Entertainment
ABC's slickly produced hotel drama based on the Spanish TV series Gran Hotel premiered this summer, and the Grand Hotel cast is pretty impressive. The series takes place in the so-called "last family-owned hotel in Miami Beach," at the Mendoza family's Riviera Grand Hotel. Santiago Mendoza, the family patriarch, inherited the hotel from his late wife. Now remarried (to her best friend), he and his children live off their wealth from the property. But hidden debts, the illicit dealings of their wealthy clientele, and a hotel staff frequently embroiled in secret-keeping and coverups necessary to keep their jobs all threaten the family's status.
According to the Miami New Times, the Riviera Grand Hotel is modeled after the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, and many of the cast members are Miami natives. The show also made an effort to employ local crew members from Miami. Desperate Housewives alum Eva Longoria serves as one of Grand Hotel's executive producers, so you can expect the series to have the same sexy, soapy vibe. She made her directorial debut on the Jul. 1 episode, where she also made a cameo appearance as Beatriz Mendoza, Santiago's late wife. My guess is, viewers have much to learn from Beatriz's flashback scenes. But in the meantime, here's more on the show's series regulars.
Demián Bichir
Demián Bichir earned an Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2011 for his work on the film A Better Life. The Mexican actor is probably most recognizable to American audiences for his two season stint on Weeds playing Esteban Reyes. On Grand Hotel, he anchors the Mendozas, playing family patriarch Santiago.
Roselyn Sánchez
Roselyn Sánchez comes from another Longoria-produced ABC drama, Devious Maids. She spent three seasons on the show playing Carmen Luna before landing the role of Gigi Mendoza, Santiago's second wife, on Grand Hotel.
Denyse Tontz
Denyse Tontz is a soap opera alum who actually won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Original Song when she played Miranda Montgomery on All My Children. After that, she went on to play Cortney Strathmore on The Fosters before landing her role on Grand Hotel. There, she plays Alicia Mendoza, Santiago's MBA-wielding daughter who just graduated from Cornell and steps in to help save the floundering hotel.
Bryan Craig
Another soap alum, Bryan Craig played Morgan Corinthos on General Hospital before transitioning to primetime with a role on The CW's Valor. On Grand Hotel, he plays Javi Mendoza, Santiago's playboy son who is also an amputee.
Wendy Raquel Robinson
Wendy Raquel Robinson has a whopping eleven Image Awards nominations under her belt for her work on The Steve Harvey Show and The Game. On Grand Hotel, she plays Helen Parker, better known as Mrs. P., head of staff at the hotel.
Lincoln Younes
Australian TV star Lincoln Younes is making his American TV debut on Grand Hotel, where he plays Danny, a waiter at the hotel trying to simultaneously investigate the disappearance of his sister, a fellow hotel employee. He's previously starred on Australian series Love Child, Hiding, Home and Away, and Tangle.
Shalim Ortiz
Shalim Ortiz is a Puerto Rican telenovela veteran who's managed to cross over to American primetime dramas like Starz's Magic City and NBC's Heroes. On Grand Hotel, he plays Mateo, the hotel manager and Santiago's shady right-hand man.
Anne Winters
Anne Winters also comes to Grand Hotel from The Fosters, where she played Kelsey. More recently, however, she's appeared on Netflix's 13 Reasons Why as Chloe Rice. On Grand Hotel, she plays Ingrid, a pregnant housekeeper working at the Mendoza family hotel.
Chris Warren
Chris Warren is — you guessed it — another The Fosters alum. He played Ty Hensdale on the series from 2015-2017, after making a name for himself playing Zeke Baylor in the High School Musical franchise. On Grand Hotel, Warren plays Mrs. P's son Jason, who also works as a waiter at the hotel.
Feliz Ramirez
Feliz Ramirez had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role on an episode of CBS's legal drama Bull in 2016, and she has the shortest resume of any of the cast members. Grand Hotel, where she plays Carolina, one of Gigi's twin daughters, is poised to be her breakout role.
Justina Adorno
Justina Adorno plays Yoli, the awkward twin to Carolina's glamorous one, on Grand Hotel. Prior to the ABC drama, she played Jasmine on Netflix's Golden Globe-nominated miniseries Seven Seconds.
Grand Hotel, which has been picked up for 13 episodes, airs Monday nights on ABC.
