''Hotel del Luna'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series, starring Lee Ji-eun and

Yeo Jin-goo Yeo Jin-goo (, born August 13, 1997) is a South Korean actor. Yeo began his career as a child actor, debuting in the film '' Sad Movie'' (2005). Nicknamed "Nation's Little Brother", he went on to play the younger characters of the lead roles in ...

as the owner and manager, respectively, of the eponymous

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

that caters only to

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

s. Produced by GT:st, written by the

Hong sisters Hong Jung-eun (born 1974) and Hong Mi-ran (born 1977), collectively known as the Hong sisters (), are South Korean television screenwriters currently managed by Studio Dragon. Together, they have written popular romantic-comedies, notably '' M ...

and directed by Oh Choong-hwan, it aired on

tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...

from July 13 to September 1, 2019. It was the most viewed tvN drama of 2019 and is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.

Synopsis

"Hotel del Luna" (previously known as "Guest House of the Moon") is not like any other hotel. A supernatural place, the hotel is not visible in its true form during the daytime and humans can only come across the hotel under special circumstances. Its staff and clients are all ghosts coming to terms with unfinished business in their former lives before they pass on to the afterlife and cycle of reincarnation; the staff, in particular, have been there for decades or centuries as they have not settled their grudges. The exception to this is the hotel's general manager, which has been filled by a succession of human "passersby" since they need to interact normally with the real world in certain instances, like paying bills or fulfilling ghosts' requests with still-living relatives/friends. Jang Man-wol ( Lee Ji-eun) is the owner of this hotel, which is located in

Myeong-dong Myeongdong () is a dong in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea between Chungmu-ro, Eulji-ro, and Namdaemun-ro. It covers 0.99km² with a population of 3,409 and is mostly a commercial area, being one of Seoul's main shopping, parade route and tourism ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. Due to a huge sin committed more than a millennium ago, the hotel catering to the dead has been bound to her soul. As a result of manipulation by the deity Mago (

Seo Yi-sook Seo Yi-sook (; born 6 December 1966) is a South Korean theatre, television and movie actress. As supporting actress, Seo is known for her supporting role in drama ''Empress Ki'' (2013–2014), '' The Rebel'' (2017), ''Hotel del Luna'' (2019), '' ...

), Jang Man-wol meets Gu Chan-sung's father (

Oh Ji-ho Oh Ji-ho (born April 14, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the television dramas '' Couple or Trouble'' (2006), '' The Slave Hunters'' (2010), ''Queen of the Office'' (2013) and ''My Fair Lady'' (2016). Career Oh was born and r ...

) and makes a deal: in exchange for his life, his son will work for her 20 years later. Desperate to save his son, the father takes Gu Chan-sung (

) abroad. The young man grows up to be a sincere, level-headed perfectionist with a soft heart. He comes back to South Korea after his father's death, 21 years later to be an assistant manager at a multi-national hotel corporation, only to face Jang Man-wol, after which he ends up fulfilling the agreement and becomes the manager of Hotel del Luna. Through Gu Chan-sung, the mysteries and the secrets behind the hotel and its owner are revealed.

Cast

Main

* Lee Ji-eun as Jang Man-wol ** Kim Gyu-ri as young Man-wol : The moody owner of Hotel del Luna (Guest House of the Moon). She was condemned to this fate in order to atone for the sins she committed 1,300 years ago. Alternating between being aloof and bad-tempered, she is known for her love of extravagant things, particularly luxurious outfits, fast cars, and expensive champagne. *

as Gu Chan-sung **

Kim Kang-hoon Kim Kang-hoon (Korean: 김강훈; born 2009) is a South Korean child actor. He is known for his roles in the television series '' Pride and Prejudice'' (2014), ''Criminal Minds'' (2017), '' Mr. Sunshine'' (2018), '' When the Camellia Blooms'' (2 ...

as young Chan-sung : The new

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

of Hotel del Luna. He is a

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

graduate hired as an assistant manager at one of Korea's top hotels. However, due to a deal his father made with Jang Man-wol twenty-one years before, Chan-sung is forced to become the general manager for Hotel del Luna. Being stoic and rational puts him at odds with Man-wol, particularly curbing her spendthrift and extortionist tendencies.

