My Secret Hotel

Episodes 16

Given Synopsis (viki.com): 

        The Secret Hotel is considered the most luxurious hotel and the most sought-after wedding destination in Korea. Nam Sang Hyo (Yoo In Na) is the manager of wedding planning at the hotel and rules over her domain down to the last detail to provide her clients with the most memorable dream weddings. But her perfectionistic work environment begins to unravel when her new wedding client his Gu Hae Young (Jin Lee Han), a famous architect who also happens to be her ex-husband. Things get even more complicated when a man falls to his death during Hae Young’s wedding, causing a major problem for managing director Jo Sung Gyeom (Nam Goong Min) and the hotel PR manager Yeo Eun Joo (Lee Young Eun). Could the murder be related to some secrets from Sung Gyeom’s past? And can Sang Hyo and Eun Joo help the hotel regain its polished reputation when they both compete for love and career advancement? “My Secret Hotel” is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Hong Jong Chan.

Review: 

       If you're looking for a drama that shows a lot of relationship development and boyfriend/girlfriend moments, this probably isn't the one to go for. I feel like this focused way too much on the love triangle in terms of relationships. This drama actually dragged the love triangle till the very end. A full 16 episode drama of a ridiculous and childish love triangle. The only romantic scenes that I remember were all  from flashbacks of Nam Sang Hyo and Gu Hae Young's marriage in Vegas. I couldn't even appreciate the romantic scenes from the "dating" period that she had with Jo Sung Gyeom because she was playing with both the first male lead and the second lead's heart. This fickle and indecisive female lead was annoying to watch. Her behavior was not cute as she went back and forth between the men. She would also constantly make excuses as to why she's helping and heading toward Gu Hae Young. I did not appreciate this dragged out love triangle. The beginning of this drama was so intense and interesting. I feel like the drama did not meet the standards it set in the first few episodes as it went on. It felt a bit sloppy at times. 

         I like that the hotel had a lot of mystery. Murders were happening and every shady character looked like a potential suspect to me. It introduced a lot of the minor characters and also set this drama's mood and allowed everything to start rolling. Both male leads were likable and so it was hard to tell who she was going to exactly end up with. However, as soon as the interactions began to progress, it was quite obvious who she was going to end up with. I was a bit confused as to what they considered "marriage." In both marriages that Nam Sang Hyo had with Gu Hae Young, it appeared to only be a wedding ceremony and not a legalized in documentation. That was a bit confusing for me. 

         The characters were often very straightforward and I was grateful that they didn't make the female characters too scheming. Of course, I disliked the fickleness and indecisiveness of the female lead but she had her own mystery to solve about the separation she had with Gu Hae Young seven years ago. I liked that the male leads were rather open with what they were feeling and they often made the show very entertaining and a little more fast paced. I also liked that both male leads were getting frustrated and constantly were demanding her to look for her feelings and to find out who she truly liked.
       I also enjoyed the We Got Married cameo and the many references to her song Love Battery. It was amusing but it did throw off many viewers who didn't understand why this random girl just ran up to Jo Sung Gyeom and was just spazzing out about how he looked like her husband Nam Goong Min (the actor's real name). It was so funny and enjoyable to see their interaction.
       It was an interesting drama but it wasn't the best. A lot could have been changed, the relationship could have progressed a bit faster, and less focus could have been placed on the love triangle, and less time could have been focused on misunderstandings.

P.S. Yoo In Na's hair is amazing. I wish I had her hair.