Pilot

"**Pilot**" is the first episode of ABC’s ***Grand Hotel***, and the first episode overall.

## Summary

Santiago, owner of the Riviera Grand Hotel and patriarch of the family, risks losing the hotel due to debts owed to an unknown entity. His daughter, Alicia, returns to Miami and tries to revive the family business.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

A Category 4 hurricane hits Miami Beach, affecting the Riviera Grand Hotel. Sky, a line chef at the hotel, is in the Presidential Suite with Gigi, who tells her she needs to give back what she has taken. Sky denies taking anything and threatens to expose her husband Santiago and what he did. Santiago entertains the guests trying to keep them calm during the storm with music and dancing. Sky runs through the stairwells trying to escape the footsteps after her. She runs outside into the storm and is knocked out by an unknown attacker and dragged away.

One month later, Gigi and Santiago reveal they are selling the hotel to Chinese investors, upsetting Santiago's children Alicia and Javi. New waiter Danny begins his training under Jason, son of hotel staff director Helen Parker. Later that night, Danny talks with Alicia, and she gets the idea to have celebrity rapper El Rey stay in the hotel to attract new customers. Ingrid reveals to Mateo that’s she pregnant and that it’s his baby, but is upset when he insists on her having an abortion.

The entire blended family gets together for a luncheon to celebrate the marriage of Gigi’s daughter, Carolina. At the get-together, Alicia and Javi learn Santiago has sold the hotel. They pull their dad aside to tell him how upset they are.

Alicia asks Mateo why her dad is selling and if he sees how weird he’s acting, but Mateo shrugs it off, including the questions she has about the missing girl. Javier hooks up with another guest, but freaks out on her when she asks to see his amputated limb after he takes his prosthetic leg off and tells her to get out.

Ingrid, a maid at the hotel, is reprimanded for vacuuming the same spot of the rug. Jason consoles her in an empty room, where she reveals she’s pregnant.

After his first day, Danny gets invited for drinks, but turns it down. On his way out he sees a woman in the pool floating face down and rushes to save her. It’s Alicia, who was just floating to relax and snaps at him, but they soon get to talking. She gets out and tells Danny she wants to see him again. Alicia rushes to El Rey’s room and finds Carolina, who is about to get married, in a towel.

Gigi gives Alicia a necklace that matched her mother’s and tells Alicia how much she misses her. When Gigi thinks Alicia is gone she calms Carolina down, telling her Alicia "doesn’t have the balls" to tell, only Alicia to overhear and reveal Carolina's affair to her fiancé.

At the wedding, Alicia lets Gigi know she heard what she said before Carolina’s fiancé, Byron, announces that Carolina cheated on him with El Rey the night before and a fight breaks out, but Danny manages to break it up. Javier loves that Alicia ratted out Carolina. Later, Alicia tells her dad she is sorry she couldn’t let it all go and they discuss the hotel sale. He tells her they are in debt to someone but won’t say who.

Ingrid tells Javi she’s pregnant, but lies saying the baby is his, as he forgets many women he sleeps with. Danny admits that he fabricated his resume, but Helen lets him stay after impressing Santiago by stopping the fight at the wedding. El Rey agrees to Alicia's plan of him moving into the hotel.

Santiago visits Mateo and tells him he needs more time, which Mateo can give him. Alicia finds Danny to thank him for the help the other night, but she cannot hang out with him because he’s staff, he understands. Danny takes a call after she leaves, telling the caller that he will figure out what happened to his sister, who is revealed to be Sky, and he will make the person responsible pay.

## Trivia

* The table read for this episode took place on March 12, 2018.
* Shooting for this episode started on March 15, 2018 and ended on March 28, 2018.

## Gallery

### Promotional Images

1/80
### Behind the Scenes

1/5
### Videos

Sky Threatens Gigi – Grand HotelSantiago Hosts a Hurricane Party – Grand HotelDanny and Alicia’s Night Swim – Grand HotelDanny’s Motives – Grand Hotel
## References

1. ↑ ‘The Bachelorette,’ ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ all others unchanged: Monday final ratings
2. ↑ Let’s do this!!!!! #GrandHotel, by Roselyn Sanchez, *Instagram* (March 12, 2018)
3. ↑ Day 2 ✌️ #GrandHotel, by Lincoln Younes, *Instagram* (March 16, 2018)
4. ↑ That’s a wrap! #GrandHotel, by Lincoln Younes, *Twitter* (March 28, 2018)