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 - 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.
#2 - 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.
#3 - 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.
#4 - Faith, Hope, & Charity
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/23/1983
Nick Tomasino, the son of a poor family whom Mrs. Cabot has allowed to stay at the hotel after a fire destroyed their home, befriends Donna Corry, a young woman from a wealthy family. Donna showers Nick with gifts shoplifted from the hotel's stores. When Nick tries to return a stolen gift discreetly, Peter and Billy spot him and accuse him of shoplifting. The shop-owner doesn't press charges, but notifies Nick's father. When Jonathan Corry finds a variety of stolen items in his daughter's room, Donna claims they belong to Nick. Mr. Corry relies on his instincts and tells Nick's father that Nick has been trying to protect his kleptomaniac daughter. Zan Elliott, a female playwright, invites her best friend, Eileen Weston, to her opening night in San Francisco, and reveals that she is gay. Eileen is incredulous and cannot treat Zan in the same way as in the past. Eileen spends the night with a male hotel guest, whom she cares nothing about.
#5 - Christmas
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/21/1983
Christmas draws near as Susan Walker, a divorcee, checks in with her daughter, Lisa, at the same time that Paul Manning is rehearsing his ingenious robot, Tim. Lisa decides Paul should marry her mom. Lisa kidnaps the robot then insists that Paul join them for Christmas Eve at Grandma's house, where Lisa's matchmaking is a success. Christine hires Nicholas Edmund, a jovial old codger, to play Santa Claus for guests. When he requests a small advance, she borrows a ten-dollar bill from Peter, who is later distressed because the ten-dollar bill carried a girlfriend's phone number. Serendipitously, Peter's ten-dollar bill later returns to him, having passed through several hands. Lonely schoolteacher Agnes Simpson seeks yuletide companionship and discovers her former schoolmate Mrs. Cabot, who moves the employee party to Agnes's room. Room service attendant Ray Follard is forced by his bullying brother, Pike, to cooperate in a burglary scheme.
#6 - 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.
#7 - Flashback
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/1983
Peter is torn between fear and desire when his ex-wife Janet arrives at the hotel and is determined to reconcile and prove she is no longer an alcoholic. After setbacks prompt Janet to drink again, Peter has to rescue her from a suicide attempt. Janet decides to leave the next morning. She tells Peter about a special anniversary cake the members of Alcoholics Anonymous receive after one year sober. Peter promises to help her celebrate that anniversary. Penny sets up her sister Nancy Domenico with a blind date, who stands her up when he sees that she's rather plain. After Christine urges Mark to find her a date, Mark promises Leo Cooney, a hotel worker, two Saturdays for taking Nancy out. Despite that the date goes well, Nancy learns that Leo was bribed, and she runs away. However, Leo finds her and they reconcile. An elderly couple, Donald Brakwell and Edith Krause sneak away from a retirement home and use their son's credit card to live it up.
#8 - Charades
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/19/1983
Security is tightened when rumor of an assassination attempt by a Middle-Eastern terrorist group threatens Israeli minister Jacob Ben-Goz, who is preparing for a press conference at the hotel, unaware that Troy, a would-be assassin, has targeted Ben-Goz's advisor Evan Paige, a state department diplomat. Meanwhile, Patricia St. Claire, a young mother left destitute when her husband walked out, believes that becoming a prostitute is the only way she can pay the mortgage on her home. Peter comes to her rescue by securing her a job with a greeting card company. Harriet Gold, with help from her friend Sheila and spiritualist Felicity, attempts to communicate with her late husband, Morton, who died in the St. Gregory Hotel years before. She is seeking his permission to remarry. Dave believes a guest, Herbert Pitts, is an important hotel critic.
