The narrative of Bad Times at the El Royale centers on a titular hotel which sits directly along the center of the California-Nevada border, as a group of unrelated misfits including a Catholic priest, a professional singer, an FBI agent posing as a traveling salesman, and a hippie each check-in in 1969.
Due to the conflicting state laws of California and Nevada, the hotel operates under a bizarre set of rules, in which half of the building is legally allowed to serve alcohol while the other half isn’t.
As one character quickly learns, the hotel has something even more bizarre lurking just under the surface, as a hidden wall gives way to a large corridor with one-way mirrors peering into each room.