The Best Episodes of Hotel

Charles Cabot, half-owner of the St. Gregory Hotel, introduces Peter to Lee Jordon, who represents a resort conglomerate interested in buying the hotel. Peter resists any thought of a sale because running the hotel is the only life he wants. Lee is willing to settle for Charles's share and day-to-day participation in running the hotel. Peter obtains a bank loan to buy out Charles's share of the hotel; though Peter's offer is less than Lee's, Charles sells his share to Peter, making Peter the sole owner of the hotel. Two young married couples share a large suite for a brief vacation in San Francisco. Jonas Robinson, a nose-to-the-grindstone accountant, is married to Melissa, a frivolous fun-loving blonde; and journalist Sean Marris, a rakish bon vivant, is married to Kate, a prim, practical woman. A daytrip turns into an impulsive fling for Sean and Melissa, which draws Jonas and Kate together for a more serious affair.

Director: Harry Falk

Writer: N/A

Travel magazine editor Myrna Dawson has an irreplaceable heirloom emerald pin stolen and threatens to publish an unfavorable story about the hotel unless it is recovered. Billy contacts Phil Kroger, a noted private investigator specializing in jewel thefts on an international scale. Kroger spots Trevor Harris in the lobby and identifies him as the jewel thief he's been unable to catch. The news is surprising to Christine because Trevor Harris, a very personable man, has already charmed her into considering a dinner invitation. Christine accepts the invitation in order to keep Trevor at the hotel, while Kroger secretly plots to frame Trevor. Ben Garfield and his adoring nine-year-old grandson Jason arrive fresh from a fishing excursion in Yosemite. Ever since Jason's father (Ben's son) lost his life in a skydiving mishap, the boy's mother, Susan Garfield, has resented Ben's influence on the child. Susan is about to remarry. Because Ben has spirited Jason away without her knowledge or pe

Director: Oz Scott

Writer: Bruce Shelly, Reed Shelly

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. When Pamela's husband Jeffrey Harding, and six-year-old Timmie, show u

Director: Vincent McEveety

Writer: N/A

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. When the wedding rehearsal falls apart from all sides, Teresa intervenes to bring Maggie and Jeff back together and save the weddin

Director: Vincent McEveety, Philip Leacock

Writer: N/A

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. Christine emerges as a celebrity via her appearance in a Nutrawheat cereal commercial and is asked to becom

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Garment manufacturer Robert Matthews, whose business brings him to San Francisco twice a month, is having an affair with dress designer Lynn Patterson. Their affair is interrupted when Robert's dutiful wife Gail pays him a surprise visit. Distraught, Gail seeks the solace of an old friend, Margaret Hudson, who advises Gail to win back Robert's love. Meanwhile, Lynn informs Robert that she has tested positive for AIDS and that Robert has been exposed to the virus. Robert knows that if he tests negative, he won't have to admit his unfaithfulness to his wife. Christine finds an abandoned baby in one of the rooms and plays baby-sitter while Billy seeks out the mother. Christine, who had been abandoned by her own father at an early age, relates strongly to the motherless child. Christine obtains permission from the child services department to be the baby's foster parent. Noticing that Christine is getting too deeply involved with somebody else's child, Peter begins to show concern. The fol

Director: Harry Falk

Writer: N/A

A preacher and her husband are taking a break at the St. Gregory but there is pressure on her to preach on television. A man returns to the hotel and reminisces about a woman he met at the hotel 35 years ago.

Director: Nancy Malone

Writer: N/A

Since the announcement of wedding plans for Peter and Devon Sloan, the interior designer hired to re-decorate the hotel, Christine has been depressed. Peter's fiancee has begun to interfere with hotel operations. Unable to convince Peter that Devon's meddling is hurting the hotel's operations, Christine resigns. Peter recognizes Christine's great value, but it's too late. Peter decides that he and Devon are too much alike and neither one could change enough to make their marriage work. Reluctantly, Devon agrees and packs for departure. Later, Peter begs Christine to return. One of the reasons Peter broke up with Devon is the love he still feels for Christine. Cliff Phillips, the personable new assistant manager, is enjoying the rekindling of a friendship he formed with two other men when they shared jury duty a year ago. Tom Conner, the aggressive jury foreman, arranged the reunion with Cliff and Joe Duran for a serious reason. Their jury had acquitted a suspected serial killer for lac

Director: Nancy Malone

Writer: Joel J. Feigenbaum

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. David and Martha Jane Connelly want to recreate their wedding day when they saw Libera