#9 - Secrets
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/26/1983
Eight-year-old Amy is molested while staying at the hotel. Her stepfather, Phil Jamison, blames Hank Miller, a male college student working as the hotel baby-sitter. Frightened, Amy goes along with Phil's accusation, but Hank vehemently denies it. When Peter confronts the Jamisons, Amy reveals that it was her stepfather. Amy's mother, Carole assures Phil that Amy will testify against him in court. On a sabbatical from the priesthood, Chad Lawrence struggles to decide between the priesthood and sharing his life with a woman. A talk with his bishop doesn't resolve Chad's conflict. Chad later meets Gerry Howland, who shows him the joys of romance. However, Chad fails to reveal that he is a priest, and Gerry never mentions she is married; the painful discovery leaves them both a little wiser. Bellman Dave has overheard two men discuss the tearing down of the St. Gregory Hotel to make way for a fifty-story skyscraper. He informs Megan, and the rumor soon spreads.
#10 - 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.
#11 - Blackout
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/21/1983
A stalker threatens Christine, prompting Peter to move her into the hotel and assign her a 24-hour guard. Christine's stalker causes an electrical blackout in the hotel, gets into her room and tries to overpower her. After the electricity is restored, Christine comes face-to-face with Don Walden, an executive for the hotel's public relations firm. Don is about to stab her when Peter rushes in and subdues him. Isabel Darby, a young pregnant girl, sits in the lobby after leaving her fiancé, Jeff, at the altar. Isabel goes up to a hotel room to rest, then goes into labor a short time later, just before the electrical blackout. Mark arrives with a flashlight, and Billy orders him to look after the girl while he locates the doctor. Before Billy can return, Mark delivers the baby. Jeff arrives shortly after and assures Isabel of his love. British gentleman Tony Fielding, an old flame who courted Mrs. Cabot during World War II, rekindles emotions with Mrs. Cabot over a romantic dinner.
#12 - Tomorrows
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/11/1984
Prince Eric, a handsome and young member of Scandinavian royalty, has a chance meeting with Kathleen, the Irish maid traveling with the wealthy Jenks family. Entranced by her beauty, he invites her to a charity ball. Kathleen accepts, but doesn't learn until later about Eric's royal background. When Peter's date for the charity ball cancels, he asks Christine to take her place. Christine refuses, and Peter realizes how rude his invitation sounded. After Peter apologizes and asks Christine again, the two spend a pleasant evening together. Kathleen and Prince Eric dance together all evening, but when the prince begins speaking romantically of their future, Kathleen, who realizes their worlds are far apart, leaves in tears. The next morning, Eric finds Kathleen and proposes marriage, and Kathleen accepts. Meanwhile, Andy Harrington, who attends law school with the bellman, Dave, walks in on his mother, Barbara, as her new fiancé, Frank, injects her with cocaine.
#13 - Wedding
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/22/1984
The St. Gregory Hotel prepares for the elaborate wedding of Maggie Blackwood (MARY CROSBY), daughter of an aristocratic San Francisco family, and Jeff Strider (BOYD GAINES), adopted son of Gil Strider (STEVE FORREST), a computer manufacturer. However, prenuptial jitters set in and Jeff tries to deal with the anger he feels toward the mother he never knew who gave him up for adoption. On the eve of the wedding, Maggie's father, Lewis Blackwood (ROBERT STACK), is caught by his wife Eleanor (DINA MERRILL) with a Blackwood Company Executive, Paula (PATRICIA McCORMACK). Meanwhile, the groom's father is facing financial ruin as a result of his business partner's illegal stock manipulations. When Gil asks Mrs. Cabot for a temporary secretary, she arranges for the services of Teresa Clayborne (VERA MILES), whose expensive clothes seem out of range for a secretary.
#14 - Prisms
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/14/1984
Actress Anna Bronti, wearing the Star of Kasmir necklace, meets former lover, Adam Vidocq, an international playboy and jewel thief. Peter knows Vidocq and instructs Billy to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, Marila Collins introduces herself to Peter, who has the feeling he's met her before. Vidocq sleeps with Anna, and Marila sleeps with Peter; this is part of a successful scheme to steal Anna's jewels. When Peter catches Marila with the jewels, he realizes that she is Vidocq's daughter. Jill Stanton is reunited with her husband Paul, just released from a mental hospital for violence that included beating Jill. During Paul's hospitalization, Jill fell in love with her co-worker Ron Bownan, and now both are afraid to tell Paul. However, Paul controls his anger and explains to Ron his deep love for Jill. Paul and Jill agree to commit to their marriage and take it one day at a time.
