Creative Costume and Uniform Ideas for Your Restaurant Bar or Resort Business

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Everywhere we look, we see the businesses such as restaurants, bars, resorts and casinos, that theme their uniform style to match their business' atmosphere. That's all well and good, but sometimes you might think that the uniform styles out there are a little homogenized. Of course, it's understandable that you want to keep to a professional image at all times. But you might also be feeling more creative, like you want to break out of the mold and re-invent the restaurant uniform concept.

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Example: If you've seen the movie "Pulp Fiction", there's a restaurant that Vincent and Mia go to early in the film which looks like a fun place to go. It's modeled after the 1950's "rockabilly" era, and if you watch this scene carefully, you'll see some incredible uniform "casting" in this fictional restaurant. Would you have thought of having Buddy Holly and Marilyn Monroe look-a-likes as waiters and waitresses? Or how about the midget in the red bellhop uniform who seats the couple? Hint: he's modeled on an old Phillip Morris commercial, as you can hear him shouting his line as he leaves the scene: "Call for Phillip Morris!" Now, that is creative theming!

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For those who want to make an impression far deeper than the average fashion statement, let's try thinking experimentally. Here's a list of ideas that many will find bold, edgy, or even too daring. But they are very original. We're not recommending them too heavily, or you can take them and modify them; perhaps one of these will be inspirational!

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So, some very off-the-wall ideas for a hospitality business uniform theme:

Gothic - Whether you like the style or not, the youth Goth movement is here to stay. It's actually a hand-me-down from the punk rock era, but in a style of Victorian era moodiness. Think lots of black, very edgy, and search the web to get an idea. The fact is, young people tend to go where they'll feel like they are understood and welcome. If that's the kind of target market you have in mind, dressing the staff a little Gothic themselves will help tie your brand identity to the culture which these people currently live in. Remember, they will be middle-aged grown-ups with a career and a house in the suburbs some day, and by then you'll have some serious customer loyalty!

Superheroes - OK, you cringed a little at first. But I'll bet a minute later, you saw what I'm getting at: now, what would you expect of a staff member who was a superhero? You'd expect excellent service, courteous behavior, perfect honor and trust... hey! We have such super employees, they're like superheroes already! This isn't as hard to do as you might think - take your standard uniform and add a short cape and a "utility belt" or a medallion or some other gimmick and you're there. Would work well for a family-themed place like a pizza parlor or someplace that catered especially to young kids.

Cosplays - "Cosplay" is a word which is a portmanteau (a word that combines two other words) of "costume" and "play". This is a Japanese subculture based on dressing up as characters from manga (Asian comics) and anime (Asian cartoons). Even less commonly, such subjects as Japanese live action television shows, fantasy movies, or Japanese pop music bands are also fair game.

The word has become popularly associated with dressing restaurant employees as French maids. This idea may sound goofy to you, but it's currently all the rage in China and Japan, as reported on culture-tracking sites like boingboing. Take a look in a search engine at some of the creative themes they've come up with to get some ideas. Oddly enough, these are not aimed at children but adults, in a culture where comics and cartoons are not seen as juvenile at all. This would be a big hit in a modern, up-to-the-minute environment such as a college town or a place with a lot of technology culture such as Silicon Valley, since its popularity is largely being spread by the Internet.

Science Fiction - If you've been to Las Vegas, one casino has a Star Trek theme ride and a restaurant attached to it called "Quark's Bar and Restaurant". Sure enough, the whole place makes you feel just like you're living in the Star Trek universe, right down to the staff uniforms! Gimmicky it may be, but a whole generation of Star Trek fans have grown up and even passed the culture on to their kids - this place makes a lot of money.

If you take a look at Star Trek uniforms, they are actually very serviceable. Now apply this idea to other fantasy and science fiction franchises with a huge following: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or anything with its own 'cult' following. Or just go with something futuristic, without nailing it down to any one particular work of fiction. This could work well in places like an espresso bar with Internet access, because computer buffs and science fiction fans tend to go well together.

Period Costumes - These are more in the range of "it's been done before". Pirates, cowboys, gypsies, ancient Egyptians, and so on. Surely you've stumbled upon a seafood restaurant with a pirate theme or a Western bar and grill in Texas with the staff dressed like they were living in the days of the wild frontier. Still, it's an idea to keep in mind - period costumes can add a fun theme to your atmosphere, but also be not too over-the-top so you can still keep a serious attitude.

