Hotel dress code explores summer style from poolside mornings to sunset dinners, with a touch of effortless etiquette.
From poolside faux pas to effortless resort style, a summer take on hotel dress code, hotel etiquette and the art of dressing for the occasion.
There are people who know how to dress well, and then there are those who have mastered the art of dressing for the occasion.
Some time ago, I met a hotel director who clearly belonged to the second category. I still remember the first impression she made and, naturally, I could not resist telling her so. She was impeccably dressed from head to toe, with an appearance considered down to the smallest detail.
Later, through different occasions, I noticed that this instinct for style followed her everywhere. At a formal dinner, a business conference, an event, even on holiday, where an airy dress and a few carefully chosen accessories were all she needed. Elegance seemed effortless, quiet, almost instinctive.
That was when the idea of a hotel dress code first came to mind.
And with it came Miranda Priestly.
The return of The Devil Wears Prada to the big screen has brought us back to a world where a sweater, a pair of shoes and an apparently insignificant fashion choice can be subjected to forensic scrutiny within seconds.
What would Miranda say if she walked through the revolving doors of a hotel in the middle of August?
Would she notice the flip-flops heading casually towards the dinner restaurant? Would she pause for those few agonising seconds over white athletic socks worn with black dress shoes? Or would she deliver that famously cutting observation that the outfit had already earned a privileged place in the nearest rubbish bin?
She would have plenty to work with.
Summer has a wonderful way of slowing everything down. Somewhere between the pool, the lobby, the sunset drink and the evening table, hotel etiquette takes on an entirely sartorial dimension.
Between palm trees and white linen
A hotel is a little world of its own, where the atmosphere shifts from one space to another as the day unfolds. The pool carries the easy rhythm of summer, the lobby welcomes the day’s comings and goings, and the restaurant grows more atmospheric as the light fades.
Swimwear belongs by the pool and on the beach. A kaftan, linen shirt or airy dress can easily take us from the water to the pool bar or a relaxed lunch by the sea.
This is where a familiar question often arises: Can you go to the hotel reception in a swimsuit? A cover-up, dress or linen shirt is usually all it takes to make the transition from beach mode to the hotel’s public spaces feel natural and considered.
The same small courtesy applies to wet clothes. A few minutes in the sun, a towel and a dry outfit are enough to continue through the hotel without leaving a trail of little puddles around reception.
Salt in your hair, Sand between your toes
There is something wonderfully liberating about walking barefoot on sand. It is one of those summer sensations that seems impossible to recreate anywhere else.
Inside the hotel’s shared spaces, the picture changes. A Hotels.com survey of 2,910 travellers found that 94% considered walking barefoot in a hotel’s public areas inappropriate. The same survey also placed wearing a bathrobe in the lobby and showing up to breakfast in pyjamas among the habits travellers found particularly inelegant.
There is a practical side to this as well. The walk from the pool to the lobby and restaurant calls for dry feet and a pair of shoes that allow us to move comfortably and safely.
A pair of sandals can make that transition effortlessly, leaving the feeling of sand exactly, where it belongs.
From pool blue to the sunset table
Flip-flops have more than earned their place in the summer suitcase. They are light, practical and almost inseparable from the freedom of a beach day.
Dinner calls for a little more consideration. Flat sandals, linen trousers, an airy dress or a well-cut shirt can preserve the relaxed spirit of a holiday while bringing a more polished touch to the evening.
At Vedema in Santorini, for example, the dining venues have specific dress guidelines. The daytime and pool experience remains relaxed, while dinner calls for a more considered appearance.
Clothing follows the mood of the setting, and that small change can become part of the travel experience itself.
Breakfasts beneath the morning sun
Hotel breakfast has a particular kind of charm. The sun has just risen, coffee fills the air with its familiar aroma, tables are covered with fruit and freshly baked bread, and the day begins without hurry.
Which brings us to another familiar question: Is it acceptable to wear pyjamas to hotel breakfast?
The Hotels.com survey found that 76% of respondents considered pyjamas at breakfast inappropriate. A clean T-shirt, linen trousers, a summer dress or an easy pair of tailored shorts require very little effort and fit the morning atmosphere far better.