Supporting

At the Hotel del Luna

Jung Dong-hwan Jung Dong-hwan (born August 5, 1949) is a South Korean actor. Jung began his career in theater, then was most active in Korean cinema in the 1980s, with leading roles in ''Late Autumn'' (1982), ''Jung-kwang's Nonsense'' (1986), and ''A Top Knot ...

as Noh Joon-suk : The hotel's general manager for 30 years and Chan-sung's predecessor. He considers Man-wol as a sister, daughter and friend. *

Shin Jung-geun Shin Jung-geun (born September 26, 1966) is a South Korean actor. He is most active as a supporting actor in films such as ''Running Turtle'' (2009), '' In Love and War'' (2011), ''The Grand Heist'' (2012), and '' The Five'' (2013), as well as t ...

as Kim Seon-bi (formerly Kim Shi-ik) : The longest employee of the hotel and the Sky Bar's

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but a ...

. Before his death, he was a

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

scholar. *

Bae Hae-sun Bae Hae-sun is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as ''Hi Bye, Mama!'', ''Hotel del Luna'', '' All of Us Are Dead'', and ''Don't Dare to Dream''. Biography and career She was born on May 8, 1974 in Seoul. She comp ...

as Choi Seo-hee : The housekeeper and

room service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

provider with an extrovert personality. She lived during the Joseon era as a

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

's wife. * Pyo Ji-hoon as Ji Hyun-joong : The hotel

receptionist A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title ''receptionist'' is attributed to ...

. He is nice and polite but does not like his job. He was a student who died at the height of the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. *

Kang Mi-na Kang Mi-na (; born December 4, 1999), known mononymously as Mina, is a South Korean singer, rapper and actress signed under Jellyfish Entertainment. She is best known for finishing ninth in Mnet's K-pop girl group survival show ''Produce 101' ...

as spirit of Jung Soo-jung / Kim Yoo-na : A rich and arrogant student, whose body ends up being inhabited by the spirit of Jung Soo-jung, a schoolmate whom Yoo-na bullied and accidentally killed. When Yoo-na's spirit is destroyed, Soo-jung decides to remain inside Yoo-na's body and assume her identity.

People around Jang Man-wol

Lee Do-hyun Lim Dong-hyun, (; born April 11, 1995) better known by his stage name Lee Do-hyun (), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Hotel del Luna'' (2019), '' 18 Again'' (2020), '' Sweet Home'' (2020), and ''Youth of May'' (2 ...

as Go Chung-myung : A

Later Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...

royal guard captain who becomes a friend of Man-wol and Yeon-woo. *

Lee Tae-sun Lee Tae-sun (born July 16, 1993) is a South Korean actor. Career Lee Tae-sun made his television debut in the 2016 romantic comedy ''Entertainer'' where he portrayed a single dad and bassist of a band. The following year, he was cast in '' Qu ...

as Yeon-woo / Officer Park Young-soo : The co-leader of the

bandits Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...

and Man-wol's foster brother. He is reincarnated as police detective Park Young-soo.

People around Gu Chan-sung

Cho Hyun-chul Cho Hyun-chul () is a South Korean actor. He gained recognition for his roles in the television series ''Hotel del Luna'' (2019), '' D.P.'' (2021), ''Inspector Koo'' (2021), as well as the films '' The First Lap'' (2017) and ''Samjin Company Eng ...

as Sanchez : Chan-sung's best friend since they were studying at Harvard. He is the son of a wealthy pizza franchise operator, running the restaurant in Seoul. He opens up his house to Chan-sung and Lee Mi-ra. *

Park Yoo-na Park Yoo-na (born December 23, 1997) is a South Korean actress under 8D Creative's WIP sub-label. She is best known for her roles in the television series '' My ID is Gangnam Beauty'' (2018), ''Sky Castle'' (2018–2019), '' Hotel del Luna'' ( ...

as Princess Song-hwa / Lee Mi-ra : A

princess. After spending several lifetimes atoning for her sins, she is reincarnated as Lee Mi-ra, a doctor and Chan-sung's ex-girlfriend from his university days. *

Lee David Lee David (born March 3, 1994) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in ''Poetry'', '' The Front Line'', and Itaewon Class. He has also had starring roles in '' Romance Joe'' and ''Pluto Pluto (minor-plane ...

as Seol Ji-won : A rich young man and Chan-sung's schoolmate at Harvard. He holds a grudge against both Chan-sung and Sanchez. He is later revealed to be a

psychopathic Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

who murdered at least seven people, in which all of their souls became guests of Hotel Del Luna.

