The BEST episodes of Hotel
Every episode of Hotel ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Hotel!
Hotel is an American prime time drama based on Arthur Hailey's 1965 novel of the same name (which had also inspired a 1967 feature film). The series was set in the elegant and fictitious St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco. Episodes follow both the activities of passing guests as well as the personal and professional lives of the permanent hotel staff.
#1 - Transitions
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/14/1984
Television sportscaster, Larry Dawson, and his director, Biff Henry, are in San Francisco to telecast a '49ers' football game. When Larry's wife Maggie arrives unexpectedly, she finds her husband and Biff in a flagrant situation, and she's stunned when her husband admits he's bisexual. In spite of their dilemma, Larry and Maggie share a reunion with their son Kevin in town from school. Wealthy cement contractor Leo McGurty checks in with his voluptuous secretary, Ruby Turner, and enlists Mark's aid in refining the socially inept secretary. Mark tutors Ruby on art and culture, finding her to be a delightful diamond in the rough. Ruby is charmed, having never been lavished with so much attention. Leo puts a stop to the developing romance, but Mark warns him not to take Ruby for granted. In front of all the guests at an important social event, Leo proposes to Ruby, and she accepts.
#2 - Confrontations
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/1983
A convention of white supremacists led by Russell Slocum antagonize two elderly African-Americans, Carrie and Garland Fisk, who are on a long-delayed honeymoon. The Fisks return from shopping to find their room has been broken into and trashed. Pushed too far, Garland, disguised as a waiter, slips into the banquet room and flings a tray of food at Slocum. Peter informs Slocum that two of the hotel's chambermaids saw members of his group break into the Fisk's room. Peter packs the racists' bags and gives them a small refund, with a reimbursement for the Fisk's deducted. An overprotective mother, Helen Scofield, seeks psychiatric treatment for her 21-year-old daughter, Andrea, who has been mute since seeing her father burn to death. After a doctor recommends institutionalizing Andrea, the young woman wanders away from the hotel and befriends a street mime named Michael. With Michael's encouragement, Andrea speaks for the first time in ten years and begs Michael not to leave her.
#3 - Heroes
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/26/1986
A Benham Academy football coach, Jack Allen, celebrates Benham Senior Weekend with half a dozen students. Five are football players; the sixth is scholarly Martin, the butt of their jokes. When Allen's daughter Beth arrives, she's delighted to find her friend Martin, but Allen interferes with their friendship. The football players try to humiliate Martin, and Christine berates Coach Allen for encouraging them. When Martin confronts Allen, Allen surprisingly vows to change his ways. Peter's old buddy, Brad Carlton, a former Vietnam POW, recognizes a hotel waiter, Duong Thanh, as one of his prison camp tormentors. When Brad's wife Wendy finds her husband fashioning a bamboo whip, she asks for Peter's help. After talking to Mrs. Thanh, Wendy learns that Thanh's cruelty stemmed from his parents' death in a bombing raid. Thanh goes to Brad's room, removes his shirt and hands the whip to Brad. Brad's anger, however, turns to those who sent him to war.
#4 - Pathways
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/1985
Banker James Chelton is distraught because his recently widowed sister-in-law, Amelia, lives a life of extravagance. MacDonald "Mack" Erickson and his pal Tommy work as trash collectors. When Amelia carelessly runs down Erickson, the slightly injured man is carried to her suite and treated by the hotel physician. After Mack charms Amelia, she extends his stay. James researches Mack's background and discovers that he has a criminal record for theft. When a piece of Amelia's jewelry ends up missing, James accuses Mack, who leaves. Visiting Amelia, Mack's pal Tommy tells her how Mack's life was ruined years ago after being wrongfully jailed for a theft. Amelia finds Mack, and the two are reunited. Megan is jealous because Dave spends all his time studying for a law degree. As Dave spends his third straight evening at the library, Megan returns alone to their apartment to face a rapist, who assaults her.
#5 - Deceptions
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/30/1983
Junior hotel executive Hillary Lindamont becomes starry-eyed over Michael Robson, which depresses Mark, who has a crush on Hillary. Michael videotapes sex with Hillary and threatens to use it to accuse the hotel of running a brothel. Peter pays the ransom, but Billy picks Michael's pocket and recovers the money. Peter follows the blackmailer and punches him out. A ten-year-old street kid, Cat Locatelli, sneaks into a hotel suite and begins to live off room service. Billy catches Cat, but is sympathetic, having once been on the streets himself. A well-intentioned social worker arrives to escort Cat to a children's home in the country. Cat feels betrayed, but Billy tells him he has to grow up to become a man. Milly Toland, a permanent resident of the hotel, wants to celebrate her birthday with her socialite daughter, Louise, and lawyer son, Rob, but her children leave early, leaving only Mrs. Cabot when the time comes for Milly to cut the cake.
