Is there a dress code in 5 star hotels in London?

Generally in the UK there are very few dress rules, other than at a few traditional events like Glyndebourne, Ascot, and Henley Regatta. There might still be a few hotels that ask you not to wear shorts or trainers at dinner, but I haven’t come across them (most of their guests will be tourists, dressed as typical tourists). Even at concerts and theatres, anything goes (perhaps not at the Opera). If you’re worried about other people looking at you oddly, the biggest risk of that is if you go on the tube in formal evening dress – but I’ve done that, and survived.

I think it’s about 25 years since anyone imagined that they could tell your class, status, or wealth from the way you dressed. If you see someone wearing black tie, they’re probably a waiter.

Generally, no. They’d have to make you very, very aware if it were to the contrary.

I’ve turned up to several over the years from heavy metal concerts with running eye liner, beer soaked clothes and leather jackets covered in 2" long metal spikes.

The only time you might run into trouble is if you turn up in such a state that they’d be concerned about the state of their carpets. Even then, they’re more likely to politely ask you to change your shoes than turn you away entirely.

Nobody will care, they’ve all seen everything a million times before.

Don’t try and go into the hotel restaurants/bars if you’re in a state though, they often do have dress codes. Although it’s extremely rare for it to be enforced to a stricter standard than smart-casual.

1. The literal answer to your headline question is, no, there’s no dress code per se. Go for it. Heaps of "ordinary normal travellers" do just what you say.

2. The only thing that matters in London is money – end of story.

3. Will you be "frowned upon" by the staff … You know – like in a bad movie, where the posh "concierge" will "look down their nose at you" and "sneer". No. Why would anyone bother? The staff are just minimum wage workers who commute three hours and put on cheesy uniforms and pray every day for big tips. If you are rich, you’ll feel yourself enveloped in love and care. If you are not rich, you’ll be treated perfectly normally and no thought will be given to you one way or the other, and after a couple days you’ll leave.

4. Will you be "frowned upon" by the other guests? Yes. By (say) half the guests. Nouveau-riche idiots.

5. Note that there’s a distinct difference between "the hotel" (so, checking in, wandering around, etc) and "restaurants – bars". Really, nobody cares that much what you wear "in the hotel". After all, folks travel in rough clothes etc. But if (for some bad reason) you decide to waste thousands at the (garbage) restaurants in London’s expensive hotels, yeah, you’ll feel totally out of place unless you have (as many commentors have pointed out) the "rich brat look".

In most hotels, as long as you are decent and clean, you shouldn’t have any issues.

My standard outfit is sneakers, jeans and a polo shirt, and I’ve spent way too much time in the bars and restaurants of 5-star hotels during the years I lived in London, so I would know if it was an issue. In some cases you may yourself feel slightly out of place because many other people are dressed more smartly than you, but that’s about it. Sometimes one bar or restaurant in the hotel may have a stricter dress code, or there may be specific recurring events where something specific may be required or expected, but this will usually be made quite clear, and limited in scope.

Believe it or not, I know restaurants in Hawaii with stricter dress codes than nearly any place I’ve been to in London.

Note however that flip-flops, shorts, and a sleeveless t-shirt may be over the line, though I never tried that so I can’t really say.

There is one exception I know of, though (there may be others): the Ritz. Don’t remember if it was a no-sneakers or no-jeans rule, but they didn’t want my business. Too bad for them, the Dorchester got my money 🙂

Just for reference, private member’s clubs are a very different story, but you would need to be invited, and whoever invites you will usually make the rules clear to you.

Unless your hotel reservation email contains a warning with foot high red letters about dress code you will not be turned away, no matter what. It’s a contract and it’s complete non-performance in this case with appropriate remedies. Also, if the press would hear of such there would be blood. It is unthinkable.

Consider this scenario: it’s 4am and your room is noisy or cold. Are you going to put on black tie to go down to the desk to complain? Rules are rules…

Frowned upon is the default face of the Brits. Disregard.