Genre: Horror | Thriller | Survival
Directed by: Bobby Barbacioru
Starring: Peter Dobson, Manuela Harabor, Ovidiu Niculescu, Ionut Grama
Runtime: 1h 24min | Country: Romania | Language: English
In the cold, fog-covered hills of Romania lies the setting for Hotel of the Damned—a horror survival film that attempts to blend Eastern European folklore with gritty suspense and classic B-movie terror. With a premise that holds eerie potential, the film sadly never escapes its low-budget trappings and formulaic writing.
After being released from prison, Roman Calin (Peter Dobson) picks up his estranged daughter Becca to escape into the countryside. However, a car accident strands them and their companions in the middle of nowhere. Seeking shelter for the night, they stumble upon a decaying, abandoned hotel deep in the forest—a place with a grim history and something sinister lurking in the shadows.
As night falls, it becomes clear that this hotel is not as empty as it seems. Deformed, feral residents begin to emerge from the darkness, forcing the group into a desperate fight for survival.
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Peter Dobson tries to carry the film with a rough-edged performance, but his character never feels fully fleshed out.
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Manuela Harabor and Ionut Grama deliver serviceable supporting roles, though the dialogue often feels stiff.
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The antagonists—the hotel’s inbred cannibalistic residents—are more creepy in design than in performance, rarely leaving a lasting impression.
The film's strength lies in its setting. Shot on location in Romania, the dilapidated hotel and surrounding woods offer genuine creepiness. The interiors are filled with rotting furniture, flickering lights, and long, empty corridors—all ripe for atmospheric tension.
Unfortunately, director Bobby Barbacioru never fully capitalizes on this eerie setup. The pacing drags in the middle, and the film leans too heavily on predictable jump scares rather than sustained suspense.
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Redemption and family tension
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The dangers of isolation
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Civilization vs. savagery
While the film lightly touches on these ideas—especially through Roman’s fractured relationship with his daughter—it never dives deep enough to elevate the narrative.
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Creepy, believable location
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Some effective atmospheric horror in early scenes
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Practical effects over CGI
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Short runtime keeps it from overstaying its welcome
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Weak script and underdeveloped characters
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Generic “inbred cannibal” villains
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Predictable scares and horror clichés
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Wooden dialogue and inconsistent acting
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Lack of originality in plot structure
Hotel of the Damned is a by-the-numbers horror survival flick that wastes a promising location and eerie premise. It may satisfy die-hard fans of the backwoods horror subgenre looking for a quick scare, but for most viewers, it's a forgettable stay.
