My Secret Hotel (2014)

A Glimpse of Living in High society and High Heels

My secret hotel
I just started watching "My Secret Hotel" that parodying mystery drama, because of the talented actor Jin Yi Han/Kim Ji Han is one of the lead characters, Goo Hae Young.
The satire story is about a young prodigy architect Goo Hae Young that falls in love at the first sight with a waitress (Nam Sang Hyo portrayed by Yoo In Na) in a restaurant in Las Vegas. They get married after 6 weeks of dating because they are really in love with each other. However, the story indicates that being in love (can fade over time) is not really loving someone (accepting the weaknesses and strengths of the partners) that is needed for a long-lasting marriage. When Hae Young’s architect partner calls and needs his presence at work in New York, Hae Young pleads Sang Hyo to come with him to New York. In the mean the time, Hae Young notices that Sang Hyo must deal with sexual harassment at her workplace. But Sang Hyo declines to go even though the air ticket is given to Sang Hyo by Hae Young. Sang Hyo cries for days feeling sorry for herself and angry at her husband when he leaves for New York. In my opinion as an outsider, Sang Hyo character is selfish and not even wants to see how the job opportunities in New York and be with her new husband. They could talk about job opportunities in New York instead of stubbornly wants to work in Las Vegas.

After 7 years Sang Hyo meets Hae Young again in Korea because he is getting married at the hotel where Sang Hyo is employed at as a wedding planner. Hae Young intends to get back to Sang Hyo. I am watching episode 1 to 3 with dismay as Nam Sang Hyo keeps on beating Goo Hae Young whenever they meet up. She must still be in pain and angry at Hae Young that is getting married to the point of physically abusing Hae Young. I notice there are no parents during the wedding ceremony between Goo Hae Young (episode 1), the prodigy-son, and his young “daughter-of-wealthy-family” future wife, Ha Yun Joo. Usually in Asian cultures, parents are the most important individuals especially for wedding ceremonies. Hae Young is so relieved that the wedding is disrupted because there is a murdered body falls into the wedding hall.

In the meantime, the managing director, Jo Sung Gyum (portrayed by Nam Goong Min) at the Secret Hotel where Sang Hyo is working is attracted to Sang Hyo. The attraction is mutual, and Sang Hyo is trying to flirt with Sung Gyum to make Hae Young jealous and to show that she is dating too. To make the story short, Sang Hyo and Sung Gyum can convince both Hae Young and Ha Yun Joo to have their second wedding ceremony at the Secret Hotel (pleasantly, both the groom’s and bride’s parents are present at the second wedding ceremony). Lo and behold, Ha Yun Joo runs away with her lover chauffeur on her wedding day. Hae Young persuades Sang Hyo to be his “substitute wife”, even both groom’s and bride’s parents agree to this idea. For the sake of her job performance, Sang Hyo accepts to be his “substitute wife”. After the wedding though, Sang Hyo leaves Hae Young to be flirting and dating Sung Gyum again. Hae Young’s intense pain in loving Sang Hyo is so palpable. He realizes that Sang Hyo really loves her job more and wants to perform well at the Secret Hotel instead of loving him. The story is depicting Sang Hyo as not even interested in trying to take the time to start courtship with Hae Young and talk about their failed relationship, fears, successes, career during their “fabricated honeymoon prepared by the Secret Hotel for the Secret Hotel promotion”. The Secret Hotel emphasizes to much on flashbacks and daydreaming about ‘what ifs”. I do not see the Secret Hotel employees and Architectectural and Design Company employees working hard; the hotel looks so empty. It is always a breath of fresh air whenever I see Goo Hae Young wearing his optical eyeglasses working hard at his desk. I am not going to spoil and tell the story.

I would recommend this drama since the murder case in the Secret Hotel is made into satire, and the talented veteran actor Ahn Kil Kang that is portraying Chief police Kim Geum Go, is an excellent catalyst in this series that is parodying a mystery drama. Whenever I am getting fatigued from this round-and-round “love triangle” (even though I am sympathetic to Sung Gyum, and feel sorry for Hae Young), Chief Police Kim appearance on the screen erases overloaded “love triangle” in the Secret Hotel. I can feel tender on-screen chemistry between Sung Gyum and Sang Hyo, Sung Gyum always maintains his lingering eye contact with demure Sang Hyo whenever they are together. But I do not feel any on-screen chemistry developing between Hae Young and Sang Hyo. Probably Sang Hyo always physically beats and caresses Hae Young whenever they are together. The appearances of adorable actress Yoo In Na and both actors Jin Yi Han (fresh from “Empress KI”) and Nam Goong Min (from “Hur Jun, the Original Story”) are pleasing to the eyes. There are many new up and coming young actors (including Ahn Bo Hyun) in the Secret Hotel that are eye candy as well. Actor Choi Jung Won that is portraying architect Yoo Shi Chan is rather entertaining. Finally, too many scenes are taken inside the hotel that make the series look cold and distant. The Secret Hotel is enjoyable for weekdays drama and a glimpse of living in high society and high heels but does not exude heartwarming story.

