User Reviews

I honestly respects everyone's opinion and I will never state that someone else's thoughts and views are irrelevant, but I just need to highlight something here… The other reviewer submitted his comment when only six (out of the ten) episodes got aired on Belgian television and then already publicly claimed that the series was dumb, predictable and derivative. That's not fair. If you don't like a series after a few episodes, just stop watching but don't discourage other people to watch, because the creators deserve a chance to tell their FULL story. Admittedly I also wasn't very impressed after the first couple of episodes of "Beau Séjour", but the concept was curious and compelling enough to keep watching all ten episodes, and I must underline that every new episode was darker, more suspenseful and better than the one before.

The series centers on a teenage girl, Kato Hoeven, who wakes up one morning in a bloody bathtub in a sleazy hotel that has yet to be opened for the public. Kato quickly comes to the painful conclusion that she is dead – viciously murdered, in fact – but that her "ghost" is still around; presumably to solve her own murder. Five people can apparently still see and talk to Kato, including her alcoholic father, her jealous stepsister, the corrupt local chief of police, her secretive best friend and a handsome but mysterious young lad who recently got released from a psychiatric clinic. As the story unfolds, it rapidly becomes clear that all five of them in some way interacted with the poor girl during the night she got murdered. Is the killer one of these five person or does each of them need to solve their own little piece of the puzzle. The regular investigation is led by two intelligent police women, and they stumble upon several complicating leads, like a drug-trafficking network, previous unsolved murders, cuber-stalking and police involvement.

No, the premise of "Beau Séjour" isn't exactly innovative and the series is definitely modeled after a handful of successful American prime-time series, but you honestly can't blame the makers (who are all women, by the way) for being ambitious. Although I think there's still a number of defaults and illogicalities in the story, the screenplays are very well-written, with professional and excessive use of tense cliffhangers, unpredictable plot-twists and shocking revelations. Especially for a Belgian series aired on national television during prime time, "Beau Séjour" has a very dark and depressing atmosphere, features a fairly large amount of violence and extreme language and it certainly doesn't avoid sensitive subjects that are mostly still taboo. I simply must also mention that the series has a downright fantastic and ultimately moody theme-song!

The acting performances are really good, also thanks to the fact that the cast is allowed to speak in their own local vulgar dialects. Whenever actors and actresses are obliged to talk the so- called "civilized Dutch", like the cast in most films and TV-series originating from Flanders, the performances often suffer tremendously from this. The cast doesn't include Flanders' absolute finest players, but still there are several acclaimed names like Reinhilde Decleir, Barbara Serafian, Katrin Lohman and Jan Hammenecker. The rest of the cast is familiar as well, if you live in Belgium at least, and especially the young cast members give away solid performances. The grand finale – at the end of the 10th episode ONLY – is bleak and grim but satisfying. In case you think the denouement is far-fetched or implausible, then I suggest to watch the daily news, because horrifying tragedies like these really do happen.

At around the time of the 8th episode, I heard on the radio that the acclaimed company Netflix bought the international rights for airing the series. Here's to hoping it will have some success beyond the Belgian borders as well.

This was a very enjoyable show. The writing was good, the acting was good, and the plot was very interesting. I also really enjoyed the imagery and character interactions. I thought it was very realistic. I watched the entire show in just a week. I will say that it is a little drawn out and slow moving, and some of the dialogue was strange (although this might be because the English translation was a little to formal), but overall I really enjoyed this show. It would be great for anyone who appreciates more subtle acting and a dark story.

I'm always looking for something new, and the description on Netflix sucked me in. Although it started a little slowly, there was enough to keep my interest going and I was not disappointed. Part of the "charm" for me is the subtitles (I had to Google where Flemmish was spoken) and I believe that having to read them forces you to pay more attention...which is a good thing. I guess if you take Dutch, French and a few pieces of English and wad it all up, you get Flemmish...this was the first time I've seen a series with that language and it's not so hard to understand.

Anyway, the story was great and kept me guessing till the end. I believe this was rated TV 14 in Belgium, but it would be considered to "vulgar" for TV over here so Netflix has given us this dark little gem of a series. Murder, drugs, corruption and a few dysfunctional families make this typical of many American crime drama stories, the international flavor seems to make it even darker and more horrifying. Great stuff!

