If You Miss ‘Narcos,’ You Should Watch ‘Hotel Cocaine’
The glitz and glamor of 1978 Miami comes to life within the walls of the Hotel Mutiny, an exclusive members club. Here, you can leave your worries at the door and indulge in pure ecstasy. Literally. Miami’s hottest destination is a place of drug-fuelled debauchery, sure, but also a place where you can leave your worries at check-in and let go of all that ails you. And if you’re a member of the Mutiny club, there’s an exceptional chance you have some seriously heavy worries.
Created by Chris Brancato, Hotel Cocaine, premiering June 16 on MGM+, begins with a furious energy, matched by Swizz Beats' opening earworm, a song so catchy you’ll be singing “Hotel Cocaine” like it isn’t an absolutely ridiculous title. The show's sense of excitement immediately separates it from its crime-drama competitors, as this seems to offer something different: Who said the cocaine trade can’t be fun?
Our guide inside the heady, hedonistic paradise is Roman Compte (Danny Pino), general manager of the Hotel Mutiny. “We were the hottest pleasure palace in Miami,” Roman warmly narrates in the first scene, amidst shots of partying. “Drug dealers avoided killing each other because everyone was having too much fun,” he recalls. That fun, however, is about to come to a crashing halt. DEA agent Zulio (a delightful Michael Chiklis, in familiar territory) has discovered Roman’s brother is none other than Nestor Cabal (Yul Vazquez), one of the most notorious coke dealers in all of Miami.