Hotelier

This masterpiece K-drama was made in 2001, but it is still among the best K-drams of all ages. The story revolves around a quirky and straight-shooting hotel manager (Song Yoon Ah), her ex-boyfriend general manager (Kim Seung Woo), and an M&A specialist trying to topple the hotel (Bae Yong Joon), and a tycoon's estranged daughter (Song Hey Gyo). The three-way romance among Song, Bae, and Kim and their energy are fascinating and keep us guessing until the end (unlike most K-Dramas whose ending is predictable). The plot, storyline, and script are top-notch, unlike 90% of K-dramas you may have watched. I think Song Yoon A delivered her best performance in this show. Still, all other actors and actresses also brought their A game-- Yoon Yuh Jung (Academy best-supporting actress, Minari) and Huh Joon Ho, among others. This additive drama is pure fun from top to bottom, and from episode 1 to episode 20-you will feel sad when the show ends.

This show is currently on Viki, but I hope Netflix makes this drama available, as it demonstrates how good K-Dramas were even 22 years ago (although the cinematography and CGI do not measure up). By the way, the screenwriter (the most important factor in K-dramas) is Kang Eun Kyung, who wrote the Romance Doctor series. Her zappy and flawless dialogues shine the drama.

Have you watched King the Land? If so, consider watching Hotelier to see the difference between outstanding and mediocre K-dramas.