Preparing For Peak: Reimagining Hotel Uniforms

The New Face of Hospitality

Today’s hotel guests expect more than just a comfortable bed and warm welcome. They want excellent customer service that feels thoughtful, personal, and professional. With international tourism rebounding steadily after COVID, UK hotels are seeing a sharp rise in guest numbers.

According to the Office for National Statistics, overseas residents made an estimated 10.8 million visits to Great Britain between April and June 2024 alone, spending around £7.9 billion during their stays. This growth builds on the momentum seen in 2023, when there were 38 million international visits and spending reached £31.1 billion.

With demand continuing to rise, hotels must find new ways to impress and retain guests. One of the most effective tools for doing so is often overlooked: hotel uniforms.

Hospitality uniforms are more than clothing. They reflect your values, shape first impressions, and influence how guests feel about your brand. When designed with care, hotel uniforms create an atmosphere of confidence, trust, and professionalism.

But in today’s market, uniforms must also be inclusive, sustainable, and comfortable for staff. This article explores how forward-thinking hospitality uniform suppliers like JSD are reimagining uniforms to meet the needs of modern hotels and guests.

Preparing for Summer: What Hotels Need from Uniforms During Peak Season

Summer brings the hospitality industry into its busiest, most demanding period. With family holidays and major events bringing a steady influx of visitors, hotels are under pressure to deliver excellence across every interaction. For staff, this often means greater service demands, longer hours, and the need to maintain a professional presentation despite high temperatures.

The right hotel uniforms can make all the difference during these peak summer months. Staff need uniforms made from lightweight, breathable fabrics (such as organic cotton or moisture-wicking recycled polyester) that actively support physical comfort, allowing them to remain cool and focused during demanding shifts.

Garment fit must also allow for freedom of movement without compromising a smart appearance. Ergonomic tailoring and inclusive sizing help ensure every team member feels able to perform at their best.

Beyond comfort, summer uniforms must also be climate-ready, durable, stylish, and practical. Options like short-sleeved shirts, layered designs, UV-protective materials, and easy-care garments that dry quickly and resist wear are ideal for the season.

A team that feels physically prepared and visually aligned with your brand is far better positioned to deliver the quality guest experience that peak periods demand.

The Evolution of Hotel Uniforms: From Practical to Purposeful

Hotel uniforms have come a long way from being chosen purely for low cost and durability. Today, they’re an essential part of the guest experience, shaping first impressions and communicating brand values from the moment someone enters your lobby. In an increasingly competitive hospitality market, guests are paying closer attention to details, and uniforms are no exception.

Modern hotel uniforms must strike a careful balance. They need to reflect a clear and professional brand image, support a diverse workforce (who have different roles, requirements, and body types), and remain comfortable throughout long shifts. At the same time, they must align with growing expectations around sustainability and ethical production.

As one of the UK’s leading hospitality uniform suppliers, JSD designs and manufactures uniforms that go far beyond basic function. We work with hotel clients to develop bespoke uniforms hospitality teams feel proud to wear, that also help you deliver a seamless guest experience. These aren’t generic garments; they are custom-designed brand statements, made responsibly and tailored to perform.

Sustainability and Ethical Practices in Uniform Design

Modern travellers care about sustainability. According to ABTA’s Holiday Habits Report, 66% of UK travellers say that sustainability is an important part of their travel planning. For hotels, that means every part of your operation must align with eco-conscious values, including staff uniforms.

As a B Corp certified custom uniform supplier, JSD is committed to sustainability and ethical manufacturing. Our approach to integrating sustainability into every stage of the uniform lifecycle includes:

Using recycled and low-impact materials like rPET, bamboo, and organic cotton
Manufacturing in verified ethical factories with fair wages and safe conditions
Offering recycling and take-back schemes to reduce waste
Tracking and reporting on environmental impact to support client ESG targets

Choosing a responsible hospitality uniform supplier isn’t just good practice, it’s a visible way to show guests and stakeholders that your business cares.