#6 - The Offer
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/7/1983
Leslie DeVeer, the owner of a hotel chain, seeks revenge against Mrs. Cabot; Leslie has never forgiven Mrs. Cabot for marrying the man Leslie loved. Leslie offers to make Peter the top executive of her six Caribbean luxury hotels. Angry that Leslie would make the offer to someone she'd just met, Craig Chase, Leslie's right-hand man, packs up and leaves. Peter meets with both women and tells them he can't accept Leslie's offer, since he knows it has to do with their rivalry. Journalist J.J. Powell intends to get an exclusive story from publicity-shy rocker Diz Wilder. Minus his wig and redheaded band, Diz Wilder sets off for a day of sightseeing, dressed neatly in a tweed jacket. Without letting on that she's a journalist, J.J. manages to meet Diz, who claims to be a travel agent. After spending the entire day and night together, J.J. refuses to expose Diz, but her editor publishes the article anyway.
#7 - Resolutions
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 6/12/1985
Two wine-making brothers, Vincent and Anthony Palandrini continue their long-standing feud at a wine conference. When Vincent's assistant, Link, asks Anthony for his blessings to marry his daughter, Camila, Anthony says he doesn't have a daughter. When Mrs. Cabot brings father and daughter together, it is revealed that Anthony believes Vincent slept with his wife and that Camila is actually his brother's daughter. However, Vincent swears that they never consummated their love. While Vincent's wine is being awarded a top prize at the conference, Vincent and Anthony are working out their differences in the hotel wine cellar. When the brothers return to the awards ceremony, Anthony signals their reconciliation with a glowing tribute to his brother. Billy is reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Michelle, the discontented wife of politician Lucas Todd.
#8 - Harassed
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/5/1986
Drew Hayward, Peter's college classmate, starts as the new director of hotel operations. Julie hopes to become Hayward's assistant manager, but Hayward makes the job offer contingent on sexual favors. Because Julie thinks Peter would back his college friend, she doesn't report Hayward's harassment. When Julie rejects Hayward's job offer, he grabs her and threatens to have her fired if she doesn't have sex with him. Julie breaks free and tells Peter about the incident. Hayward claims that Julie tried to seduce him to get the job, but Julie reveals that she secretly recorded their previous conversation; Peter gives Hayward ten minutes to collect his belongings and leave. Maggie Lewis, a flower vendor at the hotel, seeks Christine's help. Lisa, the child Maggie gave up for adoption, is marrying Roger Easton, the son of snobbish Ruth Easton, and Maggie needs Christine and Peter's help to put up a well-to-do front and save Lisa embarrassment.
#9 - Lost and Found
Season 2 - Episode 25 - Aired 7/17/1985
The St. Gregory Hotel is the setting for a grim custody battle over a nine-year-old girl, Lindsay, when it is revealed that she is the missing child of Tom and Sally Banks. Lindsay is now in the custody of policeman Will Pomeroy and his wife, Cheryl. Will did not learn of the Banks' search until years after bringing the girl into the family. Though the Banks have a legal claim to Lindsay, the girl objects to the idea of leaving the Pomeroys for a pair of strangers. Lindsay points out that she has two mothers now and wishes to visit the Banks. Dave and Megan have their first serious quarrel when he brings in a con artist, Wade Stafford, who persuades Dave to give up law for a get-rich-quick scheme in real estate. Megan leaves to stay with Julie, then returns to their apartment to find that Wade has brought home a couple of girls to lift Dave's spirits. After losing a game of basketball, Peter realizes that he's no longer as young as he would like to believe.
#10 - Wins and Losses
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 7/24/1985
While preparing for the annual St. Gregory/Mark Hopkins Charity Softball Game, the Mark Hopkins Hotel's assistant manager, Brian Fox, falls for Christine and makes no effort to hide it. Christine likes Brian, but thinks that he comes on too strongly. At Christine's suggestion, Brian takes a more gentlemanly approach, and Christine ends up in his arms. When Brian lands the job of general manager at a luxury hotel in Boston, he asks Christine to join him, but Christine can't bring herself to desert Peter. Having promised Mary Tyson to look after her 15-year-old grandson Randy while she's out of town, Peter has checked the boy into a room at the hotel. A bit mixed-up, Randy secretly seeks escape in alcohol. When Peter catches Randy drinking with some other teens, Randy berates Peter and stumbles, striking his head. Later, Peter introduces Randy to a recovering alcoholic teen-ager who convinces Randy to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to deal with his problem.
