This is just so bad. There are too many random couplings that have no chemistry whatsoever. I can't get past the best friend Kiki's whacky hairdo. This movie is kind of a mess and doesn't warm your heart like the typical cheesy Christmas movie. Love Madelaine and feel bad that she was subjected to such a bad movie. Most of the characters are just too much. The body guard, the pop star and her little assistant, the Santa, the best friend are all obnoxious. There are plenty of Christmas movies to watch out there and this one is definitely a skip. I would've watched a movie solely about the two older people finding love instead of this.
17 Reviews
Madelaine Petsch and Mena Massoud's on screen chemistry made this a worthwhile Christmas film
Ed-Shullivan11 December 2022
Not to be confused with the classic 1954 version White Christmas (feel free to read my 12 November 2018 IMDb review of White Christmas) where the loyal military personnel chipped in to save their old Colonel's fledging hotel, but in the same vein, there is an old hotel the Hotel Fontaine which this film exploits as a "make or break" deal when a rich prince from a foreign kingdom tries to woo the beautiful hotel manager Georgia (played by Madelaine Petsch whose previous starring role is in the Riverdale TV series 2017-2023) to manage a brand new hotel far away.
The Hotel Fontaine's loyal chef Luke (played by Mena Massoud whose previous starring role was in the 2019 Disney film Aladdin) ) and good friend of Georgia is a fine chef in his own right and is smitten by Georgia.
There are many nice employees who love working at the Hotel Fontaine who are unaware that their hotel manager may be leaving them soon to follow her own dreams, but the heart wants what the heart wants and Christmas time always seems to bring out the best in romantic relationships and such is the case at the Hotel Fontaine.
This is what I would consider a " Christmas light" not over dramatized made for TV film which is pleasant to watch and with a happy ending (of course). I would normally give a film of this style (Christmas light) a 5 out of 10 IMDb rating, but with two classy actors in the lead roles such as Madelaine Petsch and Mena Massoud I upped the ante an assessed a 6 out of 10 IMDb rating.
The Hotel Fontaine's loyal chef Luke (played by Mena Massoud whose previous starring role was in the 2019 Disney film Aladdin) ) and good friend of Georgia is a fine chef in his own right and is smitten by Georgia.
There are many nice employees who love working at the Hotel Fontaine who are unaware that their hotel manager may be leaving them soon to follow her own dreams, but the heart wants what the heart wants and Christmas time always seems to bring out the best in romantic relationships and such is the case at the Hotel Fontaine.
This is what I would consider a " Christmas light" not over dramatized made for TV film which is pleasant to watch and with a happy ending (of course). I would normally give a film of this style (Christmas light) a 5 out of 10 IMDb rating, but with two classy actors in the lead roles such as Madelaine Petsch and Mena Massoud I upped the ante an assessed a 6 out of 10 IMDb rating.
Christmas
ams-103797 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The whole Christmas season decor and ambiance was probably the most exciting thing here. I did not feel any chemistry between the female lead and anyone she interacted with.
The famous pop singer guest posing as a "normal" person was more fun than the main storyline yet her lip syncing at the holiday party was so bad. It just bothers me that they didn't realize that in editing together the film, her song was cute but so hard to watch.
The male chef was of course gorgeous, but whenever we were hearing him talk about the prince my daughter and I just wanted to bust out in the Prince Ali song from him being Aladdin. I didn't deduct the movie points for this but I guess these reviews have a character quota to fill so I had to add this comment :)
The famous pop singer guest posing as a "normal" person was more fun than the main storyline yet her lip syncing at the holiday party was so bad. It just bothers me that they didn't realize that in editing together the film, her song was cute but so hard to watch.
The male chef was of course gorgeous, but whenever we were hearing him talk about the prince my daughter and I just wanted to bust out in the Prince Ali song from him being Aladdin. I didn't deduct the movie points for this but I guess these reviews have a character quota to fill so I had to add this comment :)
Awful Movie - Potential Wasted
helenlchivers16 December 2022
Do not watch!! Don't be tempted by the fact that Mena Massoud is in the cast. He is barely in the movie. Also, with him in the cast, we expected a certain level of quality. There is no quality in this movie at all. The acting is very bad and the writing is awful. Even Mena's part was bad. The storylines kept getting worse and worse as the movie progressed. It's almost like the writers had a formula of everything they had to put in the movie without any thought as to who the audience is or how to create a good story. I wish I could have my time back to select another movie. I don't get a lot of movie time during the busy holidays. I couldn't finish this one.