Designing for Comfort and Functionality

Comfort is not a luxury but a necessity for busy hospitality teams. Long shifts, physical demands, and rapid guest turnover mean uniforms need to move with the body, not against it. Stiff, scratchy, or restrictive uniforms can impact morale and undermine service quality, but when staff feel physically at ease and confident in how they look, it translates directly into service excellence.

That’s why JSD puts functionality and wearability at the centre of every hotel uniform design. We prioritise comfort, using ergonomic cuts, four-way stretch panels, and performance fabrics that are sweat-resistant, breathable, and quick to dry.

Our hospitality uniforms are resistant to wear and repeated washing, helping to extend their durability. Garments are also tested by your staff in trials and fittings before roll-out, allowing them to provide feedback that shapes the final designs. This results in clothing that works hard, looks sharp, and empowers your people to perform at their best.

Aligning Uniforms with Brand Identity

Uniforms are one of the first things guests notice. A clean, modern, well-fitting hotel uniform helps reinforce your brand promise. Whether you’re a luxury city hotel, a beachfront resort, or a boutique guesthouse, your uniforms should reflect your identity. The right uniform builds recognition, boosts consistency, and reinforces your values, all without saying a word.

At JSD, we work closely with your marketing and HR departments to ensure brand alignment throughout every detail. That might mean colour palettes that mirror your interiors, logo placements that are elegant but clear, or silhouettes that reflect the formality/informality of your guest offering.

We also factor in geographical and cultural nuances where relevant. For example, a resort in Cornwall might need sun-ready layers, while a chain of multinational city hotels may prefer contemporary tailoring with smart seasonal transitions. Every choice is intentional, and every detail matters.

Real Results: Our Partnership with IHG

At JSD, we don’t just talk about values, we live them through our work with some of the world’s most respected brands.

One standout project involved our collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts, who approached us with a clear vision: to create distinctive new hospitality uniforms for their Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Plaza brands. These needed to reflect their premium image and support staff performance, while also meeting their environmental goals and fulfilling the brand’s charitable giving promise of “True Hospitality for Good”.

Working closely with IHG’s internal teams, JSD designed a flexible collection suitable for a wide range of roles and climates. Fabrics were selected for comfort, durability, and environmental responsibility, and garments were manufactured in ethically certified factories.

Every detail was considered, from tailoring that flatters all body types to subtle branding elements that reinforce IHG’s approachable yet high-quality aesthetic. The result is a stylish, functional, and ethically produced collection that directly supports IHG’s Responsible Business Strategy and aligns with values that guests care about.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hotel Uniforms

Q: What materials are best for sustainable hotel uniforms?

A: Recycled polyester (rPET), organic cotton, bamboo blends, and regenerated nylon like Econyl are excellent eco-conscious choices that offer durability and performance.

Q: How often should hotel uniforms be refreshed?

A: Most hotels review their uniform design every 2 – 3 years. This helps maintain a fresh look while allowing time to update fits, fabrics, and features.

Q: Why choose a B Corp certified uniform supplier?

A: B Corp status proves that a supplier meets the highest global standards for environmental and social responsibility. It gives you a trusted partner for ESG compliance.

Q: Can uniforms be stylish and practical?

A: Yes. Modern designs blend comfort with smart branding. Today’s fabrics allow for structure, flexibility, and visual impact in one garment.

Q: How can I make sure uniforms fit everyone?

A: Work with a supplier like JSD that offers extended sizing, gender-neutral, neurodivergence-friendly options, and bespoke adjustments for accessibility and cultural sensitivity.

Want to Find Out How Hotel Uniforms Can Help Your Business?

Uniforms are a small detail that make a big difference. With the right design, they help your staff feel confident, your guests feel welcome, and your brand look professional. And when made ethically, they support your environmental and social goals, too.

At JSD, we create hospitality uniforms that are tailored to your team and your values. Whether you’re planning for the next peak season or rethinking your brand identity, our experienced team is ready to help.

Contact JSD today to discover how our custom, sustainable hotel uniforms can elevate your guest experience and support your ESG strategy.