Grand Hotel

Set in the glitz and glamor of Miami Beach, Grand Hotel is an engrossing drama from ABC that delivers a delicious blend of intrigue, passion, and sprawling family dynamics. Premiering in 2019, this soapy drama offers viewers an insider's view into the lives and loves of the people who work and reside in a family-owned luxury hotel. The drama, tension, and heart-pumping intrigue are high-end, much like the stunning and luxurious setting of this riveting series.

Produced by Eva Longoria, a beloved figure in television, Grand Hotel is based on the Spanish TV series "Gran Hotel," setting it apart from traditional primetime dramas with a unique flair for storytelling. The series focuses on the Mendoza family's attempts to maintain their opulent lifestyle and control of the exquisite Riviera Grand Hotel, all while dealing with an ever-increasing set of problems, hidden secrets, and mounting debts.

Grand Hotel circles around the charismatic and cunning patriarch, Santiago Mendoza, splendidly portrayed by Academy Award nominee Demián Bichir. A charming businessman and loving but flawed father, Santiago grapples with the intricacies of running the business and dealing with his intricate family dynamics.

His glamorous second wife, Gigi, masterfully brought to life by Roselyn Sanchez, is a stylish woman. Gigi ambitiously wants to maintain her and her family's luxurious lifestyle at all costs, creating a character arc that oscillates between endearing devotion and unsettling desperation. She struggles to unite Santiago’s family, which includes his two adult children from his first marriage, with her own two daughters.

The adults are not the only ones swallowed up in the world of luxury, secrets, and familial obligations. The younger Mendozas, Alicia, and Javi, are equally enmeshed in the running of the hotel, their lives irrevocably tied to its fate. Alicxia Longoria, as Alicia Mendoza, Santiago's ambitious daughter and heir apparent to the hotel, continually proves her worth in a male-dominated business. Meanwhile, her playboy brother, Javi, spending his inheritance and his time with every woman who catches his fancy, also demonstrates surprising depth and vulnerability.

However, the Mendoza family is not the only group with a stake in this hotel. The Riviera Grand's dedicated staff, many of whom live in the hotel, have their careers, dreams, and even their lives entangled in its twists and turns. Beneath the high-end veneer, the various employees—maids, bellhops, managers, and chefs alike—enrich this drama through their stories, relationships, and struggles, making Grand Hotel feel all the more authentic and captivating.

Javi's best friend and hotel employee, Danny, brilliantly portrayed by Lincoln Younes, adds another layer of intrigue. Charming but determined, Danny's apparent dedication to the hotel hides a growing obsession with uncovering the truth behind a mysterious disappearance event at the hotel, adding a dose of mystery to the show's heady cocktail of scandal and glamour. His illicit relationship with Alicia imparts a dose of romance that adds a softer touch to the tense backdrop of the series.

With all these diverse yet interconnected characters and narratives, Grand Hotel adeptly and consistently keeps viewers on their toes with its various subplots. Each layered character has a past they'd prefer to keep hidden, and family bonds are tested as the rollercoaster series unfolds.

The show's writing is tight, the acting is stellar, and the suspense keeps viewers coming back for more. Visually impressive, this show creates a believable world of opulence, glittering wealth offset by the gritty reality of functioning in a world that always desires more. The elaborate hotel setting is beautifully designed, complete with extravagant suites, top-notch restaurants, sparkling pools, and picturesque beachside views.

While Grand Hotel only ran for one season, it definitely left its mark with a captivating storytelling approach, nuanced characters, and a keen sense of drama. It provides an engrossing viewing experience that’s a blend of mystery, romance, and family turmoil, serving as a window into Miami's high life – a life of luxury, where secrets are just another part of the service, and the hotel's glamorous facade conceals far more than it reveals.