A hotel filled with love and merriment for this holiday romance.
cgvsluis23 December 2022
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!)
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!)
This movie was so predictable I took up a career in fortune telling
michaelpagano-0061017 August 2023
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.
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.
Low Budget & bad utilizing
haitham-mansi14 December 2022
Main characters potential is very high.
Mena already an Oscar winner.
Although the movie suffer from bad scenes, camera position, lighting & decoration.
At a lot of scenes you see camera tilted 15 degree and in the next shot it's aligned but then back tilted.
Decoration is very home set. CG is very poor. There is nothing related to Newyork in this movie.
Script is very shallow. That even the most predicted phrases is not said completed.
All other characters are not worthy of rule in school play. To much facial expressions, childish acts.
This kind of movies u watch by mistake at Netflix or "in my case" due to my wife choice 🤣
Mena already an Oscar winner.
Although the movie suffer from bad scenes, camera position, lighting & decoration.
At a lot of scenes you see camera tilted 15 degree and in the next shot it's aligned but then back tilted.
Decoration is very home set. CG is very poor. There is nothing related to Newyork in this movie.
Script is very shallow. That even the most predicted phrases is not said completed.
All other characters are not worthy of rule in school play. To much facial expressions, childish acts.
This kind of movies u watch by mistake at Netflix or "in my case" due to my wife choice 🤣
Absolute dull-fest
AbiBaines20 December 2022
Hands-down one of the worst movies made, let alone Christmas themed. Nothing happens, nothing wants to happen. The acting is as wooden as Pinocchio, the level of 'who cares' schmaltz unforgiving. And as per usual one reviewer gives this a gushing endorsement and hopes of a sequel. Obviously the director has a follow up already written. There are plenty of half-decent Christmas movies out there to satisfy an advent calendar of TV in the run up to Christmas Day, but this is not one of them. I'll admit I was forced to sit through this, but why oh why churn out something so lacking in imagination, spirit, humour or any other level of emotion whatsoever.
Not bad
vincentlynch-moonoi21 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is not as bad as a couple of our reviewers indicated, nor is it as good as a couple of our other reviewers indicated. In fact, it's a pretty typical streaming roncom. The sad thing is that the cast here is, overall, fairly good. It's not a scintilating script. It's an "okay" script.
Mena Massoud ("Alladin") is a goood actor who deserves better projects; frankly I don't get it. But, note to Mena -- get a better haircut and a better shave if you want to be a leading man.
Madelaine Petsch is pretty perky here. Enjoyable. Max Lloyd-Jones is good, as well. I wasn't familiar with either of them. Personally, I enjoyed Aldrin Bundoc, another actor I was not familiar with. The other actors and actresses did their jobs.
The plot is "okay". Although there were a few things that weren't thought through very well. For example, dinner on the roof...with no heat...while it's snowing. What was on the menu? Pneumonia?
And yes, it did look genuinely Christmasy. You could do worse...for sure. Will I want to watch it again? Nope. But it was a decent way to spent 90 minutes.
Mena Massoud ("Alladin") is a goood actor who deserves better projects; frankly I don't get it. But, note to Mena -- get a better haircut and a better shave if you want to be a leading man.
Madelaine Petsch is pretty perky here. Enjoyable. Max Lloyd-Jones is good, as well. I wasn't familiar with either of them. Personally, I enjoyed Aldrin Bundoc, another actor I was not familiar with. The other actors and actresses did their jobs.
The plot is "okay". Although there were a few things that weren't thought through very well. For example, dinner on the roof...with no heat...while it's snowing. What was on the menu? Pneumonia?
And yes, it did look genuinely Christmasy. You could do worse...for sure. Will I want to watch it again? Nope. But it was a decent way to spent 90 minutes.
I've seen worse, I've also seen better.
dahotnessk28 November 2023
In the beginning it wasn't too bad. The characters seemed interesting, and I love the actress that plays the older staff member.