The same applies to hotel slippers. They have their place, and that place is usually a few steps away, behind the door of our room.
The white bathrobe under the summer sun
The white hotel bathrobe is one of the small pleasures of staying somewhere beautiful. We put it on after a shower, enjoy its softness in the room and associate it with that particular feeling that the holiday has properly begun.
The same international survey found that 92% of travellers considered wearing a bathrobe in public hotel areas inappropriate.
Some hotels allow bathrobes around the pool or in the spa. Others ask guests to keep them inside the room. The hotel’s own guidelines remain the safest reference.
Linen dresses, gold jewellery and Miranda in the distance
Summer gives us more freedom with what we wear. Colours become brighter, fabrics lighter and the suitcase takes on that pleasant holiday mood of we’ll see where the evening takes us.
An airy dress, a linen shirt, a beautiful pair of sandals, a large straw hat or a statement piece of jewellery all have their place in a summer wardrobe. With a little thought given to the combination, a summer look can retain its sense of ease without becoming excessive.
A hat so enormous it appears ready to occupy the next table, a collection of heavy bracelets announcing every movement, a handbag large enough to qualify as hand luggage and sunglasses that seem to require their own table can give an outfit enough personality for the entire hotel.
This is where we can almost imagine Miranda Priestly slowly looking up from her phone.
There is no need to hear what she would say. The look would be enough.
The same consideration applies to extremely short shorts. They can be perfectly at home on the beach. At breakfast, in the lobby or in an evening restaurant, a slightly longer pair of shorts, tailored Bermuda shorts or airy trousers can offer the same comfort with a more polished finish.
Hotels themselves often provide very specific examples. At Rodos Palladium, evening attire in the restaurants is described as smart casual, with sports shorts or tracksuits, athletic T-shirts, sleeveless tops and flip-flops not permitted.
At Stella Palace in Crete, Elia restaurant asks guests to wear something over their swimwear at breakfast, while swimwear and very short trousers are not permitted at dinner. Similar requests to avoid beachwear during dinner apply at other restaurants across the resort.
These guidelines reveal just how precise a hotel’s visual language can be. Athletic shorts have their place. A sleeveless top can be perfect for a day of activities. Flip-flops are practically synonymous with summer. The evening table simply calls for a different level of consideration.
Small courtesies by the pool
Hotel etiquette extends well beyond what we wear.
The same Hotels.com survey highlighted poolside behaviour as an important part of the guest experience. Sixty per cent of respondents considered it rude to reserve a sun lounger for hours without actually being there.
Loud music is another common source of irritation in shared spaces. A pool is, for many guests, a place to slow down, read, talk quietly and enjoy the sun. Excessive volume can quickly alter the atmosphere for everyone around it.
Even room service comes with its own small etiquette. When we order food to the room, returning the tray to the designated collection point helps keep corridors clear and pleasant. A tray left outside a room for hours can create unpleasant smells and make passage more difficult.
When a holiday has its own kind of elegance
Holidays are meant to be a time to truly unwind. To wake without an alarm, spend hours beside the water, wear the summer clothes we love and step away, even briefly, from the rhythm of everyday life.
A beautiful dress can lift our mood before dinner. A linen shirt can make an ordinary afternoon drink feel a little more special. A favourite pair of sandals can become part of the visual memory of an entire trip.
Taking a little care with how we look has that quiet power. It can make us feel good in our own skin and help us step into the mood of the moment.
The same is true of good manners. A smile at reception, a little patience when the hotel is busy, respect for the staff, lower music by the pool and some awareness of the space we occupy can make a stay more enjoyable for everyone.
Hotel dress code and hotel etiquette ultimately meet in the details: in the way we arrive at the restaurant, the way we use shared spaces and even the way we choose to present ourselves among the people around us.
Somewhere between white linen, saltwater, the golden light of sunset and the first glass of wine of the evening, there is a beautiful balance in feeling comfortable, well put together and completely ourselves.
Miranda may be somewhere in the lobby, watching.
We have already made our holiday a little more elegant.
