I am currently researching the hotel industry when I stumbled upon this series. I immediately took a chance and was more than satisfied to know that my gut instinct was right. The coolest thing about this series is that it is something that my fiance and I are heavily addicted to. The drama is quite intense and very entertaining. The one thing that kind of irked me was that Charlie was not as tough or outspoken as I would have liked. He was great with the guests but in regards to the staff and his boss he was a bit too reserved for me. I highly recommend this series and can't wait to see what happens in Season 2

I discovered BBC programming after watching the excellent comedy series "Coupling" late one night on PBS. And I must say, the British have some outstanding shows.

"Hotel Babylon" is easily one of hippest, sexiest shows in recent memory -- miles ahead of NBC's "Las Vegas". Of course much of that can be contributed to the sharp writing and attractive cast, as well as the sleek sets and gorgeous shots of London.

Still, there's a lot more to this series than meets the eye. Newly appointed deputy manager Charlie Edwards (Max Beesley) serves as the series' narrator, navigating the trials and tribulations that the staff of the five-star property meet each day.

Above Max is Rebecca Mitchell (Tamzin Outhwaite), the Hotel's general manager. She's a gorgeous, confident woman who handles everything from "ordinary guests" to rock stars and even foreign delegates. Though highly poised on the outside, she's hiding a number of secrets that are revealed as the series progresses -- among them the fact that she's left her husband and is currently living inside the hotel itself.

The supporting cast is as diverse as it is amusing. Guest concierge Tony Casemore (Dexter Fletcher) does everything from getting theater tickets and restaurant tables, to high-class prostitutes for the rock stars who inevitably arrive from time to time. Joining him at the front desk area is receptionist Anna Thorton-Wilton (Emma Pierson), an old flame of Charle's and a rather superficial social climber.

"Hotel Babylon" alternates between the day-to-day grind of the hotel business to the persona lives of the characters. All of them seem to have secrets of some kind -- ones that eventually rear their ugly heads on the job. Of course, there's also a good dose of sex, glamor and money, all of which make the series a pleasure to watch!

It took me about an episode and a half to fully be able to appreciate everything this show has to offer. The pacing is very well done. There is not a lot of downtime before character development begins automatically drawing you into the world that the characters inhabit. You immediately know which characters you are going to love and which ones you are going to love to hate. Working in the hotel industry myself in New York City I really enjoy seeing the characters go through the same trials and tribulations of the glitzy and glamorous world of it all if not a little more exaggerated and exciting. I particularly enjoyed the 6th episode with the crazy and eerie overnight shift. All in all I think that after reading the book this is about as perfect a representation of the material as can be made. I recommend the book and the series to anyone that works in a hotel or has ever stayed in a hotel. You will appreciate every episode for at least one of the subplots if not all of them. My only criticism is that the major story arcs that carry over from episode to episode develop a little slowly, but the payoff makes it all worthwhile. One more thing that I really enjoy is the soundtrack. It seems like the entire show is underscored with very nice music to help maintain the mood and create a perfect atmosphere to absorb you into every scene.

I love this show, however, there are 14 episodes in the first season and this DVD only shows the first eight. This is kind of annoying as the best episodes happen towards the end of the season. I hope the BBC will release another DVD that contains all the episodes, but for now this one is still somewhat enjoyable.

Great series with a great mix of comedy, drama, and romance. The characters have a great chemistry and the supporting cast just adds another additional reason to watch.