However the last 30 minutes of the movie made absolutely NO sense to me! The entire time Mena Massud's character was pining after the female lead, all while she pays him no mind because she is trying to sell the hotel, then out of nowhere she has feelings for him??
I got the impression that the housekeeper secretly admired the other chef, at least that's the way it came across, so when he's on one knee proposing, it made absolutely NO sense!
The only characters that has some sort of buildup to their coupling was the older couple and the guy that lost his dog.
I went from wanting to keep this one saved in my PVR to wanting it to be over so I could delete it! Just so silly!
However the last 30 minutes of the movie made absolutely NO sense to me! The entire time Mena Massud's character was pining after the female lead, all while she pays him no mind because she is trying to sell the hotel, then out of nowhere she has feelings for him??
I got the impression that the housekeeper secretly admired the other chef, at least that's the way it came across, so when he's on one knee proposing, it made absolutely NO sense!
The only characters that has some sort of buildup to their coupling was the older couple and the guy that lost his dog.
I went from wanting to keep this one saved in my PVR to wanting it to be over so I could delete it! Just so silly!
Not your typical Christmas movie - way better
zenka-216629 December 2022
It was a wonderful film! I love the multiple story lines - it wasn't just about a romantic love story- it showed love in all its forms. Ultimately it's about rising above the opinions of others and learning to love yourself. Without including spoilers I can say the setting of a hotel is picture perfect for the setting of a holiday movie. Instantly reminded me of New York at Christmas time which is instantly magical. The characters were well written, the actors were charming. Dickens the dog was great. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments. Super fun to watch. Fingers crossed for the sequel.
Cute simple Xmas movie
Threnodynx-65-28184321 December 2022
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.
Great for kids 5 to 10.
movieliker121 December 2022
This movie is a family film. No violence, sex, or curse words. Children 5 to 10 might like it. Kids under 5 probably won't be interested. But it won't hurt them if playing in the background.
It's extremely silly and unrealistic. Adults won't like it. Even teenagers will roll their eyes at it's simple unrealistic premise.
But children 5 to 10 won't care about that. And hopefully as they grow up, they'll realize the difference between silly family fiction, and reality.
It's extremely silly and unrealistic. Adults won't like it. Even teenagers will roll their eyes at it's simple unrealistic premise.
- The whole movie is based on unrealistic silly misunderstandings.
- All the adults in the film are very sophisticated socially and occupationally. But they have absolutely no social skills when it comes to dating or relationships. It's as if they're all virgins who have never had a date in their lives.
- And as professionally sophisticated as the main character Georgia is. And as much as she depends on her cellphone, you would think she would have some portable chargers in her purse.
- I've never heard of a hotel whose doors only open and close with an app.
- New York City is portrayed as a small town where strangers continually bump into each other on the street.
But children 5 to 10 won't care about that. And hopefully as they grow up, they'll realize the difference between silly family fiction, and reality.
It feels like a Hallmark movie but with a higher budget.
trinaboice26 October 2023
IN A NUTSHELL:
The movie follows staff and guests at the Hotel Fontaine in New York City during Christmas time. The movie was directed by Ron Oliver. The writers were Maggie Lane and Margarita Matthews.
THINGS I LIKED: Madelain Petsch is beautiful and sweet as Georgia, the hotel manager.
Yes, Jamison Belushi is related to the famous Jim Belushi. She's his only daughter and plays Kiki in the movie, the manager's best friend. I've never seen anyone decorate their pigtails like she did. Cute.
The cast also includes Mena Massoud as the love interest, Max Lloyd-Jones, Kayleigh Shikanai, Neil Crone, and more.
There's a cute Christmas gag about a man who has lost his dog named Dickens.
New York is one of the beauties featured in the movie.
Wow, there's a character that looks like a Ken doll. I actually thought he was fake. Jean Luc is played by Connor McMahon.
The film is made goofier with over-the-top performances. That's not necessarily a bad thing in the case of this movie. The prince's bodyguard (played by AJ Zoldy) always made me laugh.
It feels like a Hallmark movie but with a higher budget.
There are some cute side stories with various characters.
