabin cottages and suites, 11 other bedrooms and a house suite. “There aren’t many event venues in Northern California that can provide the same amount of personal attention and privacy,” says Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar.

In addition to offering “exclusive use” event packages, Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda implements a variety of environmentally-friendly business practices—75 percent of its 300 acres is undeveloped, and it offers a 100 percent Green wedding package that costs the same as its regular wedding packages. “We recycle and compost almost all of our wedding-related garbage, including food, flowers and paper products,” says Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar. “We also use non-disposable products whenever possible. We do everything we can to support the environment.”