Whatever Happened To: The Cast Of "Hotel”



"Hotel" was an ABC drama about the misadventures of the staff and guests San Francisco's St. Gregory Hotel.  The series was based, more or less, on Arthur Hailey's best-selling novel of sex and scandal, and was also known as Arthur Hailey's "Hotel." The real hotel that served as its model was the regal Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill in San Franciso.



Produced by the same people responsible for the "Love Boat", "Hotel" bore a certain resemblance to that seagoing series.  There were different guests each week, usually in gentle stories of the heart, almost all with happy endings.



The staff included Victoria Cabot (Anne Baxter), a wealthy aristocrat who oversaw the operation on behalf of her sister-in-law, Laura Trent (Bette Davis); Peter McDermott (James Brolin), the suave, bearded general manager; Christine (Connie Sellecca), his beautiful assistant and later lover; Mark (Shea Farrell), the handsome and likable public-relations director; and Billy Griffin (Nathan Cook), an ex-con who had gone straight and now served as the hotel's security director. Julie  (Shari Belafonte) was in charge of the information center, while cheerful newlyweds Dave and Megan (Michael Spound and Heidi Bohay) were a bellhop and desk clerk, respectively, who left the series when, after a long struggle, he graduated from law school. 


When the grande dame Victoria died in the middle of the 1985-1986 season it was revealed that she had left her half interest in the St. Gregory to her loyal assistant Peter (James Brolin) who promptly made his loyal assistant, and growing love interest, Christine (Connie Sellecca) the new general manager, while eager Megan became the new assistant manager. All this happiness was temporarily interrupted by a battle for control of the hotel waged by members of the Cabot family who owned the other half—Charles (played by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Jessica (Dina Merrill), and Jake (Ralph Bellamy)—but in the end Peter managed to buy them out. 



Among the familiar faces appearing as guests were Morgan Fairchild, Shirley Jones, Pernell Roberts, Arte Johnson, Liberace, McLean Stevenson, Peter Marshall, Lynn Redgrave and Michelle Phillips.  Characters Eric Lloyd (Ty Miller); Cheryl Dolan (Valerie Landsburg) and Ryan Thomas (Susan Walters) were added to the cast during its final season.  Guest stars from every Spelling show also appeared on the series as well as Hollywood Golden Age celebrities and up and comers.  

Prior to the series' debut, there was much publicity about the signing of Bette Davis for the recurring role of Laura Trent; however, due to illness, she was only seen in the pilot episode and then departed on an "extended trip," leaving Victoria in charge. 


Anne Baxter, who played Victoria, was Davis' nemesis in the 1950 film "All About Eve," so this was a lot of fun to imagine why Baxter got the role over Davis, who was apparently in ill health at the time but in real life outlived Baxter by four years and the series itself by over a year.



So what happened to the cast:

What a fun show.  Interesting to know, in 2003, Aaron Spelling tried to remake the show, twenty years after the original's premiere. The pilot, which starred Michael Jai White and Christina Vidal, was shot for UPN, who passed on the show....and we say MISSED OPPORTUNITY.  

Hotel...we ❤️you!!!


Whatever Happened To: The Cast Of "Hotel” Whatever Happened To: The Cast Of "Hotel” Reviewed by #IheartHollywood on June 30, 2018 Rating: 5

3 comments

  1. Need to have a reunion show with Peter and Christine having a huge st Gregory wedding or renewal of vows, with as much of the cast as possible present!or maybe they have children that now want to get married at the St Gregory?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Need to have a reunion show with Peter and Christine having a huge st Gregory wedding or renewal of vows, with as much of the cast as possible present!or maybe they have children that now want to get married at the St Gregory?

    ReplyDelete
  3. pg ยอดเยี่ยมเกมออนไลน์สล็อตบนมือถือแบบใหม่ปัจจุบันของโลกสมัครเล่น PG SLOT วันนี้ไม่มีเบื่อไม่ซ้ำซากในแบบการเล่นเดิมๆอีกต่อไปเป็นเกมสล็อตที่แจ๊คพอตแตกหลายครั้งที่สุดลองเลย

    ReplyDelete