Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lackluster drug kingpin series has violence, sex, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Hotel Cocaine
What's the Story?
HOTEL COCAINE is a crime thriller about an infamous Miami hotel in the late 1970s, and how its general manager pursuing the American Dream negotiated both sides of the law. It's 1978, and Cuban exile Roman Compte (Danny Pino) is the general manager of The Mutiny Hotel, a flashy private establishment known for catering to the rich and famous while being the epicenter of a thriving cocaine trade dominated by the "Cuban mafia." Compte is always able to keep things going smoothly, especially when his "right hand" Janice Nichols (Laura Gordon) is around, despite the fact that their boss Burton Greenberg (Mark Feuerstein) isn't always able to manage the finances or the behind-the-scenes chaos that comes owning the popular club. When he's not at The Mutiny, Compte is at home raising his outspoken teenage daughter Valeria (Corina Bradley) with the help of his live-in girlfriend Marisol (Tania Watson). Life is going well, and Compte has high hopes for his future and that of his daughter. But when DEA Agent Zulio (Michael Chiklis) forces him to gathering intelligence on his estranged older brother Nestor Cabal (Yul Vazquez), the biggest cocaine dealer in Miami, Compre soon finds himself caught up in his brother's dangerous affairs while being obliged to continue divulging information to the federal government.
Is It Any Good?
This violent and occasionally comic fictional series is based on the history of (now defunct) The Mutiny Hotel. Hotel Cocaine attempts to recreate events at the beginning of Miami's drug wars, when Colombian cartels sought to overtake the smuggling routes controlled by Cuban-American kingpins. However, thanks to the cliché-filled writing and some absurdly simplistic plot lines, Hotel Cocaine loses its ability to fully capture Miami's drug and partying culture. Even The Mutiny, which is (in theory) central to the story, quickly becomes a generic backdrop for mundane drug-related conversations and predictable interactions. Some will find it entertaining enough to watch, while others won't find it well-produced enough to make it worth their while.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the real Roman Compte and his alleged work with the CIA. Are the stories about him and about The Mutiny Hotel true? Will we ever know?
Do you think it's necessary for the producers of Hotel Cocaine to show a lot of violence and drug use to tell the story? Could the series effectively highlight what things were like at The Mutiny and in Miami in general?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 16, 2024
- Cast : Danny Pino , Yul Vazquez , Michael Chiklis
- Network : MGM+
- Genre : Action
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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