Hidden Charges at Indian Banquet Halls (and how to avoid them)

The 16 hidden charges

1. Decoration markup — venue's in-house decorator charges 1.5-2× the rate an outside decorator would. Negotiate or bring your own (with the venue's permission and fee).

1. Outside-decorator entry fee — ₹15,000-50,000 if you bring your own. Some venues charge per-day.

1. Catering minimum guarantee — pay for 250 plates even if 200 attend.

1. Extra-plate charge — when you exceed the booked count, the extra plates are at a 20-30% premium.

1. Kitchen-use fee — for outside catering, ₹50-150 per plate.

1. AC charge — sometimes billed by the hour for hall AC.

1. Generator / power backup — flat fee (₹5,000-25,000) or per-hour.

1. Projector / sound system / DJ booth — venue's in-house AV at ₹15,000-60,000.

1. Parking — valet at ₹50-150 per car, or paid lot overflow.

1. Overtime — ₹15,000-1,00,000 per hour past closing.

1. Security deposit — ₹50,000-3,00,000 held for damages, refunded 7-30 days after.

1. GST — 18% on F&B, 12% on venue rent.

1. Service charge — additional 5-10% on top of GST at many venues.

1. Cancellation — 30-100% forfeit depending on days-before-event.

1. Date-change fee — ₹25,000-1,00,000 for date moves.

1. Cleaning charge — ₹5,000-20,000 one-time at end of event.

How to surface every charge before signing

Ask for a written 'final all-inclusive quote for X guests' including:
- Per-plate (veg/non-veg breakdown)
- Hall hire (waived or not, at what threshold)
- Decoration (in-house or outside, with all add-ons)
- AV (sound, projector, lights)
- Parking arrangements
- All taxes (GST + service charge)
- Cancellation + date-change tiers

If the manager refuses to put it all in writing, that's the red flag.

The BanquetHub concierge protection

When you book through BanquetHub, our concierge handles the full all-inclusive quote, surfaces every line item, and negotiates each one. The price we quote is the final price — no surprises on event day.