This was recommended by the weekly New York Times "What to Watch" column. And I have mostly enjoyed their picks. I like mysteries and the twist of this one - the murder victim's ghost tries to solve her own murder - was intriguing. I found it totally absorbing. I have never been to Belgium so was fascinated by the culture, architecture, etc. The theme music grabbed me and the atmosphere of the production got to me as well. I pride myself on predicting outcomes of murder mysteries, but this one totally eluded me. I really like being surprised like that. I found the ending very moving. Would love to see more from the group that made this.

I really enjoyed watching this show, so much so that I stayed up til after 1am last night finishing it off and I'm a teacher who has to be at school ungodly early. I probably wouldn't have chosen to watch this on my own. I started the show after my 3 year old got hold of the remote and put it on thinking it was something else, and when I heard the music I thought, "what kind of weird, foreign show is this?" But I turned it back on later and watched the first episode, considering it pretty interesting. I was skeptical at first of the whole undead/ghost plot and wasn't sure how to deal with it plausibly, but quickly became entrenched in the characters and really found myself enjoying each episode. I literally watched the majority of the season last night, because I could not turn it off. I kept saying, "this is the last one," and then it would be such a crazy cliffhanger, that I had to see what happened next. I actually didn't guess the killer until the very end, which I think is fantastic. There were lots of twists and turns, but even more important than plot twists was just that I thought it very good and steadily captivating. It had good acting and writing. It was dark, but I was peaceful at the end. It wasn't hokey, though it was sad. I felt settled after finishing and glad that I'd watched it.

Confession: I'm a fan of mysteries, crime dramas, and surreal situations. This series hit all three targets spot-on. A very complex plot, high-grade cinematography, excellent directing and acting, and intelligent dialogue all came together here. The plot was absorbing to the point that my wife and I binge-watched two or more episodes at one sitting. Well casted and sometimes challenging. This series deserves the time to watch, and more important, absorb it as it develops. One of the best.

To me, Hotel Beau Séjour was probably the best show I've seen on Netflix, and the best whodunit/thriller since The Killing. It's never dull, doesn't get soapy despite its length and isn't full of the clichés that make story telling easy, but characters unbelievable. The acting is very natural, and the production level is high, certainly for Belgian standards, where the budgets are rather small.

The plot is not the series' main strength. In fact, I thought the final bit of detection was the weakest point.

Instead, the series' strength is the telling of the everyday lives of ordinary people, sucked up in a world they don't completely understand and control, and how that can lead to the death of a young girl. It is a story of weakness, the weakness that defines the human condition. The whole business is common and sordid, but can only be told by showing the entire context, from the laissez-faire attitude of a farmer via the failures of a drunk headmaster to the clumsy sexuality of a simpleton. The truth can finally only be seen through their despair and helpless attempts to make something out of their lives, and the writers can only be praised for making almost every character a round and integral part of the story. In that sense, this series provides a deeply compassionate view on society and all its flaws.

These Belgian series are a great surprise. The first parts let me doubt if I have made a good choice on Netflix. But then the story and the murder mystery began really to start. The characters have been well developed and this thriller took me and my wife on a nonstop hell ride. Fact is that every actor delivered a top performance and finally it was a very convincing and breath taking countdown. Kato was very special, she was so nice. At the end I had even tears. Don't miss it, see it just as a movie and don't ask yourself too much about. In this way it will work and satisfy your expectations. 8/10.

From the USA, I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It sucked me in more than I thought, especially for a somewhat slow burner. I was afraid it would be another Netflix series that just fizzled after a few episodes, but this did not disappoint. If you enjoy a dark mystery and a night in, check out this show.

To the people who keep writing reviews complaining of English dubbing, you can literally select the original audio track and put on subtitles! There is no way I would have ever watched it with dubbing.

Part whodunnit, part Mike Leigh social drama at its most tedious. Brilliant idea, very well acted, with unbearably tense moments. Typical of Belgian and French series, much- in this case, far too much- time is devoted to the back story and the multi-level entanglements of the protagonists, inevitable in a small town where everyone knows everyone.

Everyone has their own agenda and pursues it to the detriment of the investigation. Developments are at a snail's pace.

In all, all these stories become tiresome and one wishes that the series would just get on with it.