#11 - Imperfect Union
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/1985
A young retarded couple, Robert Bianca and Annie Goldman, are determined to elope. Robert's older brother Vincent is proud of his brother's determination to live his own life, but Annie's mother, Edith Goldman, strives to halt the wedding. Edith eventually gives in, and Robert proves his ability by making all the arrangements for a small wedding ceremony. Peter is disturbed by the presence of Callie Harlan and her 11-year-old daughter, Trisha; years ago, Peter had an affair with Callie. They were discovered by her husband, who forced Peter to transfer his hotel career to Europe. Callie's husband recently died, leaving his fortune to Trisha. Now, Trisha's grandmother Grace Harlan is using her influence to control her late son's estate and win custody of Trisha. Callie has kidnapped her own daughter, and there is a warrant for her arrest. Jack Bond, a Harlan family employee, tracks down Callie and her daughter, and Grace flies in from New Orleans. Trisha disappears from the hotel.
#12 - Saving Grace
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/4/1985
Jeremy Hale, a former ballet dancer paralyzed by a hit-and-run accident, finds it difficult to adjust to his new career as a choreographer, despite the help of his former dance partner, Natalie Rogers. Natalie's mother Madelyntells her that Jeremy doesn't want Natalie's pity and she should move on with her life, but Natalie loves him deeply and feels compelled to stay. When Jeremy tells Natalie to leave him and Natalie confesses that she was responsible for his injury, Jeremy explodes in anger. Peter keeps Natalie from leaving, then talks to Jeremy, and through his intervention Peter brings the couple to reconcile. Elizabeth Evans, assistant to Mark the guest relations director, tries to conceal her poverty-stricken background while resisting marriage proposals from wealthy young socialite Duncan Wingfield. Elizabeth is embarrassed by the arrival of her father, Tyler Evans, a weathered, former coal miner from West Virginia.
#13 - Celebrations
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/18/1985
Jake Cabot, whose daughter-in-law, Victoria Cabot, now supervises the St. Gregory Hotel that Jake and his late son once operated, still resents that his family forced him into what he felt was a premature retirement. Jake takes Victoria's advice to get back into the hotel business and decides to run a country inn in Vermont. Aerobics instructor Angie Archer hopes to snare a rich husband from the celebrities checking in for the hotel's 75th anniversary gala. Angie mistakes Mike Passmore, head of a computer company, for a deliveryman, and instead pursues an older financier, Garrett Hardy. Despite her strategy, a romance blooms between Angie and Mike, and Angie chooses the "deliveryman" over the financier, only to discover Mike's true identity later. Christine discovers that one of the domestics, 19-year-old Tereza Cruz, who is pregnant, is an illegal alien. Because Tereza wants her child to gain citizenship by being born in the U.S., she is hiding from immigration officials.
#14 - Scapegoats
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/22/1986
The marriage of Gerald and Ivy Milburn is threatened by jealousy as Gerald questions his wife's attentions toward Peter, and Ivy watches her husband befriend a sexy, but obviously broke woman, Tracy Benedict. Gerald offers Tracy money and a room at the hotel if she'll distract Peter from Ivy. Meanwhile, Ivy asks Peter to befriend Tracy and find out about her affair with Gerald. Complicating matters, Tracy's jilted fiancé arrives, determined to win her back. Determined to correct the Milburns' paranoia, Peter sends Tracy and Nick on their way as lovers. Bartender Frank Jessup trades jibes with waiter Joel Shubert, a homosexual tired of Frank's prejudice. Ironically, Frank soon learns that he has AIDS. Frank believes Joel to be the cause, but Joel has twice tested negative. Frank's ex-wife, Sheila , berates Frank as a closet homosexual, and his son, Elliot, thinks he's a junkie. Frank apologizes to Joel then reveals his problem to Christine, who tells him that his job is secure.
#15 - Recrimination
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/29/1986
A convention of police chiefs includes Mrs. Cabot's old friend, the recently widowed Brian O'Connell from Atlantic City. Their friendship blossoms into romance, and Mrs. Cabot spends the night with Brian. Both are beginning to think about marriage. However, realizing she could never leave the hotel to be a police chief's wife, they decide on something less matrimonial, a couple weeks of fishing in Canada. Pretending to cram for an exam, Nick Miller, a college junior, has a rendezvous at the hotel with 38-year-old Kay Radcliff, who happens to be the mother of his college roommate, Todd Radcliff. Todd and his girlfriend, Denise, pay Nick a surprise visit and find Todd's mother sharing the hotel room. Todd is inconsolable, and Denise fails to convince him that his mother has the right to choose her own love life. Finally Kay explodes, telling Todd to grow up and face it like a man.
