The Dorchester is one of London's most famous luxury hotels, but bosses at the five-star establishment have reportedly been criticised for sending a "downright offensive" list of grooming rules to its female staff.
The do's and don'ts were emailed to all employees following complaints about the general hygiene of the hotel staff, the Daily Mail reports.
The hotel advised women to turn up to work with full but not garish makeup, manicured nails, clean hair and shaven legs, even if wearing tights. They were also asked to avoid oily skin, bad breath and any excess body hair.
Unsurprisingly, the strict rules have outraged some of the staff, who are said to be paid around £9 an hour at the £700-a-night hotel.
"It is disgusting. This list is like something out of the dark ages, and downright offensive," one employee told the newspaper.
"It's not as though you choose to have oily skin and a lot of women, especially teenagers, cannot help it – no facial wash or moisturiser in the world can control that.
"The women are all pretty livid but worry that if they complain – or rebel and turn up to work with chipped, dirty nails and hairy legs, for example, they'll be sacked on the spot."
News of the grooming list hasn't gone down well with womens' rights campaigners, either. Sam Smether, chief executive The Fawcett Society, told the Daily Mail it was "completely unacceptable" that women should be instructed on their appearance.
"Employers should concentrate on what enables people to do a good job and what drives productivity," Smether added. "This is 2016 not 1970; we need to see an end to this kind of objectification of women."
However, according to The Dorchester's General Manager, the rules allow the hotel to maintain its five-star status.
"The Dorchester has a proud community of employees who uphold world-leading hospitality standards including grooming, in line with many other luxury brands," General manager Roland Fasel told The Telegraph.
"All new applicants are sent a copy of our grooming standards in advance of interview."