That's all - maybe you can come up with different ideas of your own starting with these inspirations!

Creative Costume and Uniform Ideas for Your Restaurant Bar or Resort Business

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The Resort Fee in Las Vegas Hotels: How to Avoid Paying It and Which Option Is Best for You

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Apparently, the main complaint from tourists when they are in Sin City, besides the huge amount of smoke pretty much everywhere (with the exception of the top-quality places such as Venetian and Palazzo, Bellagio and so on), is the this mandatory additional, fixed charge imposed by many establishment and off the Strip. You may want to find out how to avoid paying this additional cost altogether (read below to find out), but before that let's see what it is exactly and let's work out if avoiding it is actually the best thing for you and for your pocket.

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What is it: it is an additional charge (on top of your room rate and taxes) which is meant to cover the establishment' facilities and services, which include the use of the gym (or fitness centre, or exercise room), the use of the spa (Jacuzzi, Saunas, Steam Rooms), local phone calls, daily newspapers to the room and other services (each establishment may have all of these, fewer or more). The principle behind this is that, since every guest is going to use some if not all of those facilities and services, rather than paying for the individually they are all combined together in a single cost.

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The Price: The cost ranges from around five to fifteen dollars. It is added to the advertised rate at check-in. All Vegas establishments state how much this additional fixed charge is but it often is in the fine print of their rate page or special offer page. If in doubt, just pick up the phone and ask them; we do it all the time to be absolutely sure of what we are going to pay, since we like to keep to our allocated budget.

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It is often the case that the more facilities and services an establishment offers within that charge, the better quality of these facilities and services. For example: there are places which will charge 5 dollars overall, but, in some cases, that charge covers basic services and facilities, such as the use of a very basic, almost unusable fitness room (as opposed to a well-equipped gym). It is therefore important to find out, before you book, what is actually offered and what those services and facilities actually are. We are avid users of the gym when we are in Vegas (partly to burn the extra calories we accumulate by eating at Las Vegas buffets every single day of our stay!) so we call each time before we book to confirm what type of fitness facilities are included, what their opening hours are, whether it's just a cardio room or if it is a fully-equipped gym, and so forth (each hotel may change their policy on this additional charge and on what's included almost overnight, so it's always advisable to check). You will be surprised at the differences; just because an establishment states that they have fitness facilities included in this charge, it does not necessarily mean that those facilities are actually good. At the same time, just because they don't charge this cost, it does not mean that you will not end up paying it anyway (more on this later).

So, how to avoid paying this charge?

There are mainly two ways to avoid paying it:
to book a place which does not charge it (but beware of the drawbacks, as we'll explain further on)
to book a special players card offer; sometimes special package offers (say '3 nights for the overall price of 99dollars', and so on) are additional-charge-free and, even better, they are tax-free (what we mean is that the advertised package price is all inclusive of any charge, so there are no surprises at check out). Every time you are about to book a room or suite, no matter what package it is or from what special offer, always read the fine print and, if in doubt, ask them over the phone.

We like to choose accommodation based on how good the rooms or suites are, how good their customer service is, how good their casino is, the facilities they provide (gym, spa, pool and so on) and the quality of their buffet. We do not like to limit ourselves to the establishments which don't apply the additional charge often because there is always a 'catch'; more on this further on). So, we will select special offers and packages which, overall, are convenient and a good deal without sacrificing the quality of the stay. As per the best price overall, bear in mind that one place may be additional-charge-free, but the overall deal may be not so good (for example, they may not offer you buffet deals or they may not offer you free-play).

What's the catch of when an establishment does not charge this additional cost?

The majority of the establishments in Sin City which apply NO additional charge actually offer worse services. By that I mean mainly worse fitness and spa facilities and with restricted opening hours. This is mostly the case with the Caesars' Entertainment establishments (former Harrah's group): they have the most limited fitness and spa services in terms of opening hours and quality. Some of their pools and pool areas are also quite 'deficient'. On the other hand, some which do charge an additional cost, have amazing facilities and services and in the end you will be more than happy that you have paid it; you may not care for the gym (unlike us), but you will probably enjoy a better pool area! Finally, some of the MGM group establishments (the newest ones, such as Cosmopolitan) are also additional-charge-free but you will be hit by expensive prices if you opt to use their services after all.

