Access rules for the world's grand hotels

Dress codes, walk-in odds, and booking lead time — for bars, afternoon tea, spas and pools you don't need to be a guest to enjoy.

This isn't a hotel booking site or a review site — we don't sell rooms and we don't collect star ratings. It's a plain-English reference for one question: can you get into a grand hotel's bar, afternoon tea or lobby without staying there, what should you wear, and how far ahead you need to book.