Questions banquet and restaurant teams ask us

These are the questions that reach our inbox most from hotel and resort teams, answered as briefly as the facts allow. If yours is missing, write to sales@hotelandresortfurniture.com.

How long before the furniture leaves you?

Standard pieces sit with us for 14 to 21 business days. Custom builds can take close to 8 weeks. The truck's time on the road comes after that, and any figure we give for it is an estimate. Plan a ballroom refit backward from the first event on the books, and leave a margin for the week the trucks are late or the elevator is booked for a wedding.

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How is freight priced?

Separately from the furniture. Once a person has read the order, we price the freight for each delivery address on its own and send that figure with the confirmation. If the property has its own carrier account, tell us when you send the order and we route the shipment that way. Where a resort takes trucks at a back gate, give that address rather than the lobby's.

Does standard delivery come with a liftgate?

It does not. The standard truck meets you at a dock, or at its own tailgate, at a business address. A liftgate, carrying indoors, restricted-site access and a residential stop are all extras, chosen when you place the order and billed on top. More detail is on the delivery page.

Does it arrive assembled?

Plan as if it does not. Delivery never covers unpacking, assembly or carting away the packaging, so schedule your own crew. A table bought as a top and a base is two items, and the two are joined on site. Open cartons in the staging area rather than the ballroom, and count the parts before any packaging is thrown out.

When, and how, do we pay?

Never at checkout. The invoice comes after our review and the freight confirmation. Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards are accepted, along with checks, money orders and wires; say in the order notes which one the property will use. Standard orders are cleared in full while still in our hands. A custom order opens with 40% paid down, the remainder before the truck reaches you.

What is the smallest order you take?

Eight pieces, counting chairs and tables in any blend. Two tables and six chairs for a private dining room qualify. Most hotel orders clear the minimum many times over; it matters mainly for a small terrace top-up.

The property is tax-exempt and uses PO numbers. Where do those go?

Into the order notes, as you send it. The PO number sits there, along with a line on tax-exempt or resale status.

Can we see the finishes first?

Yes, and at no charge. Ask on the samples page for fabric and vinyl swatches, stain chips, metal finish chips or a piece of a tabletop material. Expect an email confirming the request inside a business day; the parcel then rides UPS Ground, normally 2 to 3 business days.

Can a chair be upholstered in our own fabric?

Any upholstery beyond the listed choices counts as custom. It adds time, up to about 8 weeks before shipping, and it is final once we confirm it, with no cancelling or returning. Start the conversation by email with ORDER in the subject line.

Which seat height goes with which table?

Banquet and dining tables come in at roughly 29 to 30 inches, so pick chairs whose seats sit 17 to 19 inches up, which leaves a 10 to 12 inch gap for knees. Counters, around 34 to 36 inches, pair with 24 to 26 inch stools. For a bar top near 40 to 42 inches, choose stools that stand 29 to 31 inches. Banquet chairs at rounds follow the dining figures.

What can go on the terrace or beside the pool?

Only patio-listed furniture: frames in aluminum or coated steel, resin, or synthetic teak. Take a wood-framed or padded indoor chair outside and it fades, swells or rusts, damage no warranty claim will cover. Patio pieces still want fresh-water rinses, seats that shed rain, and shelter or a cover in the off season. By the pool, chlorine splash adds to the work, so rinse more often in high season. The outdoor range lists them.

How should banquet chair seats be cleaned?

Vinyl takes mild soap, warm water and a soft cloth, then a dry wipe. Fabric wants spills blotted at once and a cleaner suited to that fabric, tested out of sight first. Keep bleach and solvents away from both, because wrong cleaning agents fall outside the warranty. After a wedding, wipe every seat before the chairs go back on the cart, since dried sugar and wine lift far harder the next morning. The materials page goes further.

Can the ballroom and the restaurant use different finishes, and can we reorder later?

Yes to both. Each finish is a line of its own, so a property can carry gold frames in the ballroom and black in the restaurant. Keep each room in Property plans and move it to the basket when the time comes; the saved prices are rechecked against the catalog then. Because color lists shift, a reorder should always begin with a new swatch.

We need 300 banquet chairs. Anything to know?

Nothing stands in the way of a big count. It may come on more than one truck, and each truck is received the same way. A call with a specialist helps settle finishes, room counts and delivery timing before you order. Split the order by room in your plans, so the confirmation shows which cartons belong where.

Can you ship beyond the lower 48?

Into most Canadian provinces, yes. You hire the customs broker; brokerage, duty and Canadian tax are buyer costs. Large orders can also reach Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico: describe the job on the specialist form, and a written route and price come back before anything is booked.

Something arrived damaged. What now?

Mark every damaged carton on the driver's bill of lading first, then sign; pressed for time, sign it "subject to inspection". Take photos. Hidden damage found later must reach us within 24 hours, and the packaging stays in your store until the claim closes. We help with the carrier paperwork.

What is your return policy?

Cancel in writing before production starts or packing begins. After that, unused stock pieces in their original cartons can come back; we keep 35% of their value, and the freight both ways is yours. A confirmed custom piece stays sold. The returns page has a worked example. Two hundred chairs make a heavy return, so settle finishes with samples first.

What is under warranty?

Faults in how the piece was made, or in what it was made of, that are there on delivery day. It protects the first buyer using the furniture commercially, as intended. Cover runs from half a year, for patio pieces and solid wood tops, to seven years, for metal seating with a fixed, non-swivel frame. The warranty has the full table.

Can we change an order after sending it?

Write to us at once. Past confirmation, a new quantity, build or delivery plan needs our agreement in writing, and it may bring extra freight or restocking costs. Custom lines in production stay exactly as ordered. A note sent before production starts leaves the most room to move.

How fast do you reply?

Inside one business day. Weekday mail gets read between 8 AM and 6 PM, Central, and anything sent at night or over a weekend is taken in turn the following working day. Start the subject with ORDER, FREIGHT or CLAIM so it lands on the right desk.