Ep 1. The Maid in the Lake

The Maid in the Lake is the first episode of Season 1 of the American drama television series, Grand Hotel. The television series is based on the popular Spanish series known as Gran Hotel. The show centers around a significant family who owns a luxurious hotel on Miami Beach and the ups and downs of their lives in the backdrop of the grand hotel.

The first episode sets the stage for what's to come. Santiago Mendoza, played by Demián Bichir and his family own and run the Riviera Grand Hotel. Santiago is currently recovering from the loss of his wife who recently passed away. His lovely daughter, Alicia, played by Denyse Tontz, is the hotel manager, and his son, Javi, played by Bryan Craig, is the hotel's playboy.

The opening scene begins with a group of tourists checking in when chaos ensues as a dead maid is found in the hotel's lake. The hotel management is trying to contain the situation by keeping guests in the dark and quickly finding a replacement maid. Upon investigation, a few hotel employees are deemed as suspects.

Santiago and his family welcome back wealthy hotel owners along with their adult children who are in Miami Beach for the wedding of their daughter to another prominent family's son. During a party thrown for the engaged couple, Alicia meets with her former lover, who is the bridegroom's brother, who is back in town. She once had a relationship with him and ends up rekindling it, despite warning herself about the complications that it would cause. At the same time, Javi, who is mostly interested in a good time, attempts to seduce the bride-to-be.

Meanwhile, Santiago encounters an unexpected guest, who is revealed to be the Miami City Bull Mayor, and he's come to make sure that everything runs smoothly at Riviera Grand Hotel. The Mayor appreciates the hotel's business and pleads with Santiago to donate to one of his charities, but Santiago is hesitant because of a past incident, which is slowly being revealed, of his trouble with the law.

As the episode progresses, Alicia's discovery of a lost piece of jewelry sparks her suspicion regarding the involvement of an employee in human trafficking. This realization could explain why the maid ended up dead in the lake. Alicia decides to pursue this further, ignorant of the dangerous consequences that her investigation could have.

Overall, the first episode of Grand Hotel sets the stage for its audience, providing us with an insight into the complex and intertwined lives of the Riviera Grand Hotel's owners and staff. The themes of suspense, romance, power struggles, corruption, and mystery all come to play in the series opening episode. Its characters all have intriguing and layered backstories that will be unveiled slowly as the series unfolds. If one likes the drama genre with a touch of mystery and suspense, then Grand Hotel is worth watching.