#15 - Intimate Strangers
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/1984
Superstar Katherine Cole comes to town for a stage play, accompanied by her devoted manager Anthony. Katherine and Anthony's stormy love-hate relationship stretches back twenty years, and a misunderstanding at one of the rehearsals leads Katherine to fire Anthony. However, Katherine is too nervous to do the play without Anthony, and she frantically searches for him. After she finds him, he helps her face her fears and do the play. When Peter falls sick, the temporary secretary, Bobby, mothers him. While spoon-feeding chicken soup to Peter, Bobby suggests a blind date with her niece, Robin, who turns out to be the most gorgeous woman Peter has met in a long time. A hard-driving career woman, Pamela Harding, on a business trip away from her husband and young son, finds her long-missing ex-husband, Mike, among the hotel staff. Their reunion turns from acrimonious to passionate as they spend the night in Pamela's suite.
#16 - Flesh and Blood
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/1984
Paula Todd has a reunion with her long-lost sister, Stephanie, a workaholic antique dealer, and her husband, Preston Dwyer. Paula and Stephanie's meeting is emotional, but Stephanie keeps busy and leaves Paula and Preston together. After Preston reveals to Paula that Stephanie has become frigid, he makes a pass at Paula. Stephanie becomes furious, but Preston explains his predicament to his wife and declares his love for her. Stephanie decides to seek help, and the Dwyers embark on a second honeymoon. The hotel staff is excited that Mrs. Cabot will be interviewed by Alexander Heath for a magazine cover story. After various blunders by the well-meaning staff, Heath forsakes the "quiet elegance" theme of his article and praises the staff's unpretentious human qualities instead.
#17 - Ideals
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/12/1984
Sarah, the eight-year-old daughter of hotel tenants Jean and Phil Lawrence, is suffering from headaches resulting from a recent fall. After a sudden turn in the child's illness, Christine calls Dr. Kellin, who suspects a blood clot in the brain and prescribes immediate tests and possible emergency surgery. When Sarah's parents return, Phil forbids Sarah's hospitalization because medical care is against the family's religious beliefs. Christine sets off on a personal crusade to get medical attention for Sarah. Mark proposes marriage to advertising executive Catherine Stevens, who is very much his senior, and whose 18-year-old son Jeff very much disapproves of the relationship. Mrs. Cabot works with art dealer Adam Partridge on a private showing of works by contemporary California artists. Secretly, Mrs. Cabot would love to exhibit her tulip garden painting, but neither Partridge nor socialite and art patron Georgia Potter will allow it.
#18 - Hotel (pilot)
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/21/1982
The bearded manager of a posh San Francisco hotel solves crisis for it's owner. Including a visting king, a rape of a prostitute by college boys staying in the hotel, a runaway husband, and a man who dies while eating his dinner.
#19 - Choices
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/5/1983
The hotel is host to a beauty contest. Among the contestants is Miranda Harding, whose mother Barbara, a former beauty contestant herself, has entered her reluctant daughter in pageants since the age of three. When contest judge Garrett Rhodes makes a pass at her, Miranda gives in, thinking she's doing as her mother wishes. A quarrel with her mother later prompts Miranda to take responsibility for her own life. Miranda announces the judge's retirement at an appropriate moment during the contest and wins the pageant. Meanwhile, Frank ""Squire"" Vance, a professional thief who once saved security chief Billy's life, checks into the hotel. Squire has designs on Julie, who is a clerk, and on the hotel safe as well, leaving Billy struggling with mixed emotions about his true loyalties. As Julie begins to fall for Squire's charm, Squire pulls a gun and forces her into the vault where Hal, a bonded courier, is removing two-million dollars in blank industrial certificates.
