Hotel for the Holidays

This movie isn't Oscar worthy, but it isn't as bad as some of these reviews would lead you to believe. I've definitely seen worse on Hallmark. Like several others, this caught my eye because of Mena Massoud, who is as charming as ever. He's not in it as much as I would have hoped, but I liked the leading lady as well. It's a simple film with the typical lack of communication trope, but I enjoyed the sweet characters and lack of drama. Some of the set pieces were pretty rough - the fake snow was obvious and I was a bit confused by the roof dinner scene, since there was "snow", but no one seemed cold? However, it was exactly the type of movie I was looking for while wrapping presents. Low stakes, holiday themed, and a happy ending all around.

Kinda dull. I feel like there's a whole backstory we're missing with the characters, like they'd just drop these mini backstories and that would be it. Also you could tell the actress that played Pandora was lip-syncing to Christmas song and not well. The love interest was in love with the main character but there was never any love shown from her more like a friendship.

It felt like all love interests were just dropped in and not because they were actually in love. The Santa was appalling and would make constant sexual remarks to the women which was just vulgar. Probably not a show I'd want my kids to watch.

In the fairly recent "Riverdale" TV series Madelaine Petsch was cast as Cheryl Blossom, a smart, hard, mean, scheming person and she does a great job in that role. So I was anxious to see her in a quite different role.

In this Christmas-themed Canadian movie, set in Manhattan, she is Georgia, a smart, efficient, and kind manager of a small hotel with a dedicated staff friendly with each other. She is very good in her job and is working a side hustle, the possibility of becoming part owner and general manager of a new hotel. She needed to keep that from all the others for obvious reasons.

There are several interesting side stories. The chef at the hotel is interested in Georgia. An out-of-touch female pop singer comes to the hotel and hopes to rekindle interest among her fans. A prince from abroad has rejected his title and seeks to find himself a new life. And a couple of others.

Admittedly some of the characters and some of the situations are a bit too silly, but Petsch is really good in her role and holds everything together. The movie has predictably happy endings for everyone. So, while I can't rate this movie very highly, my wife and I were entertained. At home, streaming on Amazon Prime.

This is a multiple storyline holiday romance that takes place in a classic New York hotel, The Hotel Fontaine. The manager, Georgia, a lovely young New Yorker played by Madelaine Petsch, dreams of owning something and has worked months on a proposal to open a new ultramodern hotel to pitch to The Fontaine's owner who is vacationing somewhere tropical.

Meanwhile pining away for her and making her daily special lunches is friend and hotel chef Luke, who just hasn't worked up the nerve to tell Georgia How he feels.

Then there is the maintenance manager, Milton, who thinks he receives a secret gift from the bartender, Florence...but is really the maid, Anna's gift for her secret lover cook Victor. There is recently divorced Aj whose dog Dickens runs away and is rescued by handsome Hunter who is eager to help Aj navigate his new single status.

A runaway prince, Prince Raymond, might be the backing for the new modern hotel that Georgia needs. The other celebrity guest is a singer songwriter named Pandora who is trying to get back in touch with her fans by becoming an ordinary girl like them.

There is a quick talking crazy 12 days of Christmas finding hotel concierge, Kiki, who has been exchanging barbs with the bell ringing Santa all week.

This is fun, filled with Christmas color and was entertaining in that it followed more than just the main storyline. At the end of the day it is a holiday romance...so I recommend it to romance fans and holiday movie fans out there.

Everything culminates at the hotel's holiday single mixer which is a fun party idea to the accompaniment by Pandora at the piano.

(Also, can I just say I am so excited to find out that not only was Madelaine born in my home state of Washington, but she was born in the small town of Port Orchard...where my mom grew up!)

If you're looking for a movie that uses every used up repeated joke from other movies and extreme over acting then this is your cup of tea.

The writers jokes fell way below the line and this was way too impractical. Christmas decorations on a roof where a fire escape is? Or decorations all through stairs that are never used and only for random deliveries?

If you manage to watch past the security bag inspecting the prince who's not a prince bag of nuts you have watched way too much and in fact, every thing you think happens, happens.

Terrible one liners after terrible one liners. Amazon prime should be paying me to watch and waste those minutes of my life I'll never get back.