Director: Don Chaffey, Curtis Harrington

Writer: N/A

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. Pike invades Mrs. Cabot's penthouse suite and f

Director: Philip Leacock, Don Chaffey

Writer: Mary Ann Kasica, Michael Scheff

With Christmas only two days away, new full owner Peter and general manager Christine prepare to host the annual St. Gregory Hotel staff party. Among the honored guests this year are Dave, the ex-bellman who became a San Diego attorney, and his pregnant wife Megan. Peter and Christine, returning from a Portland convention, become marooned in a remote mountain village when their rented Porsche breaks down. Because the local garage doesn't have the auto parts to repair the Porsche, Peter and Christine are forced to stay in a decrepit boarding house room with only one bed. On the second night, Peter and Christine share the bed with a hanging sheet as a partition, but eventually end up in each other's arms. Although they have drifted into friendship, the incident brings them closer together. The hotel party is in full swing as Peter and Christine return and learn that Megan has given birth to a healthy baby boy. They rush to congratulate the new parents, and Dave makes a short but touching

Director: Bruce Bilson

Writer: N/A

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. Michael

Director: Bruce Bilson, Harry Harris

Writer: N/A

Peter hosts a reunion with college classmates Hal Dryer (GEOFFREY SCOTT) and Lester Hooten (CLIFF POTTS), who has become a rich cattle rancher and has married his college sweetheart, Tracy (DEBORAH MAY). The reunion turns sour when Hal flirts with Christine, and Lester becomes jealous of the warm rapport that develops between Peter and Tracy. Lester realizes, however, that his problems with Tracy stem from his long hours of work that leave her alone at the ranch. Mrs. Cabot decides she's lost touch with the workers and is determined to join them in their duties, a move which leads to nothing but aggravation for the staff as Mrs. Cabot fouls up their work. Playboy Ashley Bennett's (JOHN DAVIDSON) mother (BARBARA BAXLEY) has trapped him into a blind date with archeologist Dorothy Mintzer (SHELLEY SMITH), whereas Ashley has a date with a gorgeous model. Mistaking a spinsterish woman for Dorothy, Ashley trades places with a hotel bellman, Jon Kolzak (JAMES HOUGHTON). When the beautiful, re

Director: Kevin Hooks

Writer: N/A

The hotel is the setting for the fictitious wedding of popular soap opera stars Cliff Palmer and his leading lady, Stacy. When Cliff grants an interview to the charming young fan club president, Robin, she seduces Cliff over dinner, and they end up spending the night together. Cliff seems not to notice Robin's difficulty separating fiction and reality, laughing it off as a joke when she asks him not to go through with the on-camera wedding. It becomes clear that Robin is disturbed, however, when she puts on Stacy's wedding gown and attacks Cliff with a knife. A resourceful young shoe shiner, Hank, is determined to establish his own business in the hotel corridors, eluding Peter and charming the hotel staff. Eventually, Peter rewards Hank with his own approved shine stand. Meanwhile, the hotel is also hosting a sequestered jury. Feisty Estelle urges her roommate, Alison, to encourage an obvious pass by another juror, Joe. However, when Joe suggests dinner, Alison declines, much to Estel

Director: Vincent McEveety

Writer: Robert Swanson

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. Mark's high school chemistry lab partner, Gloria, now 100 pounds lighter, is determined to get Mark to not

Director: Bruce Bilson

Writer: N/A

Peter has given Andrea Green, a photographer-friend of Julie's, a chance at the photo assignment for the new hotel brochure. Andrea's father Louis is highly critical of his daughter's work ethics, which leads to bitter family squabbling. Andrea's mother Sonya, rapidly succumbing to Alzheimer's, begs her husband and daughter to work things out. Architect David Welch befriends Christine and offers to help convert Christine's Napa Valley barn into a home. While Christine and David share a dinner date, David's ex-wife Rebecca visits Peter. Rebecca demands that Peter stop Christine's affair with her husband before the hotel gets caught up in a scandal. Later, Rebecca trips Christine on a stairway, causing her a painful fall. Peter tells Christine to work at home for a few days until he and Billy can get rid of the obsessive ex-wife. Rebecca, however, visits Christine in her apartment and holds Christine at knifepoint as she screams accusations. When a phone call from Peter interrupts the co

Director: Gwen Arner

Writer: N/A

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. Andy is furious, but Barba

