For being thoroughly p'd off by The Ritz Hotel - long rant sorry

[Pennies]

This weekend it was my mother's 70th birthday and she decided that she wanted to celebrate it by staying at The Ritz Hotel in Picadilly. She booked rooms for herself, her cousin , my bro and SIL, me, DH and our DD's (13months and 2yrs) for last night.

It was DH's birthday last week and we decided that we (us to and our DD's) would add an extra night onto our stay tonight and treat ourselves to a bit of luxury.

In the week running up to this weekend's planned extravagnza I called the hotel twice to check on arrangements for baby sitters, baby paraphanalia and other bits and bobs. My DH also popped in there in person to suss a few things out as well. When he visited the hotel on this recce he was wearing jeans - this was not remarked upon by the staff there.

Anyway... yesterday we arrived and rather chaotically checked in with the DD's being a bit bemused, loads of clobber and general disorganisation. DH and I were both wearing jeans. No comment was made on our dress.

Yesterday afternoon, after checking in we decided to get some tea. When we went downstairs we were informed that we were not allowed in the dining room as we had jeans on. I accepted this although it meant I could not feed the DD's downstairs at the table and had to cobble something together in our room with them sitting on my knee.

Last night we get all glammed up and we had a lovely meal.

This morning as we were getting dressed I checked the guest information book regarding dress code and it said the following. " Gentlemen are expected to wear a jacket and tie in the Palm Court and Restaurant after 11am". As it was 8.30am and Sunday morning we got dressed in jeans (smart ones, no rips, nice boots, did my hair and make-up, DH was wearing a shirt etc etc) and headed on downstairs. On arrival at the breakfast room we were refused entry because of our dress.

After much debate with the staff and two duty managers we were given the following options:

1. Have breakfast in our room (not much space & no table)

2. Have it in another dining room on our own and to only be able to have a continental breakfast (didn't want to eat alone and we wanted the full English)

3. Go elsewhere.

This meant that the whole party (i.e. us and my mum, bro, SIL, cousin etc) could not have breakfast together as my mum - who was paying for the whole thing wanted her breakfast there, which was fair enough.

We opted for number 3. This meant taking the DD's upstairs, getting them all in their coats, getting the pushchair out, and finding somewhere else to go. Totally bloody inconvenient, and they were both starving and beginning to create by then.

The upshot was that DH and I were so pissed off with being treated like sartorial lepers that after breakfast (at the very accomodating and understanding Wolsey) we went back to the Ritz and cancelled tonight's booking because we felt so unwelcome and patronised.

So, AIBU in expecting the hotel to have made it VERY clear that there was an absolute no jeans policy on the 3 opportunities they had prior to our arrival when we contacted them to discuss our stay? Is this something everyone in the whole world just knows (except us obviosuly)?

sned a letter deffo.

or alternatively sned an email it's quicker -does the Ritz 'do' emails or is it Basildon Bond and Mont Blancs?

The Waldorf Astoria in New York seemed awash with snakeskin print leggings and fur jackets.
Perhaps you looked too good, and were embarrassing the regulars?

For the money you have to pay to stay there you should be allowed to have breakfast in the nude if thats what you want

In fact maybe you should have done just that -thats one way of by-passing the no-jeans rule!

Yes I probably would actually given that it was a special family occasion. Anyway, you were told the day before that jeans weren't allowed in there!

Famous people with silly names are obviously exempt.

it does say on their site (just looking cos thought my gran would love tea at the ritz for her birthday) and it does say formal dress is expected in all public areas. i'd always check things like that when i go to stuffy places.

ok, well I obviously don't spend enough time in 5 * hotels, but I wouldn't have known that you couldn't wear jeans to breakfast ... (Had tea at the Ritz - sans jeans though, have to say)
And I agree, they had numerous opportunites to gently talk to you about the jeans situation.
Did you not have anything else to change into? I would have thought they would have provided a pleasing array of options for you - like they have selection of ties for blokse who turn up tie-less at places ...
I'd complain, less becuase of the policy and more becuase of the thoughtless, unhelpful way you were treated.

My dad had similar treatment YEARS ago at The Ritz, where he was staying on business.

He used to travel on business abroad frequently and thereafter refused to stay in 5 star hotels b/c he couldn't be arsed with their attitudes.

northener - re. the pre 11am thing, that's exactly what we thought when we checked the guest info, and I made that point to the staff there who said that they had recently changed their policy, but it's not written anywhere.

I got taken to teh Ritz for lunch (in a previous life). Was told - I'll take you out for "a bite to eat" as I was flying straight from work that day I was wearing comfy scruffy cotton ethinic brown tie-dye which was hideous but comfy. I was mortified when I realised he'd booked the Ritz. However - they couldn't refuse me entry as I hadn't broken the dress code (though they did hide us in the corner!).

There's no bad taste code it appears...

Ooooh, forgot to say that a teeneager with pink jeans on was allowed in.

Soupy, when we were told the day before we assumed it was because of the whole afternoon tea thing, and that it was a more formal thing going on post 11am (backed up by guest info) which is why we ran the gauntlet.

Pennies I'm really sorry to hear of your humiliation . Cod your post RE Diana health and safety is priceless.

On a feckin Sunday morning all I want to do is wear crap clothes to accommodate the Saturday night bloat. Do you think baggy kneed tracksuit trousers would have been allowed? Because that's what I would have rolled up in.

why didn't you just change so your mum could have the nice birthday breakfast at the ritz that she wanted?

Message withdrawn

Well, my mum wasn't that fussed about us being there or not as we'd all had dinner together the night before and we were all going out for lunch together. In fact she wasn't even up at that point - she was just going to join us later so that wasn't the big deal. However, the hotel were not aware of that.

The no jeans policy should have been made clear to you at the point of booking. It is no good telling you once you are there with your little suitcase (denim one would hope!) stuffed only with jeans. I would check that this "condition" was communicated to you at the time of booking. Just wondering, but would it be acceptable to wear combats?

I would have taken my jeans off there and then to reveal grey baggy pants and ran into the dining room shouting that mamnger there told me I had to do this call the police.

didn't you have pyjamas?

I'd've worn those

You should have told them you were a famous and rich couple in disguise.

Dh and I went to a really pukka do at Goodwood House last year - black tie - so I wore a v posh dress. Jodie Kidd was there in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It really really p*ssed me off. Totally irrational I know.

I was just pondering this morning why I feel the need to pack something smart even if I'm not planning on going anywhere smart... this would be a very good reason why

(It doesn't explain my need for at least one spare pair of knickers - I haven't wet myself in years , and two books minimum... even for overnight stays )

If it hasn't already been said, to be fair to the Ritz it does say on their website no jeans or trainers permitted in the dining areas.

That's me out then.

I'm going to be very brave and say I find it hard to believe that you only packed jeans and evening wear. I think if I was going somewhere like that (yeah right) I'd have taken my entire wardrobe

Cod, look what happened to Diana after her stay at the Ritz

The thing is that because DH and I had had so much personal contact with the staff there via phone calls and his trip in there was no need for us to even look at the website - we thought we had been given all the information we needed!

How did you actually make the booking? Over the phone? In person?