Other characters

as Mago : A goddess who controls the life and death of people passing through the hotel and appears in many forms. *

Kang Hong-seok Kang Hong-seok (; born February 11, 1986) is a South Korean actor. Personal life Kang married musical actress, Kim Ye-eun on 26 September 2016. Their daughter was born on 11 February 2019. Filmography Television series Film Variety show ...

Grim Reaper Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...

: A spirit who guides the souls staying at the hotel to the afterlife and captures wandering evil spirits. *

Kwon Han-sol Kwon Han-sol is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as ''Miss Lee'', ''She Would Never Know'', ''Snowdrop'', ''Extracurricular'' and ''Sh**ting Stars''. She also appeared in movies ''The Battleship Island'', '' Jo P ...

as Kyung-ah *

Song Duk-ho Song Duk-ho is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in dramas such as '' Tracer'', ''Moonshine'', ''Hotel del Luna'' , ''Juvenile Justice'', ''Taxi Driver'' and '' Link: Eat, Love, Kill''. He also appeared in movies ''Secret Zoo'', '' ...

as Oh Tae-seok : He is a soldier who runs away from war when the war breaks out so he could take care of his younger sister.

Special appearances

as Chan-sung's father (Ep. 1 & 16) *

Kim Won-hae Kim Won-hae (born April 6, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He is best known as a former cast member of ''SNL Korea'' (season 1–4). Personal life In August 2020, it was reported that Kim tested positive for COVID-19 Coronavirus dis ...

as the mayor (Ep. 1) *

Lee Chae-kyung Lee Chae-kyung ( born on 22 January 1975) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1998 in theater, and since then, she has appeared in a number of plays, films and television series. She got recognition for her supporting roles i ...

as hotel CEO (Ep. 1–2 & 10) * Nam Kyoung-eub as Chairman Wang (Ep. 2, 9 & 10) *

Lee Joon-gi Lee Joon-gi (born 17 April 1982) is a South Korean actor, singer, dancer, and model. He rose to fame on his first leading role playing a clown in the critically acclaimed film ''The King and the Clown'' (2005) and gained further recognition in ...

as priest (Ep. 3) *

Lee Si-eon Lee Si-eon (born Lee Bo-yeon on July 3, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his comic supporting role in the popular campus drama ''Reply 1997 ''Reply 1997'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series that centers on the liv ...

as astronaut (Ep. 3) *

Jo Hyun-sik Jo Hyun-sik (born March 13, 1983) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series Film Musical Theater References External links *Jo Hyun-sikat Daum (web portal), Daum Jo Hyun-sik
at Naver, Naver Movies {{DEFAULTSORT:Jo ...

as hotel guest (Ep. 3) *

Hong Kyung Hong Kyung (born February 14, 1996) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role in the film ''Innocence'' (2020), which won him a Baeksang Arts Award. Career After graduating from Hanyang University, Hong made his acting debut with ...

as baker (Ep. 4) * Kim Mi-eun as bride Lee Soo-min (Ep. 5) *

Lee Yi-kyung Lee Yi-kyung (born January 8, 1989) is a South Korean actor. Career Lee made his acting debut in 2011, and first gained recognition from playing a rebellious student in the teen drama ''School 2013''. Thereafter, he played supporting roles in t ...

as actor Yu Oh (Ep. 6) *

Pyo Ye-jin Pyo Ye-jin (born February 3, 1992) is a South Korean actress. Among her representative works are her roles in television series ''VIP'' and ''Taxi Driver''. Career Pyo Ye-jin worked as a flight attendant from 2011-2013 at Korean Air before she ...