#20 - Memories
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/29/1984
Jennifer and Brad Koburg are in town so that Jennifer can be artificially inseminated because Brad's sperm count is too low. After one too many glasses of wine at dinner, Brad suggests to their old college friends, Dana and Skip Peterson, that Skip donate sperm. Dana tells Brad that he impregnated her when they were in college, and she had an abortion. Christine meets an ailing hotel guest, John White, who suffers from an unexplained concussion and amnesia. They share an instant rapport, and Christine invites John to the ballet. As the evening comes to a close, John confesses that he's lost his memory and doesn't really know who he is. After John reads about a jewelry store robbery and murder, he notices that he's carrying diamonds. John explains to Christine that he may have been involved with the crime. After Christine doubts that John is a criminal, they discover that John was the gem dealer at the crime scene. Relieved, John and Christine fall into each other's arms.
#21 - Revelations
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/21/1987
High school teacher Nancy Rhodes and lounge pianist Kyle Stanton share a honeymoon suite following their swift, one-week courtship and marriage. Their bliss is suddenly interrupted, however, by the arrival of Kyle's father, George Stanton, a tough, no-nonsense businessman who brands Nancy a gold digger and demands to know her price for an annulment. Nancy, unaware of Kyle's wealthy background, resents the elder Stanton's insinuations. A short time later, she is further distressed to meet socialite Hilary Sinclair, who introduces herself as Kyle's fiancée. Peter is delighted by a visit from his favorite grandmother, Katherine Jenkins, and her best friend since childhood days, Roz Campbell, who has come along to see a heart specialist. Peter is unaware that Roz is his true grandmother. Katherine painstakingly explains to Peter that Roz was 18-years-old, unwed and pregnant when Peter's real grandfather was sent overseas and lost his life in battle. The revelation stuns Peter.
#22 - Dark Horses
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/28/1987
The staff is agog over the arrival of Senator James Powell. He's a leading presidential candidate and Christine, who met Powell during her vacation, is rumored in the tabloids as the woman he plans to marry. Peter regards the rumors with mixed emotions. Billy also has mixed emotions when he learns that Powell's security is in the hands of Ross Reynolds. Billy and Ross grew up together, but when Billy moves to greet him, Reynolds brushes by him. Another hotel employee, Cheryl Dolan, meets Scott Osborne, an unaccredited yet charismatic press photographer who hopes to make a name for himself with his coverage of Powell. Scott's camera case actually conceals the components of a high-powered rifle and his target is Powell. Senator Powell arranges an intimate dinner for two and proposes marriage to Christine, who asks for time to think about her answer.
#23 - Discoveries
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/14/1987
Amanda Price, an actress-singer superstar, checks in and meets her niece Julie, the hotel employee, for the first time since Julie was eight years old. When Amanda asks Julie to leave the hotel to become her personal assistant, Julie becomes puzzled since Amanda had severed ties with the family twenty years earlier. Amanda also reunites with famous actress Joan Gilbert , who was long ago her friend, but now her enemy. Fueled by champagne, Amanda publicly denounces Joan. Preparing for his bar exam, bellman Dave continues popping pills supplied by his study-buddy. Megan intercepts a pill delivery and shows them to Billy, who identifies them as Black Beauties, a dangerous and highly addictive amphetamine. Megan tries talking to Dave about the pills, but he only becomes more dependent on them. His work at the hotel becomes sloppy, and after he insults a guest, Christine gives him the ultimatum to straighten up or leave.
#24 - Pitfalls
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/7/1987
Criminal psychologist Dr. Howard Bentley checks up on Alex Morrison, a charismatic former thief working at the hotel as part of a rehabilitation program that Peter helped institute. Upon meeting Dr. Bentley's lonely and dissatisfied wife Joanne, Alex can't resist making her his conquest. He succeeds in coercing Joanne to sleep with him and nearly destroys her marriage, but Alex becomes the real loser when Peter fires him and sends him back to his parole officer and most likely back to jail. When Dave resorts to taking amphetamines to help him in his legal studies, Megan becomes alarmed as she sees changes in his personality. While Christine's apartment is being painted, she accepts Peter's invitation to stay with him in the hotel penthouse. Peter wants her to stay on and live with him on a permanent basis, but Christine is uncertain about the idea of living together without getting married.
#25 - 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.