Look sharp to deliver a striking image in front of your guests!

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “Grand Budapest Hotel”?

That striking and extremely well-tailored purple uniform defined the color palette of the renowned Wes Anderson masterpiece.

Is a particular “look” important for your hotel? The answer is yes. Because this is one of the most important things that remind the audience of your specificity.

In this article, I won’t be going into the color theory of uniforms. Rather, I will be focusing on the need to look sharp in order to deliver a striking image to your customer. What exactly is the image that you should be projecting? And how much does the dress code of your hotel matter?

This article is going to provide you with the answer to all of the above questions.

What Message Does a Well-Tailored, Sharp Uniform Deliver?

First, of course, the uniform does what its name suggests- promotes uniformity. This is especially important in today’s day and age when “versatility of labor” is key. In the hospitality business, especially in these post-COVID times, it is impossible to hire a host of employees with specialized training in various departments. Therefore, what hotels are doing now is hiring freshers and then training them to work in several departments. This way, the staff can be shuffled around when a particular sector needs more attention.

Therefore, it is important to preserve the uniformity between all kinds of staff in a hotel- be it the front desk receptionists or the housekeeping crew. It’s only fair since most of your employees are trained to do all kinds of work.

Second, the uniform promotes brand recognition. As I’ve mentioned before, the striking purple uniforms stand for “Grand Budapest Hotel” and nothing else. Similarly, all the big brands incorporate their specific brand logos or colors in their employees’ uniforms.

What Kind of a Brand Image Do You Want to Deliver?

Before designing the uniform, you need to know what the vibe of your establishment is. Do you entertain the elderly crowd or Gen Z? Do you host weddings or business conferences? Do you offer activities like cheese-tasting or hiking?

All of these determine the entire feel or aesthetic that you are going for. Based on this, you need to think of the adjectives that suit your hotel the best. Which is it- “Chic and casual” or “Formal and sophisticated”?

Once you’ve got this all set, you need to figure out if these sets of adjectives go with the extremely formal white tie dress code, the moderately formal black tie dress code, or the absolutely informal business casual dress code.

Your dress code should match the entire feel of your establishment. Why? Because guests try to decipher the whole vibe of the hotel from the uniform and demeanor of the staff.

For example, if you’re headed to a hotel for a wedding reception, you probably want to see the servers in suits, cufflinks, and oxfords. Whereas, if you’re simply headed to a weekend destination to party with your friends, that’s the exact dress code that you want to stay away from.

What are the Dress Code Essentials for the Hospitality Industry?

There are obviously some essentials that you cannot ignore no matter how casual the vibe of your hotel is. Polished shoes, for example, are an absolute must for all kinds of uniforms (unless you’re making your employees wear flip flops, of course). Well-ironed and, most importantly, well-tailored clothing is also necessary. You must ensure that the uniforms actually fit all your employees and you cannot do this by offering them a one-size-fits-all model.

In a hotel, customer service is essentially the duty of all the employees. Hence, at the end of the day, the most essential element is nothing but a smile.

Wondering how to build brand recognition through employee uniforms? Do leave us a comment below!

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