I really, REALLY, enjoyed this series (even though I had to use subtitles, so I know some feeling was lost in translation). I had heard nothing of it and grew really attached to some of the characters and REALLY hated a couple of others. Such investment and attachment to characters tells me that the actors were doing something right. Kudos to the Actors, writers and everyone who took part in this series. Great job and hope to see more like it!!! I give it an 8 out of 10!

Really well made, the actors are all great. It gets better, more interesting and suspenseful with each episode. It may feel a bit slow for some, but there are multiple characters and stories within the series and it all comes together in the end. I can not believe the ending. What a surprise. I like to watch it in the original format, with subtitles, since I can't stand anything dubbed, it's so distracting and fake). I'm watching it again!

It is indeed true that the acclaimed company Netflix purchased the international rights for airing the series in USA - to good effect. We really pine after tense multi-cultural thrillers and this one fits the genre well, and is off to a good start here. Almost everyone identifies with Kato Hoeven - wouldn't you do exactly what she does, if you were killed, if you could?

I enjoyed Hotel Beau Sejour.But what a shame that the distributor opted for dubbing over subtitles. At best the dubbing seems like the tracking is way off-but the effect is really more like a poorly acted production. This is too bad because reviews of the show in its original language describe strong acting. Also,voices and characters didn't seem to go together. For me, the dubbing just spoiled an otherwise we'll done and absorbing murder mystery. For fans of the genre, it is still definitely worth watching.

As this ten part Belgian drama opens Kato Hoeven, a young woman wakes up in room 108 of the eponymous Hotel Beau Séjour. She has blood in her hair and has no memory of the events that led to her being there. When she gets up she sees a body in the bath... her own! She leaves the hotel and soon discovers that a handful of people can see her; her father, step-sister, the local police chief, a female friend and the police chief's son who has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. They are all people she was somehow connected to but why these particular people can see her and other people equally close to her can't isn't immediately obvious, either to the viewer or to Kato. Given the seriousness of crime the investigation is led by two officers from the Federal Police. Kato observes the investigation and tries to get those who can interact with her to help them... unfortunately not all of them are that keen to see the case solved; most notably the chief of the local police. As the series progresses Kato learns more about what happened to her and dark secrets emerge.

I really liked the central premise of this series and thought it was effectively handled. It doesn't waste time with the technicalities of Kato's new existence; it just gets on with the story. The mystery unravels at a gentle pace but never drags. The more we learn about the various characters the more suspects and possible motives arise. Given that Kato is dead one might not expect there to be much sense of danger but there is; those who can see her can touch and thus harm her and various events and revelations put other people in danger too. The cast is impressive; most notably Lynn Van Royen as Kato. The rest of the cast is solid; especially those who must act as though they can't see or hear Kato; I don't think I spotted any of them even glancing at her. Overall a gripping series that kept me guessing; I had no idea who the killer was right up to the final reveal. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of murder mysteries looking for something rather different.

These comments are based on watching the series in Flemish with English subtitles.

Beau Sejour,

Terrific example of how to "DO" a show with mystery and cliff hanger endings to make you watch the next episode. For shore it has a ring of I see dead people, but only a very quiet ring. The interaction between the heroin and those around her is fantastic and takes a little getting used to but once your there your on your way. Even if you work out :who did it" before the end you have to keep watching. A fine example of the "Scanny Nour"

Well done Belgian your not just cream buns and the HQ for the EEC!

I'm simply an amateur watcher so these are just my opinions. This show has a storyline checking all my favourite elements in a crime show: a small town mystery, bit of sci-fi, and a murder that stir up everyone's life. However, the show bored the most out of me. I usually finish shows like this in one sitting; yet I had to spend three days because it was unbearably boring. The show has so little background music and it weirded me out. The characters have such weak charisma and thus were unable to keep my attention. There were very few sparks between the characters and all in all that is just a very bad setting. Idk if the writers even meant to attract audience at all. There was not a single character that I fell in love with and I usually am a fangirl who quickly falls for a good character. The story takes an unnecessarily long time to lay out the truth that I fell asleep in between episodes. I never felt like having spent more time watching an only 10-hour show than this one. It felt painful how long everything was taking and it left me with nothing more to desire. Besides all my disappointment I must say the actors are brilliant.