#16 - Child's Play
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/5/1986
Peter refers a 16-year-old runaway, Michael, to a shelter run by Marilyn Jeffries and promises Michael a job interview at the hotel. Michael is lured, however, by a 17-year-old girl, Angela, to a pornographic screen test with Cheryl and Dennis Preston. Afterwards, Peter shows Michael a pornographic video featuring Marilyn, who warns Michael of the dangers ahead. Michael phones his father and goes home. Irene and Paul Fitzgerald are poised to embark on a world cruise after a brief reunion with their son, Jack, and his workaholic wife, Deborah. When Irene reveals that she's pregnant, Paul becomes distraught, believing they're too old for parenthood, and Deborah is convinced it's her mother-in-law's revenge against the younger woman's resistance to motherhood. Eventually, Deborah and Irene have a heart-to-heart talk, reconciling the family. When waitress Shawn Barrish takes a bellman position, veteran bell captain Walter Devlin insists to her that it's a man's job.
#17 - Facades
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/12/1986
Christine sees a briefcase filled with money in a car driven by Scott Baker. Later, Christine sees the now empty briefcase in Peter's office as Peter introduces her to Vanessa Clark, an old girlfriend. Christine is suspicious of Vanessa, but Peter refuses to listen. In fact, Vanessa has talked Scott into embezzling $850,000 and has contacted a fence, Steiner, to launder the money. Scott is, however, unaware that Vanessa plans to run off to Hong Kong with the money. Dan and Lisa Mason welcome Kim Lan, a 12-year-old Vietnamese orphan, escorted by Sister Nuyen to a foster home in America. Dan, a lawyer and Vietnam veteran, relocates Vietnamese children. Lisa is proud of her husband's efforts, but is stunned when Kim turns out to be Dan's daughter. Lisa cannot accept Kim, and is torn between a mother's concern and a wife's anger. After Kim tries running away, Lisa reconciles with Kim, who eventually feels like she's found a new family.
#18 - Promises to Keep
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 4/30/1986
Legendary movie star Barbara Farrell comes out of seclusion to confront her daughter Livy, whose publisher and lover Ted persuaded her to write a sensational book chronicling her mother's cruelties. Unknown to Barbara and Livy, Barbara's manager, Sidney, originally presented the book idea to Ted as a way of getting exposure for Barbara and bringing her out of retirement. Looking for a profitable publicity stunt, Ted and Sidney try to manipulate the two women into a public reconciliation. Only after breaking free from Ted and Sidney's parasitic grip are Livy and Barbara able to come to an understanding. Christine hesitates in making her relationship physical with Dr. Evans, who is perfect in every way but one: he's not Peter. When Dr. Evans makes a surprise visit at the hotel, Christine becomes frustrated with Peter's perfectly cordial handling of the situation. She wants some sign from Peter that he cares for her. When Dr. Evans unexpectedly proposes to Christine, she declines.
#19 - Shadow Play
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/17/1986
After losing a crucial play-off game, Rick Stoner, a professional basketball star, becomes increasingly distraught when his perfectionist father Frank chides him. Because Rick's older brother was an all-American basketball player before being killed in Vietnam, Rick feels the pressure of constantly being compared to him. Tired of constantly being hounded by his father, Rick decides to end his life; he climbs over the balcony railing of his hotel room and prepares to jump. Fortunately, Peter talks him down and later helps Rick and Frank reconcile. A widow and widower, Ellie and Carter, come together as they reclaim the personal effects of their mates who died in a plane crash. Just as their relationship is deepening, they discover that Ellie's husband and Carter's wife had been secret lovers, but had agreed to end the affair out of love for their spouses.
#20 - Glass People
Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/18/1987
Actress Marion Thorne is on location at the hotel for a film being produced by Daniel Kingsford, her long time lover. When Daniel is called away, young screenwriter Tom Jordan woos Marion, asking her to be his wife even after she reveals that she will soon be blind due to a degenerating optic nerve. Honored as the city's woman-of-the-year, Christine ponders the pitfalls of a political career as consultant John Granger assures her he could manage a winning congressional campaign for her. A skid row bum, Anthony Sheridan, once a famous leading man, watches the proceedings on the movie set. Bellman Dave, a movie buff, recognizes Sheridan and convinces film director Victor Polito to audition the actor for a bit part. Sheridan shows up drunk and belligerent, but later has an opportunity to redeem himself with a beautifully recited Shakespeare soliloquy.
