Life in a Quiet Hotel: Behind the Scenes of Hotel Victoria

Some projects quietly happen in the background.
Hotel Victoria did not.

What started as “hey, want to help out with a little series?” in January 2023 turned into a surprisingly cinematic and deeply detailed production by Huckleberry Hax, set in a seaside hotel during the pandemic lockdown. A lonely caretaker. Empty halls. Echoing rooms. The kind of silence that feels heavy rather than peaceful.

Naturally, this required a lot of work. Mostly from me. Obviously. (Insert dramatic sigh here.)

The Hotel That Ate 2023 (and 2024)

Before we get to my heroic acting career, let’s talk about the hotel itself.
Huck didn’t just build Hotel Victoria; he constructed a small emotional universe.

I’ve seen the early stages of this place in 2023 and 2024, when it was still a collection of ideas, half-built rooms, and “no, no, that wall isn’t final yet” explanations. Watching it grow into a fully realised, atmospheric setting was honestly impressive. Every hallway, every room, every view out to that moody seaside felt deliberate.

Which is important, because once filming starts, you don’t want to discover the lift doesn’t actually go anywhere. Don’t ask me how I know.

Acting. Capital A.

Now, about my role(s).

I wasn’t just an actor. I was many actors.
A true chameleon. A versatile talent. An avatar with range.

I had the honour of being (physically, spiritually, polygonally):

Many of the guests leaving the hotel ( I lost count)
The hotel manager
The radio DJ
The lift engineer (also voiced by me, because yes, I do that too)
The keyboard player in a band
A dancing snowman in the music video
And a girl in the music video
A TV news presenter

This is what they mean when they say theatre is hard.

The voices of the characters were brilliantly performed by Lydia Lindemann, Boudicca Amat, Graeme Young, Ava-Jean Westland, Sammie Westland, GJ Hicks, Persephone Phoenix, and Huck himself as the caretaker.
Genuinely excellent work, and absolutely the right people for the job, since I cannot do multiple voices and, quite importantly, a UK hotel can only support so many Dutch accents.
I, meanwhile, focused on the physical performance: outfits, posture, timing, and the highly specialised art of standing and sitting very still while not accidentally deleting or moving a prop.

Do you know how exhausting it is to convincingly walk out of a hotel lobby multiple times, pretending you’re a completely different person each time?

Method acting. Look it up.

Practical Effects, Second Life Style

On top of my on-screen genius, I also assisted with what we’ll generously call technical wizardry.

Some shots required objects moving up and down at exactly the right moment, so Huck could film without needing three PCs, six hands, and a nervous breakdown in real life.

So there I was. Quietly nudging objects. Raising and lowering things on cue. Making cinema happen.

This is what they don’t show you in the behind-the-scenes documentaries, right?

It Was, Actually, Fun

Joking aside, this project was genuinely fun to work on. Creative, collaborative, occasionally chaotic, and very satisfying to see come together. Huck’s vision, the voice work, the setting, it all clicked into something that feels intimate, a bit eerie, and oddly comforting.

And now?
You can binge all episodes of Season 1 on Huckleberry Hax’s YouTube, which, honestly, feels perfect for the holidays. Cosy up. Watch a lonely seaside hotel. Feel feelings. Marvel at the lift engineer’s impeccable presence.

Enjoy and let us know what you think!