Hotel Beau Séjour

Lore & Background

The series' first season was shot on location at the real Hotel Beau Séjour in Dilsen-Stokkem. The father of co-creator Nathalie Basteyns had stayed at the hotel ten years before the show was created, and it made an impression upon him. Basteyns and Kaat Beels conceived the idea for the series immediately after the child murders of serial killer Marc Dutroux were still fresh in people's minds. They added a supernatural element to set it apart from other neo-noir dramas. Lynn Van Royen, who portrays teenager Kato, was 28 and pregnant with her second child during the shoot. The creators hoped to make the series an anthology, with a different dead character in each season.

A second season was announced in November 2017, with Sanne Nuyens and Bert Van Dael returning as writers. The writers received a subsidy of 25,000 euros from the Flemish Audiovisual Fund. In February 2019, it was announced that the city of Bruges and production house De Mensen had reached an agreement to film the second season in Zeebrugge. Filming began in summer 2019, with Gene Bervoets cast in a leading role. In December 2019, Bervoets was injured during filming; he was treated at the hospital and released the same day.

Reader's Guide

Hotel Beau Séjour gained international attention as a distinctive supernatural crime drama. The first season was well received by critics, with particular praise for Lynn Van Royen's portrayal of the murdered Kato. John Doyle of The Globe and Mail compared it favorably to the first season of HBO's True Detective, calling it 'a remarkably textured, slow-burning and compelling murder mystery.' The Los Angeles Times called it a 'worthy new addition to a crowded streaming field of moody European crime thrillers.' American horror master Stephen King praised the series on Twitter, calling it 'Eccentric, brilliant, and strangely touching. Supernatural fare for those who don't ordinarily like it.' The series' anthology format—each season featuring a different murder victim trying to solve their own death—set it apart from conventional crime dramas. Its second season shifted to a new cast and storyline, maintaining the same premise. The show aired on Eén in Belgium, on Arte in France, Germany, and French-speaking Belgium, and on Netflix in some countries, broadening its reach.

Did You Know?

• The first season was shot at the real Hotel Beau Séjour in Dilsen-Stokkem.
• Lynn Van Royen, who plays teenager Kato, was 28 and pregnant with her second child during the shoot.
• The creators conceived the series after the child murders of serial killer Marc Dutroux were still fresh in people's minds.
• Actor Gene Bervoets was injured during filming of the second season and was treated at the hospital.