Marcello Cristo
Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco

“Our dress code is business casual, and we’ve never had much of an issue with enforcement because the hotel caters to a business-oriented clientele. We’re located in the financial district, so the majority of our customers—both local and out-of-town—are business men and women. However, in the past few years, the market has shifted, and we’re seeing more European tourists. This new influx brings an interesting mix—businessmen in gray suits at one table and a family on vacation wearing shorts and sandals at the next. Because these are guests, it’s not easy to send them back to their rooms to change, so we relax the rules for breakfast and lunch. But we are a top-rated restaurant, and our customers expect to have an upscale experience, especially at dinner. We make it clear at check-in what our dress code expectations are. Jeans are usually okay—especially if they are sophisticated designer jeans. I think the formal environment here creates self-censorship, and if a guest comes down dressed too casually, they usually voluntarily turn around and change into appropriate attire.”

“Our dress code has evolved over the years—from formal to much more casual. We are fortunate to offer guests three different options, NoMI, NoMI Lounge, and NoMI Garden, so they can determine what type of experience to dress for. For example, we permit shorts and flip-flops to be worn in the NoMI Garden, where both the atmosphere and cuisine are more casual. In the main dining room, jackets are recommended but not required. Our success lies in the hands of our associates to explain to guests about each dress code during the reservation process and then again when we confirm. Of course, we are prepared to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to make the guest feel comfortable—even sending the concierge out to buy a particular piece of clothing should the guest desire. We know we have only one opportunity to make each guest a loyal one.”

“We don’t require guests to wear jackets and ties in any of our food outlets. Our only requirements are slacks (except in summer when shorts are fine, as long as they are worn with shoes) and a button-down or non-collared shirt, with nothing offensive written or depicted on it. Flip-flops and tank tops are not allowed. If someone does come into our gourmet dining room dressed inappropriately, we direct the guest to one of our more casual restaurants. Sometimes during a holiday weekend or a big convention, for example, we get many guests wearing hats and flip-flops. Then it’s a little more challenging to enforce the dress code policy. But we just politely give them the other dining options within the Mirage, so we can still accommodate them. Maintaining a dress code is, perhaps, more challenging for us because we have about 12,000 people walking into our hotel and casino every day who potentially may want to dine with us. Because of this, we don’t know who is an in-house guest and who isn’t—which is why diplomacy is of the utmost importance. Although we have no printed dress code materials posted at our outlets, when people call to make a reservation, we explain our policy.”