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Immature Female Lead

I had to write this review ( ok, It’s a bit of a rant). Don’t get me wrong, I love Yoo In Na. But her character in this drama is driving me up the wall. She is supposed to be the head of the Wedding Dept. at Secret Hotel, yet I find her to be childish and extremely indecisive. She keeps wobbling back & forth between the two male leads. She tells one lead she likes him & wants to be with him. She then tells the other ML that she wants nothing to do with him, but then cuddles with him, etc. I feel bad for both men.
I feel the writer could have written her with a bit more maturity.

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I only recomend this drama because of the cast...
Everything was promising at the start and it had a very nice mystery feel to it..but the writers ruin it, idk even know how they could end it so bad?! There is nothing really romantic... and this character Koo Hae Young crossed the line wayy to much, his behavior was not as clingy or childish as disturbing at times. He had zero respect towards the female lead. This is the first time acharacter has made me angry.. I legit wanted to punch him... and even the female lead too. Like, if someone's ex acted that way even an idiot would call the police on him. His actions are not acceptable.. at all.
I finished this drama only because of Nam Goong Min.. :(

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boring drama with 3 problematic main characters. didn't abandoned bc of the mystery

i couldn't stand the romance scenes at all. i skipped almost all the romance scenes after the 11 episode (in fact you don't miss much of the story if you skip the romance scenes between the 3 main characters)
There is basically almost none character improvement in any of them until the end: her ex is a childish, manipulative, obsessed and a selfish dude that thinks he owns her; the girl keep lying, making dumb decisions and is basically "um pau-mandado" (i don't know the term in english but in portuguese basically means someone that can't say no and is always trying to please everyone); the director was the nicer of them but sometimes he could be a bit manipulative too (like there is one part that he use the girl to try to find the necklace).
She and her ex-husband have a really toxic relationship so i never shipped them. In the beginning i shipped her with the director but at some point i couldn't ship her with any of them. i hated the ending (in fact i barely saw the last episode. while skipping between scenes i found with who she end up)
Still never understood why the director's mom was opposed to their relationship. i even thought that could be half brothers but i don't think it was explained (unless i accidentally skipped)
I just didn't abandoned the drama bc of the whole mystery/crime (in fact the detective saved the drama. the only good character). about the whole mystery it kinda a bit meh (could be better) but is not worse than the whole romance plot.

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Don't watch if you expect the FL to end up with Namgoong Min!

I watched a small clip of Namgoong Min with Yoo In Na on YouTube and came to watch this series thinking that they'll end up together. BUT DISAPPOINTMENT AWAITED ME!!! Namgoong Min is not the ML!
It was so confusing who the FL would end up with until mid of 7th episode. All was well till the 6th episode, and I wanted to see how things would turn out, but in the 7th episode when the bride runs away from her marriage with the ML, the ML asks the FL to become her bride in the very same wedding hall in front of all the employees. The employees pressure her to get married to him so that they don't lose their jobs. Seriously, just because they don't want to lose their jobs, they didn't even care to ask her what is it that she wants, they just decided it for her on their own. Because of peer pressure, she goes to meet the Manager and somehow gets convinced to get married, and they get married. All of this happens when Namgoong Min isn't in the city. Moreover, the FL was the one who asked him to date her and she gets married when he's out of the city without even telling her bf. Seriously, shouldn't you have some basic courtesy of breaking up with your bf, at least over the phone, before you get married to your ex-husband? Somehow this FL, who is a hotel employee, doesn't have this courtesy and is a complete pushover. Like would you ever marry your ex-husband or someone under peer pressure? I understand if it's family pressure coz it would involve some sentimental threats but peer pressure? That seemed to be overboard.
I dropped at the moment she entered the wedding hall in a bridal gown. I just wanted to know how it will end, and as expected, DISAPPOINTMENT. I didn't care what the rest of the story is if it's just going to be a push and pull between an ex-couple. Most of the couples are forced ones and not natural. It's just so artificial.
Don't waste your time, there are better ones out there!

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