Originally Posted by
MikeBOS
Part of the problem with the Ritz's dress code is that for business it is out of synch with the current times. My friend was in London on business, running a tech company where business is done (including with clients) in jeans, not in jacket/tie. Just as it is inappropriate to go into a formal restaurant in jeans for dinner, it is equally inappropriate to show up for a business meeting in a jacket and tie when the normal standard of dress is jeans. So the Ritz dress code effectively made the public areas of the hotel unusable for business purposes (meetings mostly). I'm glad to hear they've relaxed it; the stay I was referring to was 3 or so years ago.
As a card carrying member of the high tech community, I eavesdrop on these conversations about 'jackets and ties' in this fantasyland called 'London' and just shake my head. I'm going to archive this thread so that I can say 'I told you so!' when the millennials have forced every last one of these silly dress code requirements into one of the lower circles of Dante's hell. There is NFW this new generation is going to tolerate this artificial stuffiness.
I was hassled at the Savoy during my last attempt to stay there and checked out as soon as I could. I now make my travel agent check to make sure that there is no dress code in the bars/restaurants before booking. After that experience, I've been forced to slum it at down scale establishments such as FS and Aman. Adrian and Isadore have repeatedly opined on this subject.
I know this will create a flame war here, but in my world I'd much prefer flip-flops and sandals to the highfalutin snottiness that seems to come with a Kiton/Brioni/Zegna suit, particularly at breakfast.