So, if you plan to avoid using any of the facilities or services and you are staying in one of these additional-charge-free establishments, make sure you truly do not use these services because, if you do, you will be disappointed and, above all, you will be hit by a huge charge (fitness and spa facilities are ridiculously expensive if you pay for them separately and, as already said, some of those services are not good).

Off-Strip establishments which do not apply this additional charge can still offer services and facilities but of course, understandably, they may be limited in quality and variety (though not always), though they are often available for longer hours during the day, often closing later at night. We like that! One of the best off-strip places with no additional charges but offering decent services (such as fitness facilities) is El Cortez, situated downtown (but this establishment is very affordable in every aspect, actually, whilst clean and nice, so it's a great deal if you are on a budget).

So, in summary: before you book, make a list of the facilities and services you are likely to want to use (phone calls, gym, spa, rest areas, etc) and find out how much they are separately. Do the math, work out which ones you are likely to use and which ones you are not and then decide which accommodation establishment is best for you. Some places (such as Gold Coast) have a very low additional charge so it becomes almost a non-issue. But, admittedly, some have a high additional charge, in which case working out what's best for you, what's offered, what quality accommodation you will have, what customer service will receive and so on, will be worth-while endeavours before you book your stay.

Catch N.1 - Caesar's Entertainment establishments (Paris Las Vegas, Bally's, Rio All-Suite, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Planet Hollywood and Harrah's), do not impose the above-mentioned additional charge attached to a room reservation. However, if you book over the phone, they will charge you a ridiculous .20 'processing cost' (as if they were the only ones with telephone assistance in the world), which tops and exceeds many of the establishments' additional charge. So, if you can, avoid booking over the phone because, unfortunately, they do not inform their phone customers of this processing cost, quite deceptively we could say. This ridiculous processing cost is waived for high rollers and certain 'VIP' members and it is also waived for seniors. Make sure you ask before you book (before you even tell them your name or total rewards card number).

Catch N. 2 - Some of the no-extra-charge establishments actually offer no facilities that would warrant any additional charge or, if they do, they are sub-standard (in our opinion). Some of them will even 'hit' you with other charges, such as the Caesars Entertainment (former Harrah's Group) 'booking processing cost' (as explained in the earlier paragraphs of this page). Others, such as Four Season, are so expensive overall that applying a few dollars to their over-the-top nightly rate would be insignificant. Moreover, as already explained in the previous paragraphs, if you then decide to use one of their facilities, you may be disappointed by their limited opening times and/or how expensive they actually are if paid for separately. So, make sure you ask as much information as you can and don't chal bad about doing so, otherwise you will be either disappointed or will simply end up paying more than you would have by just paying the additional charge!

The Resort Fee in Las Vegas Hotels: How to Avoid Paying It and Which Option Is Best for You

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Las Vegas Resort Taxes Explained

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Sneaky, misleading, even dishonest. You will see these and other terms are used when people describe their feelings to find out who had their hotel room in Las Vegas, a tax additional night.

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A fee is paid, the hotels, to add an invoice for check-in. The reasoning of the hotel chain and the reasons for the charges? Additional Services. Most often these "services" includes free local calls and a bottleWater in a hotel room, to be honest, was added to the Red Roof Inns in the United States.

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Local taxes are not paid at the time of booking. For example, say a room booked through Expedia and Priceline. The tax is reported that by the end of the booking screen, but that is not added to the invoice. If the hotel is $ 40 per night, all reservations will be tourists at that time to pay $ 40 (plus tax). If you come to the hotel, locatedadded another $ 7 for every night of their stay. Although this may seem insignificant sum at first glance, a $ 7 per night fee may be included in a given week. These expenses can also wreak havoc on a budget.

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These hidden extras indignation most tourists and rightly so. Who should take the house always know if a hotel charged extra, if so, to consider the cost of the rooms in the locality of the total cost to the budget for a holiday.

Las Vegas Resort Taxes Explained

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