The Hotel

S04:E08 - S04: E08 - Goodbye Mark

In this moving final programme, it’s the end of the summer season and time for entertainments manager Mark Jenkins to say goodbye to the Cavendish Hotel. But this week Mark has more than hotel business on his mind as his mum Stella is recovering in hospital following a stroke. Despite the worries about his mum, Mark is nonetheless determined, in his words, “to go out with a bang”. He plans to secure his legacy at the hotel and restore his reputation in Torquay by hosting a lavish Black tie gala celebrating local family businesses like the Cavendish. But it’s years since the hotel has put on a function on this scale and at first the owners are reluctant to give the go ahead. With his characteristic can-do attitude however, Mark soon changes Vicky’s mind. As she admits, “All summer Mark has had this knack of making me do things I do not want to do. He talks and talks until in the end you give in… give me strength! ”. Hotel staff now spring into action preparing food and covers for 70 guests, but when the day of gala arrives, Mark shares a guilty secret with ex-colleague Alison. Tickets sales are in trouble and with just hours to go he’s only sold 23 seats. Can he and Alison turn things around in time? And just as importantly has Mark achieved enough this summer to ensure the struggling hotel now has a future?Meanwhile behind the scenes, staff are preparing a secret event of their own: an emotional send-off for Mark whose madcap ways they have come to appreciate and will certainly miss when he's gone. This week checking into the hotel is single mum Alice with her chatty four year old, Noah. She calls him her “surprise” as she only discovered she was pregnant at around eight months, a week before Noah was born. Also staying this week are the Olivers from Cornwall and dad Jeff reveals why he swapped a highflying career for a quieter life in the country.