as actress (Ep. 6) * Kim Jun-hyun as himself (Ep. 6) *

Park Jin-joo Park Jin-joo (born December 24, 1988) is a South Korean actress. She starred in television series such as ''Jealousy Incarnate'' (2016), and ''Something About 1 Percent'' (2016). Filmography Film Television series Web series Television ...

as Gyeong-ah (Ep. 8) *

Nam Da-reum Nam Da-reum (born June 13, 2002) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor, having played young versions of the leading characters in several popular Korean dramas, and best known for his lead role in '' Beautiful World'' (2 ...

as Spirit of the Well (Ep. 9–10) *

Sulli Choi Jin-ri (March 29, 1994 – October 13 or 14, 2019), better known by her stage name Sulli (), was a South Korean actress and singer. She first made her debut as a child actress, appearing as a supporting cast member on the SBS historical d ...

as Jung Ji-eun (Ep. 10) * Choi Yoo-song as spirit of Chan-sung's mother (Ep. 10) *

Seo Eun-soo Lee Jeong-min (; born March 2, 1994) is a South Korean actress and model. Seo made her acting debut in the 2016 television drama '' Don’t Dare to Dream''. Seo received her big break after portraying the role of Seo Ji-soo in the KBS2 family dram ...

as Veronica (Ep. 11) *

Hwang Young-hee Hwang Young-hee is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her roles in dramas, '' While You Were Sleeping'', ''My Healing Love'', and '' Nokdu Flower''. She also appeared in movies such as '' The Witness'', '' Stray Dogs'', ''May 18 ...

as Hwang Moon-sook (Ep. 11) * Lee Seung-joon as doctor (Ep. 12) *

So Hee-jung So Hee-jung ( born on 28 May 1973) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1994 in theater, since then, she has appeared in number of plays, films and television series. She got recognition for her supporting roles in ''The K2'' ...

as doctor's wife (Ep. 12) * Kim Seung-han as doctor's son (Ep. 12) * Lee Min-young as ghost (Ep. 13) *

Kim Soo-hyun Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. One of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, his accolades include four Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. From 2012 to 2016 and in ...

as new owner of the Guest House of the Moon, renaming it Hotel Blue Moon (Ep. 16)

Original soundtrack

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Special soundtrack

Chart performance

Viewership

This series aired on

, a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters ( KBS, SBS, MBC and

EBS EBS may refer to: Broadcasting * EBS TV (Ethiopia) * Educational Broadband Service, US TV service * Educational Broadcasting System, South Korea ** EBS 1, a South Korean television channel * Emergency Broadcast System, former US Warning system ...

). It was the most viewed tvN drama of 2019, and is currently the sixteenth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history.

Awards and nominations

Adaptations

US remake

On June 24, 2020,

Studio Dragon Studio Dragon Corporation () is a South Korean drama production, marketing and distribution company under CJ ENM's E&M division. It was established on May 3, 2016, as a spin-off from E&M Media Content. The company joined the KOSDAQ index of Ko ...

announced that it would co-produce an American remake of ''Hotel del Luna'' with

Skydance Skydance Media, LLC (formerly known as Skydance Productions) is an American production company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company entered a five-year partnership to co-produce and co-finance films with ...

. Alison Schapker will be in charge of developing and producing the series. She will be working with Miky Lee, Jinnie Choi and Hyun Park of Studio Dragon, and

David Ellison David Ellison (born January 9, 1983) is an American film producer and actor best known as the founder and CEO of Skydance Media. Early life and education David Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California. He is the son of billionaire Ora ...

, Dana Goldberg and Bill Bost of

Skydance Television Skydance Media, LLC (formerly known as Skydance Productions) is an American production company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company entered a five-year partnership to co-produce and co-finance films with ...

Korean musical

On January 27, 2021, the theater company Showplay announced that ''Hotel del Luna'' would be adapted into a stage musical scheduled to premiere in 2022.

References

External links

*
''Hotel del Luna''
at

''Hotel del Luna''
at GTist * * * {{Works by Studio Dragon Korean-language television shows 2019 South Korean television series debuts 2019 South Korean television series endings TVN (South Korean TV channel) television dramas South Korean fantasy television series Television shows written by the Hong sisters Television series by Studio Dragon Television series about ghosts Television series set in 2019 Television series set in hotels Television shows set in Seoul