Hotel Babylon: Season 1

Life isn’t always suite for the rich and famous. When you book a reservation at the Hotel Babylon, you’ll learn that anything is possible for the right price. A peek behind the five-star façade reveals a dark side, full of shady deals, corruption, hookers and suicides. Deputy Manager Charlie (Max Beesley, Bodies) introduces us to this seductive, sexy world, while uptight General Manager Rebecca (Tamzin Outhwaite, EastEnders) makes the staff chafe under her strict control. Inspired by Imogen Edwards-Jones’ revelatory novel of life behind the scenes of London’s first-class hotels, the series also stars Dexter Fletcher (Robin Hood) as Tony, the master deal-making concierge.

A tantalizing and seductive insight into the sexy world of the luxury five-star hotel industry, a place where money not only talks but can buy you just about anything you desire. Inspired by Imogen Edwards-Jones' revelatory novel of life behind the scenes of London's top class hotels, an impressive cast of young acting talent come together in this original eight-part drama series to reveal life beyond the glamour and facade of the smiling faces and glittering chandeliers. Instead, delve deeper into the frenetic, non-stop hidden culture of the hotel staff; from the discreet concierge to the flamboyant bar managers - everyone has a story. A fantastic expose of a world of hedonism and excess, where, for just one night, you can be who you want to be.

Episode 1 - Charlie introduces us to the world of Hotel Babylon – a world of fantasy and indulgence, where you can be whatever you want to be, provided you have the cash to pay for it. Charlie is interviewed by Rebecca for the job of Deputy Manager, but arch rival Anna emerges as a clever and formidable opponent.

Episode 2 - Charlie explains to us that image is everything in the hotel business, and if there’s anything that tarnishes it, it’s a hotel full of hookers and suicides. Unfortunately for Charlie, Rebecca puts him in charge of keeping a suicidal guest alive and Tony has to deal with the repercussions of mistaking a legitimate guest for a hooker.

Episode 3 - A wealthy Russian student begs Charlie to help her organise a green card wedding at the hotel, but it is only when Tony reminds Charlie of how much cash they could make from delivery scams that Charlie agrees – realising it’s the one way he can raise the money to keep Pete away from Rebecca.

Episode 4 - It’s not just guests who are affected by the lure and implicit sexiness of a five-star hotel – it’s also the staff. A ‘fatalistic’ collision with a wealthy American businessman sends Anna into a delusional spin – she’ll stop at nothing to get this man (and the lifestyle) that she’s after, even if it does mean breaching the ‘strictly no guest/staff relationships’ rule. Rebecca is on her back.

Episode 5 - Back together with her husband, Rebecca’s uncharacteristic good mood does everything to unsettle the staff – especially Charlie. Below stairs, we witness a world the guests never normally get to see – the immigrant labour that really makes the place work.

Episode 6 - It’s the night shift and Rebecca has left Charlie in charge whilst she escapes for an uncharacteristic romantic break with her husband. He has Anna for company, much to their mutual dissatisfaction. When Anna is convinced she’s heard a guest murder his wife in one of the bedrooms, Charlie refuses to take her seriously.

Episode 7 - When £3,000 goes missing from one of the guests’ rooms, Rebecca comes down hard on the staff and everyone is a suspect, facing instant dismissal if found guilty. Riled and suddenly untrusting, she calls in an auditor – much to the distress of Gino and Jackie.

Episode 8 - The inspector’s report is serious and Rebecca is on the warpath: the loss of a star will mean loss of jobs. The surprise arrival of the hotel chain’s European Director (Adrian) – who, Rebecca knows, is here for more than purely business reasons – unsettles the staff further, but he proves to be only the start of their worries: a star witness is being housed at the hotel during the course of an infamous gangland trial.

Written by Tony Basgallop, Howard Overman, Harry Wootliff, Toby Whithouse
Directed by Alrick Riley, Iain B MacDonald, Keith Boak
Series Created by Tony Basgallop
Based on the book by Imogen Edwards-Jones
Produced by Christopher Aird
Executive Produced by Gareth Neame

"It's an eye-opener and a half … it's a great idea, lifting the veil on a cynical world behind a luxurious facade and having enormous fun in the process … swanky, fast-moving … Hotel Babylon has the pace and slickness of Hustle, from whose stable it comes, but it's also a crash course in hotel management. I loved it." - Daily Express

"...like a perfectly executed soufflé - impressive to look at, delicious to eat, easy to digest and so light it is almost insubstantial ... There is much to be said for a good soufflé." - The Times

"…glossy drama. Slick camerawork, seedy characters, smug script, yet as a package it's all rather enjoyable." - Independent On Sunday

"It's flashy, it's trashy, and it can't fail to be a hit … while a sprinkling of celebrity guests … will keep the stardust twinkling throughout the series."
- Sunday Express

"…entertaining … frothy certainly, but worth checking out." - Observer

…hilarious … cheeky, frothy, high-gloss drama…" - Daily Mail

"…trashy but enjoyable … it is entertaining in much the same way that Triangle was."
- Financial Times

"It's all as lightweight as a goose-down pillow but very easy on the eye." - Daily Mirror

"Slick … glossy entertaining hokum." - Guardian

"…there is plenty of fun to be had as the script plays with all the clichés…" - Sunday Telegraph

"Max Beesley and Tamzin Outhwaite make a seductive pairing…" - Mail On Sunday

"Max Beesley is brilliant." - The Times

"Trashy and fun, Hotel Babylon is like an upmarket version of Footballers' Wives ... With its cheerful music and flip cynicism, the series - like the hotel itself - offers a short-term winter break." - The Times