Hotel Babylon: Series 4 - Episode guide
Nigel Harman and Anna Wilson-Jones join the cast of Hotel Babylon as the drama set in a five-star hotel returns to BBC One for a fourth series.
> Find out all about the new characters.
> Buy the previous series on DVD.
Episode 1
Friday 19th June 2009
Hotel Babylon is due to close down and Juliet Miller, nicknamed "The Undertaker" by the gang, has been appointed by management to oversee its demise. In a last-ditch attempt, Tony desperately pitches Babylon to a wealthy Asian businessman, whose daughter is meeting a Bollywood star and her future husband for the first time in an elaborate introduction ceremony at the hotel.
However, the deal goes into freefall when Tony refuses to meet his demands. To top it all, a terrorist threat in London brings the city to a standstill and some stranded airline passengers bound for the airport seek refuge in the hotel.
Among them, to the amazement of both, is Juliet's ex-husband, Sam. They haven't seen one another in five years and, soon, old tensions re-surface. Will Sam and Juliet overcome their problems to ensure the safety of their "stranded guests", and can Tony and the gang find a way of saving the hotel from closure?
Meanwhile, receptionist Anna is eight months' pregnant, in total denial and refusing to tell anyone who the father is. So all bets are on below stairs as the gang attempts to be the first to discover the daddy's identity!
Episode 2
Friday 26th June 2009
Celebrity TV couple Erin and Ed Martyn are busy organising their joint 40th birthday celebrations at Hotel Babylon. Anna assumes they are the perfect couple but discovers a very different story behind closed doors when she looks after their son, Tyler, for an afternoon.
Ed and Erin seemingly have it all – the perfect child, the perfect TV career and a perfect marriage – but as Anna makes feeble attempts to ingratiate herself with Tyler, she realises that the Martyns aren't as perfect as they make out. In fact, they have a hate/hate relationship and Tyler is caught in the middle of their divorce plans.
Elsewhere, Sam learns the hard way that it's not easy running a hotel when he ignores Juliet's advice and allows rival boxers to stay at Babylon. Meanwhile, the staff rumble a corrupt environmental standards inspector and Anna names her baby's father – much to the surprise of her colleagues.
Episode 3
Friday 3rd July 2009
Hotel Babylon is alive with treasure hunters following the posthumous publication of a famous thief's autobiography. In the book, it is claimed that he hid a stash of valuable emeralds in the hotel, years ago.
The hotel staff also join the hunt and, having discovered a secret room in the basement, a heavily pregnant Anna is determined to secure the precious stones for herself. That is until Ben spills the beans to the rest of the gang and Anna is rumbled. Events take a twist when Anna goes into labour and Tony's secret plan seems set to come to fruition when a familiar face returns to the hotel.
Elsewhere, Gino thinks he's helping Arthur Barnes, a scruffy chap, to live out his final days at Babylon but, to his horror, he realises that his trust has been betrayed in the most sinister way.
Meanwhile, Juliet gives Tony the task of looking after Constance Evergreen, a senile old movie star who is proving such a handful that Tony's secret plan threatens to collapse.
Episode 4
Friday 17th July 2009
Emily organises a poker tournament at Hotel Babylon, but is stunned when her estranged father, Damian Rushby, pitches up as one of the players. Emily and her father haven't spoken in years and she threatens to abandon the event, but Sam manages to talk her down. However, Emily's already shaky relationship with her father deteriorates further when she discovers Damian – a rich hotelier – is trying to force Sam to sell Babylon to him.
Elsewhere in the hotel, Tony is having a day from hell – he's late for work and the guests' requests are piling up. But he's not the only one having a bad day. Tony's doppleganger, Bobby Mack, a highly successful American author, is staying at Babylon for the UK leg of his European book tour. When he and Tony decide to swap places for the day, mischief and mayhem ensues.
James, Gino and Ben, meanwhile, try to dupe a Greek heiress, Arianna Adams, by passing off fake food and drink as the real McCoy. Sparks fly, however, when she uncovers their game. But can they make it up to her?
Episode 5
Friday 24th July 2009
Babylon has secured an exclusive magazine deal to host a Royal wedding with Italian glossy magazine Certo!. When the wedding is called off, however, Juliet is astonished that Sam plans to forge ahead regardless, using the hotel's staff as the wedding party – Emily will be a princess from Lichtenstein, with Ben as her dashing groom.
Sam has received an unexpected tax bill and was relying on the money to pay off the balance. For once, Juliet decides to back his hair-brained scheme and helps the gang pull out all the stops. But, in spite of their fantastic efforts, the slippery magazine editor, Gennaro Fazio, exposes their game.
Elsewhere, Tony is tasked with looking after a teenage swimming prodigy, Mandy Warren, but quickly realises her managers, who are also her parents, are sucking her dry.
In the restaurant, meanwhile, James supervises a government trainee scheme and is surprised when a twinkly eyed octogenarian, Ken, turns up. James assumes the old codger is being a pest to a well-known food critic dining in the restaurant and has him demoted to the kitchens. But he's actually made quite an impression and James eats humble pie when he promotes him back to front of house.
Episode 6
Friday 7th August 2009
James's future lies in Gino's hands when they are asked to oversee the extravagant funeral of a VIP guest. Juliet has promised James a promotion if the event is a success, but an ill-timed comment by Gino is set to blow James's chances altogether.
Meanwhile, Jim Doody, an old flame of Juliet's, is staying at Babylon and is keen to rekindle their relationship. Juliet is delighted to see her ex but this throws up unexpected feelings of jealousy for Sam. While Sam tries to work out his feelings for Juliet he falls for the charms of an attractive female guest, resulting in a one-night stand.
Later, after a heated row over the funeral arrangements, James rashly fires Gino but soon realises his mistake when the body of the famous Sicilian artist, Christiano Cucci, disappears. Having persuaded a reluctant Gino to come back, the two embark on a search of the hotel with some startling discoveries.
Elsewhere, Ben and the gang are surprised at Juliet's choice of new hotel receptionist. Mel's clothes are dated, her hair and make-up are wrong and she doesn't have that five-star edge. It's not long before Ben exposes as her an imposter...
Episode 7
Friday 14th August 2009
An exclusive dating agency is holding a "romantic event" at Babylon and Juliet is delighted when she bumps into her old friend, Karen. Things have been hotting up in the relationship stakes between Juliet and Sam but he's just invited her to Hawaii and she can't get their troubled past out of her head. Unsure what to do, she confides in Karen. However, Karen's life isn't as rosy as she makes out and she bitterly reveals an explosive secret about Juliet to Sam. Juliet's blossoming relationship suddenly goes into free-fall.
On his night off, meanwhile, Tony is called back to the hotel to help a regular guest with a serious problem. However, it is not the guest who ends up in hot water with the police, but Tony, who finds himself facing serious charges and could lose everything.
Later, Gino is on the hunt to find which member of staff wrote the manuscript for an erotic novel he has found on the printer, featuring members of staff under paper-thin pseudonyms. Gino is convinced that the author carries a torch for him but is in for a nasty surprise when their identity is revealed...
Elsewhere, Ben decides it is make-over time for goofy receptionist Mel. With help from James and Tanya, Ben transforms Mel into a beautiful and sophisticated woman.
