Characters: Hyde's Connections
The characters are the most interesting aspect of Hotel Dusk, besides maybe the hotel itself. Each person Hyde meets during his stay is a fully fleshed-out individual with their own hopes, fears, and interesting past that has informed who they are.
Kyle Hyde is our intrepid and sarcastic protagonist. An ex-cop turned salesman, Hyde's specialty is finding items that are deliberately hidden. He's desperate to find one thing in particular, though: his old partner on the force, Brian Bradley. Hyde uncovers the secrets of Hotel Dusk and its connections to Bradley through wit and elbow grease. In other words, he's pushy, and that's usually how he gets his way.
Brian Bradley is Hyde's ex-partner from their time in the NYPD. He became entangled in a crime syndicate he was investigating called Nile, which resulted in Hyde shooting him three years prior to the start of the game at the docks of the Hudson River. He's still alive and on the run, and Hyde is searching for him -- and for answers.
Ed Vincent is Hyde's new boss at Red Crown, a door-to-door sales company that doubles as an operation to find things that are deliberately kept hidden. Vincent was friends with Hyde's late father, and he gave Hyde his new gig after he left the NYPD. He checks in with Hyde over the phone during the investigation at Hotel Dusk.
Rachel is Vincent's secretary and a close friend of Hyde's. She also checks in with Hyde over the phone, and the two flirt a bit. Rachel is Hyde's go-to if he has a question about the case or needs something researched. She's sharp and resourceful.
Dunning Smith is the manager of Hotel Dusk and the first person Hyde meets upon arrival. He's a gruff but caring guy who takes pains to make the hotel welcoming and accomodating for people, even going so far as to give the rooms cutesy names. A former artist, he's decorated the hotel with various paintings, and he has a bit of a dark past, as Hyde discovers. Dunning means well but doesn't always make the best decisions.
Rosa Fox serves as the hotel's maid and cook. She's a good resource for gaining information on other characters as she loves to talk, and she has a warm, open personality. She's curious about people, a great cook, and a motherly figure for some of the guests.
Louis DeNonno is Hotel Dusk's bellhop, but he's not always great at his job. Hyde quickly recognizes him as a pickpocket from New York City, and the two become close friends throughout the course of the game, with Louis often doing favors for Hyde around the hotel to help with his snooping investigation. Louis is friendly and often serves as the game's comic relief.
Mila Evans is a young woman who Kyle first encounters walking along the highway on his way to Hotel Dusk. He runs into her again at the hotel, where she has been taken in by the staff. She's unable to speak and communicates by writing in a notebook. Shrouded in mystery, is she connected to Kyle's search somehow?
Melissa Woodward is a little girl who's staying in room 219 ("Bravery") with her dad, Kevin. She's spunky and carefree, but she's "rude as hell" to Kyle (in his words) in the beginning. She eventually warms to him, though, and Kyle discovers that her mom walked out on the family, which is most likely the root of her attitude problems.
Kevin Woodward is Melissa's dad. He's struggling to balance single fatherhood with his career as a doctor, and as a result he's seemingly always tired and stressed. He has a short fuse with both Melissa and Kyle, but he experiences growth throughout the course of the game. He tells Kyle that he feels like he never really leaves work.
Martin Summer is a well-known author staying in room 211 ("Honor"). Rosa is a fan of his and asks Kyle to get his autograph for her. Martin is a bit haughty and annoys Kyle at first with his overwrought habit of speaking, but he holds a secret that Kyle uncovers during the course of his investigation.
Helen Parker is a sweet old woman who stays in room 212 ("Angel"). She was hoping to stay in Kyle's room, "Wish," but unfortunately arrived after he was given his lodgings. She's searching for someone important to her. She has a warm, soothing personality, and Kyle becomes friends with her quickly, even spending an evening at the bar with her, where she orders a gimlet.
Jeff Angel is a 19-year-old staying in room 213 ("Trust"). He's standoffish and arrogant, believing that no one understands him and his problems are the only ones that matter to him. He has a strained relationship with his father and is untrusting of adults as a result. He's also the one who picked up Mila on his way to the hotel, but he leaves her to the staff once they arrive.
Iris is a glamorous woman residing in room 216 ("Success"). Like many people at the hotel, she's looking for someone, but she keeps her secrets close to her chest. She's a bit snobbish, and it's apparent that Iris isn't her real name. Kyle refers to her as "princess," due to her stuck-up attitude, but Louis is enamored by her beauty. She uses her success as a shield, but she opens up to Kyle and becomes nicer throughout the game.