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What Does a Banquet Catering Package Include at a Guwahati Hotel?

By Hotel Shiny Grand · Updated 1 November 2026

The phrase banquet package hides a list. Two hotels can quote the same per-plate figure and include very different things, which is why the comparison only works when you break the package into its parts.

Here is the anatomy of a package at a Guwahati hotel, component by component.

1. The menu

The core of the package and the only part most people examine. Ask for it itemised by dish, with the count, and with any premium items named. At Hotel Shiny Grand menus run in three tiers from ₹650 to ₹1,250 per plate, with 120+ dishes available across the kitchen.

A menu described as multi-cuisine with no dish list is not a menu. Ask for the list.

2. Service staff

Food that arrives without enough people to serve it is a queue, not a meal. Ask how many staff will be present and who supervises them.

A useful benchmark for a served meal is roughly one server per fifteen to twenty guests. A buffet needs fewer people to serve but more to replenish, and the replenishment is what guests notice.

3. Serving equipment

Chafing dishes, serving spoons, plates, bowls and glasses. For a buffet this is substantial, and it is the item most often assumed rather than confirmed.

Ask whether crockery is included for the full guest count, and what happens if more guests arrive than were confirmed.

4. Setup and clearing

The package should state when the team arrives, when the room is ready, and when it is cleared. Check whether setup time is charged as hall time, because a hall billed from the hour you enter is more expensive than it looks.

Clearing matters if the room is being used again the same evening. Ask what the turnaround time is.

5. Beverages

Usually a separate line, and it is where budgets quietly grow. Ask whether water is included, whether tea and coffee are part of the per-plate price or charged per head, and what a soft drinks package costs.

If alcohol is part of the plan, confirm the venue's policy before you plan anything else. Many hotel banquets do not permit it, and some allow it with a corkage charge.

6. Tax and service charge

Ask plainly whether the quoted per-plate price includes tax. At Hotel Shiny Grand 5% tax applies extra to room bookings, and how tax is applied to hall and catering should be confirmed in writing at the quote stage rather than discovered on the invoice.

7. The things people forget

• Extended hours. What happens if the function runs past the booked window.
• Extra furniture. Additional tables or chairs beyond the standard layout.
• Decor. Almost always separate, and sometimes restricted to approved vendors.
• Power and AV. A projector, screen and technician may be hired separately.
• Parking. Usually free at Hotel Shiny Grand, but confirm for a large function.

Putting the quote together

Build your own total rather than reading theirs. Hall rental plus per-plate catering plus beverages plus tax plus any extras, and a contingency for the guest count moving. At Hotel Shiny Grand, hall rental starts at ₹25,000 for a hall of up to 100 guests, with catering priced per plate separately.

Then, and only then, compare two venues. That total is the only number that means anything.

What to ask at the viewing

1. Can I see the itemised menu for the tier I am booking?
2. How many service staff, and who supervises them?
3. What is excluded from the package, in writing?
4. What time is the room available for setup, and when must it be clear?
5. What happens if the guest count rises by ten on the day?

The hall page has the capacity and rental figures, and the restaurant menu shows the kitchen's range.

Why the exclusions matter more than the inclusions

Every venue includes the obvious things, because they have to. The difference between two quotes is almost always in what is left out, and those gaps are filled at the last minute at whatever price the supplier sets.

A quote that names its exclusions is more trustworthy than one that does not, even when the total is higher. It means somebody has thought about the evening you are actually going to have, rather than the price you are going to compare.