Hotel Reserve

In 1938, Austrian refugee Peter Vadassy travels to the Hotel Reserve on the French Mediterranean coast to mark the completion of medical school and his impending French citizenship. He settles in at the hotel to enjoy a peaceful holiday, unaware that danger is already stirring in the shadows. The stay becomes the backdrop for the espionage plot that follows.

Peter goes to a local pharmacy to collect his photographs but is detained and questioned by Michel Beghin of the French naval intelligence. His negatives include shots of French military installations, and investigators notice the camera's serial number does not match Peter's own. The incident marks the first sign of the spy network surrounding the hotel.

Beghin releases Peter on the condition that he identify other hotel guests who own cameras like his. The assignment drags Peter into a covert investigation, turning the holiday into a delicate espionage mission. Failure would likely bring severe consequences.

Peter eavesdrops on a suspicious conversation between Paul Heimberger and Madame Suzanne Koch in the hotel. The dialogue hints at a clandestine network at work, and Peter senses a broader plot beyond a single camera. This overheard exchange pushes him to dig deeper into the hotel's guests.

Peter searches Paul Heimberger's room and finds several passports bearing different names and nationalities. The discovery confirms that the hotel is home to a network of covert identities. Heimberger confronts Peter after the intrusion, but the confrontation ends without a resolution at that moment.

During the exchange, Heimberger explains that he was once a Social Democratic newspaper publisher who opposed the Nazis and joined an underground movement after his release from a concentration camp. His backstory clarifies why he is entangled in the hotel’s spy intrigues. Peter learns there are real dangers behind every identity.

Peter sees his camera in the pocket of a dressing gown worn by Odette and Andre Roux, a honeymooning couple staying at the hotel. The Rouxs' possession of the camera links them directly to the espionage network. The tension rises as Peter realizes the extent of the spy ring.

Andre Roux first tries to buy Peter's silence by offering money for the negative. When this tactic fails, he escalates the confrontation by pulling a pistol. The hotel atmosphere grows increasingly dangerous as betrayal and violence loom.

The police arrive amid the escalating tension and arrest Peter on suspicion of espionage. Beghin’s manipulation of the situation is revealed as part of a larger scheme. The arrest disrupts the fragile balance of the investigation.

The Roux couple leave the hotel and discover Heimberger attempting to disable the hotel's car. Andre shoots Heimberger dead as they speed toward Toulon, with law enforcement in pursuit. The escape attempt triggers a broader manhunt along the coast.

Beghin is revealed to have known the spies' identities all along and has been using Peter to uncover who the Rouxs report to. This twist reframes Peter’s role in the operation as a pawn in a larger intelligence plan. The revelation shifts the focus from individuals to the network behind them.

The spy ring is finally captured by authorities, closing the operation on the French coast. Beghin's earlier maneuvering seems vindicated as the network unravels under pressure. The hotel, once the scene of intrigue, returns to silence as arrests are made.

Andre manages a brief escape but is cornered on a rooftop by Peter. He attempts another bribe, but loses his footing and falls to his death. The climactic moment ends the pursuit and removes a key member of the spy ring.