#21 - Lifelines
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/9/1984
Movie producer Steve Cutler blackmails Lauren Webb with the fact that Lauren appeared in some of his soft-core pornographic films many years ago. Steve threatens to reveal Lauren's past if she doesn't find money to back his next film. After Lauren fails to obtain money from of her boss, Byron Comstock, Steve reveals the secret to Lauren's husband, Tom, who promptly leaves Lauren. Lauren confesses her past to Comstock and offers her resignation, but her boss gives her a fatherly hug and refuses to accept her resignation. Cassie Ray, a young unwed mother, prepares to give her baby up for adoption to Larry McLain and his wife Gail. When faced with signing the adoption papers, however, Cassie has a hard time following through. Mark, who has befriended Cassie, tracks down the baby's father, Eugene, a merchant seaman who is unaware of Cassie's pregnancy. After an emotional reunion, the young couple visits the McLains and convinces them to give back the baby.
#22 - Detours
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/5/1985
Eli Gilmour, a divorced father, reunites with his two children, Quinn, 13, and Josh, 11, after a six month absence. Although Eli has worried that they wouldn't accept his live-in girlfriend, Maxine, his children are more troubled by Eli's efforts to compensate for his feelings of failure. Though their reunion and Eli's behavior are unsteady, when the mother is suddenly hospitalized in critical condition, Eli comes through for Quinn and Josh. A divorced song-writing team, Fran Clark and Larry Matthews, is forced to collaborate on modernizing their 25-year-old hit musical for a revival production. By the time the producer enthusiastically approves the rewrite, Fran and Larry are headed for the altar one more time. After suffering a back injury in an accident, Mrs. Cabot misinterprets a prescription and becomes addicted to pain pills. Peter and Christine are alarmed by Mrs. Cabot's dramatic mood swings; when Peter offers Mrs. Cabot some helpful advice, she fires him for insubordination.
#23 - Relative Loss
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/2/1983
Senator Tom Andrews has an opportunity to run for President, but his affair with newswoman Carly Knight stands in the way. Senator Andrews's wife, Gwen Andrews, knowing a divorce now would cost her husband the presidency, tells Carly that if Tom had to choose between Carly and the presidency, Tom would grow to hate Carly. After Carly calls off the affair, Senator Andrews announces his candidacy. Meanwhile, Holly Crane, Mrs. Cabot's niece, schemes to get Christine fired so she can assume her job. Holly poses as Christine in a phone call to Roy Iverson, Jr., offering sexual favors if he chooses the hotel for an upcoming convention. Peter tricks Holly into admitting she placed the call. Wallace Egan registers as Mr. and Mrs. Egan, but spends the whole time alone. The Egan's spent their honeymoon at the hotel, and though his wife died recently, Egan has returned for their anniversary.
#24 - Reflections
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/4/1984
When Lauren Chapman gives her daughter, Darcy, a weekend at the hotel as a birthday gift, Darcy secretly invites her dad, Dr. Frank Chapman, to join the celebration. However, the teenager is distressed to learn she can't mend their broken marriage. Mrs. Cabot convinces Darcy she can never decide how others shall live. Harry Gilford tries unsuccessfully to frame an accident so that he and his wife can enjoy a second honeymoon at the hotel's expense. After several failed attempts, Harry confesses his scheme, then promptly saves a matronly hotel guest from injury in a real accident. The grateful hotel management rewards Harry and his wife with a free stay. The drab, plain-looking guest, Mary Morowsky, is smitten with Peter. Once in her room, she puts herself through a weird sexual ritual in his honor. From that evening on, Mary's blonde and sexy split personality "Monique" desperately tries to seduce Peter. When Peter resists, Monique attacks Peter with a pair of scissors.
#25 - Mistaken Identities
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/1/1984
Ed Curwin (STEVE KANALY), owner of a trucking company, has little time for his bookish, 16-year-old son Ron (LANCE KERWIN). Worried about his son's manliness, Ed sets Ron up with Claire Thompson (PHYLLIS DAVIS), a prostitute. Ron rebuffs the hooker, who arranges for him to meet a younger prostitute in the hotel lounge. However, Ron accidentally approaches a vice-squad officer (ANN GILLESPIE), and Ed ends up sharing a jail cell with his very angry son. Peter bails them out and convinces Ron to work things out with his father. Christine discovers that Karen (CARLENE WATKINS) and Sam (TOM SMOTHERS), two bickering hotel boutique employees, are old pen pals and don't know it. Mark inherits an unclaimed diamond bracelet worth $50,000, which he found three months ago and turned in to hotel security. Mark gloats about how he'll spend the money, until a woman arrives at the St. Gregory Hotel and claims the bracelet. Mark reluctantly hands it to her.