Director: Vincent McEveety, Philip Leacock

Writer: N/A

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. When Owen Lloyd recruits a naïve teenager, Kelly Braden, into prostitution, Peter asks a retired madam, Rita LeLaine, to confront Lloyd and pretend the area is her territory. Unintimidated, Lloyd sets Kelly up wit

Director: Bruce Bilson

Writer: N/A

Gayla and Steve Erickson are in San Francisco to confer with a specialist about their ten-year-old son, Josh, who is dying from a rare blood disease. In preparing for a bone marrow transplant, the doctor's tests reveal that Steve is not Josh's biological father. Alice and Bill Korman arrange a blind date for their unmarried, plain friend, Millie Broome, who is in town for a teachers' conference. When the date has to cancel, Alice hires a professional escort, Charles Vandoor, who spends the night with Millie and finds himself infatuated. While Charles waits for the right moment to reveal his line of work, Millie accidentally finds out from Charles's enthusiastic former client. Receiving most of the attention at the St. Gregory Hotel, however, is the celebrated clairvoyant Constantin Markos, who is in town to perform his unique skills. Markos, an old acquaintance of Mrs. Cabot's, impresses Peter when he predicts that a redhead will soon enter his life.

Director: N/A

Writer: Mary Ann Kasica, Michael Scheff

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.

Director: Kevin Connor

Writer: N/A

A friend of Peter's tries to channel his dead wife, which leads to some bizarre and unexpected events. Peter and another man both try to date Christine.

Director: Harry Falk

Writer: Duane Poole, Tom Swale

Christine decides to move to a larger apartment, but the realtor has promised the apartment to another applicant as well: Michael Casey, a retired airline pilot. Michael gallantly withdraws his offer and Christine helps him find temporary lodging at the hotel. The friendship between Christine and Michael blossoms, causing Peter some concern. Michael starts to get serious about Christine, but she cannot commit herself. Leslie Chase, a former New Orleans socialite, is using a suite to operate an escort service. Peter is an old friend of Leslie's, but he is unaware of the nature of her business. Seeing Christine's involvement with Michael, Peter spends time with Leslie, which sparks a mutual attraction. Leslie adds to her staff of escorts a beautiful model named Dana March. Dana, a close friend of Julie's, has found modeling jobs scarce and desperately needs work. When Julie questions Dana about her new job, Dana brushes her aside. Dana finds herself in deep trouble when a client gets rou

Director: Oz Scott

Writer: N/A

Adele Ellsworth, her two sons Luther and Brendon, and another family member, Edgar, hold Mrs. Cabot, Peter and Christine at gunpoint and demand justice for Adele's husband, Ellis, a workman who died at the hotel two years before. They accuse Mrs. Cabot of forcing the workers to continue working into the night, leading Ellis to become exhausted and fall off the building. Contradicting Edgar's version of events, Mrs. Cabot points out that the foreman never warned her of safety dangers. Eventually, Edgar admits that he lied to the family, because Ellis had fallen after getting drunk during an afternoon tryst with another woman. Billy introduces Mark to a discotheque go-go girl, Doris O'Neil, whom Mark recognizes from his health club. Doris aspires to be an interior designer and has told her family that she is decorating the hotel. She needs Mark's help to corroborate her story, and also to make it look like she and Mark are dating, another fib she has told her family. Because of her suppo

Director: Bruce Bilson

Writer: N/A

Christine's old friends, Sarah Oliver (MORGAN BRITTANY) and Patty Maloney (DIDI CONN), join their mutual friend, Mandy Vining (MELODY THOMAS), in celebrating her wedding to Roger, a man whom all four women have known before. Tom Sherman (JOHN BECK), who is a bonded courier and Billy's friend, meets his new love, Anne Cowley (MARKIE POST), host of a television cooking series, and her son Bobby Cowley (CHAD ALLEN) after they arrive at the St. Gregory Hotel on a visit from their home in New York. Anne and Tom enjoy a candlelit dinner, until she tells him that her late husband was murdered. Later, after making love in Anne's room, Tom recognizes Anne's husband from a picture: it is the man he accidentally killed when he was an FBI agent. Meanwhile, Peter faces an IRS audit with April Bradshaw (SUSAN WALDEN) without the assistance of his accountant who was rushed to the hospital with a kidney stone. April grills Peter about his numerous tax-deductible lunches, and although affected by his w

Director: Gabrielle Beaumont

Writer: N/A

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. Peter feels better after bea

Director: Jerome Courtland

Writer: N/A