Your enjoyment of this holiday flick has everything to do with your expectations. This is not an award-winning film, but a sweet, cheesy Christmas movie to get you in the holiday mood and feel good.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The snow looked super fake, as well as many of the green screen backgrounds.
The manager should have known about the celebrity singer staying in her hotel. I once stayed at a hotel and the manager admitted he Googled me. He was personally waiting for my arrival. Now, I am definitely no big of a deal, so I was super impressed with his preparedness for all of his customers. Now THAT'S customer service!
Not all of the humor lands.
It's extremely predictable.
TIPS FOR PARENTS: Five of the characters are gay.
Alcohol Lots of kissing and couples
!
THINGS I LIKED: Madelain Petsch is beautiful and sweet as Georgia, the hotel manager.
Yes, Jamison Belushi is related to the famous Jim Belushi. She's his only daughter and plays Kiki in the movie, the manager's best friend. I've never seen anyone decorate their pigtails like she did. Cute.
The cast also includes Mena Massoud as the love interest, Max Lloyd-Jones, Kayleigh Shikanai, Neil Crone, and more.
There's a cute Christmas gag about a man who has lost his dog named Dickens.
New York is one of the beauties featured in the movie.
Wow, there's a character that looks like a Ken doll. I actually thought he was fake. Jean Luc is played by Connor McMahon.
The film is made goofier with over-the-top performances. That's not necessarily a bad thing in the case of this movie. The prince's bodyguard (played by AJ Zoldy) always made me laugh.
It feels like a Hallmark movie but with a higher budget.
There are some cute side stories with various characters.
Your enjoyment of this holiday flick has everything to do with your expectations. This is not an award-winning film, but a sweet, cheesy Christmas movie to get you in the holiday mood and feel good.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The snow looked super fake, as well as many of the green screen backgrounds.
The manager should have known about the celebrity singer staying in her hotel. I once stayed at a hotel and the manager admitted he Googled me. He was personally waiting for my arrival. Now, I am definitely no big of a deal, so I was super impressed with his preparedness for all of his customers. Now THAT'S customer service!
Not all of the humor lands.
It's extremely predictable.
TIPS FOR PARENTS: Five of the characters are gay.
Alcohol Lots of kissing and couples
!
Classic Cheesy Christmas Movie
readsmuzic2 December 2023
Tradition requires watching cheesy romantic Christmas movies and this one fits the bill very well. The acting is not horrible, though there are some cringe moments. We see quite a few familiar faces, so that makes it fun. Some surprising moments keep you interested.
The plot is a bit predictable, but it is a cheesy Christmas movie, so that's to be expected.
Some moments were really bad. The most cringe was when Santa lost his beard and all of a sudden he was a heartthrob. In the video calls, the "beach" was as fake as the French accent. But if you can look past the fake snow and the predictable plot, you'll find a delightful movie to fill in those designated hours for the "Hallmark Christmas movie" experience.
The plot is a bit predictable, but it is a cheesy Christmas movie, so that's to be expected.
Some moments were really bad. The most cringe was when Santa lost his beard and all of a sudden he was a heartthrob. In the video calls, the "beach" was as fake as the French accent. But if you can look past the fake snow and the predictable plot, you'll find a delightful movie to fill in those designated hours for the "Hallmark Christmas movie" experience.
Perfect Holiday Film for Family Movie Night
sheilamaloney-2862710 January 2023
We were snowed in this holiday season and we decided to watch Hotel for the Holidays. All five of us thoroughly enjoyed it while sipping our hot chocolate and lauging together. With a household of tweens and teens, finding a movie that entertains everyone (including the adults) is not an easy feat. Bravo for HFTH!
The actors had great chemistry and the writing weaved together the different storylines perfectly. There were so many hidden gems and heartwarming scenes. It really captured the themes of self-love and self-confidence that I try to instill in my kids. The build up was perfect, and the ending was the cherry on top. I do hope that we'll get a sequel!
The actors had great chemistry and the writing weaved together the different storylines perfectly. There were so many hidden gems and heartwarming scenes. It really captured the themes of self-love and self-confidence that I try to instill in my kids. The build up was perfect, and the ending was the cherry on top. I do hope that we'll get a sequel!
Canadian movie set in Manhattan, Christmastime in and around the hotel business.
TxMike28 December 2022
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.
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.
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