Ask any reality TV fan and they’ll tell you they’re obsessed with dating shows, The Real Housewives, or — if they’re lucky — both. That’s exactly what Bravo has delivered with its newest series, Bravo’s Love Hotel — a romantic reality experiment that sends four familiar Housewives to Mexico in search of eligible bachelors.
Airing Sunday, April 27, Bravo’s Love Hotel follows Shannon Storms Beador (The Real Housewives of Orange County), Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby (The Real Housewives of Potomac) and Luann de Lesseps (The Real Housewives of New York) as they check into the Grand Velas Boutique Hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico — a dreamy, oceanfront setting perfect for romance and the Houseviwes ultimate girls trip,
First for Women recently caught up with the stars to learn exactly what they are looking for in a man and what they hope to get out of the show. Read on for more.
Shannon Storms Beador is hoping to find love after her legal troubles
Ana York/Bravo
In November 2023, Beador was sentenced to three years’ probation following her driving under the influence (DUI) and hit-and-run charge, a time that she said was “rough.”
“After my DUI, I didn’t date and I just worked on myself. And so when I was asked to do the show, it had been that one-year mark, and I thought, ‘Okay, this would be a fun way for me to try and get back out here,’” she said. “I realized that when it comes especially to my personal life, I don’t make the best choices. And so what I did is I focused on myself and have been working with a therapist, and I’m creating healthy boundaries in my life and trying to eliminate as much toxicity as I can.
“I was probably in the lowest place I’ve ever been in my life after the DUI, and I didn’t think I’d be able to dig myself out of the hole that I dug. And I feel proud of myself, because the year after that was incredibly tough with friendships, with old relationships, with legal issues and filming. It was a lot. So, to be in probably the happiest place I’ve ever been, I’m proud of myself that I could get through it all. Ultimately, it was a good thing for me because I realized I can be on my own, take care of myself and get through it.”
Despite having that mindset, Beador remains hopeful that she’ll find a man who is “kind-hearted, intelligent, fun, family-oriented and a good communicator.”
“I’m a relationship girl, so the concept of dating more than one person simultaneously was a little bit uncomfortable for me. Still, I appreciate that, because I don’t often feel uncomfortable. So that part was fun.”
Beador is 61 and lives in Los Angeles, California. She has two daughters, who are expected to make a cameo on the show.
Gizelle Bryant shares that she is ready to finally put herself first
Ana York/Bravo
Bryant is 54 years old and has been on The Real Housewives of Potomac since 2016. Before that, she was married to Jamal Harrison Bryant from 2002 until 2009 and even had three kids with him, but following their split, the reality TV star put dating on the back burner and focused on her children.
“I got divorced 16 years ago, so I honestly don’t even remember being married. I don’t even think about it. It’s not in my daily life. My focus post-divorce was always my kids and just making sure that they had the best life possible. Now they’re all in college, and I’m a huge empty nester,” Bryant shared. “Now in my life, it’s all about me and what I want to do, what I think is important, what makes me happy and what fulfills me. So, the show Love Hotel was perfect timing because it just allowed me to not think about my children and put me first.”
Once she finally does that, Bryant hopes to find someone who will “make me laugh.”
“So it took me some time to get some comedy out of these guys because I just feel like if you have a long-term partner and he can’t make you laugh, that’s a problem right out of the gate. So that’s what I was looking for,” she continued, before sharing that, man or no man, she “did find out a lot about myself from the process, and it was enlightening.”
Ashley Darby opens up about being a ‘hardcore romantic’
Ana York/Bravo
Darby, 36, might be the cast’s youngest member, but that isn’t stopping her from opening herself up to finding love at The Love Hotel.
“I came in with some preconceived notions, because I have watched every love show imaginable. I’ve always thought about what I would say or do if I were in that position, and how would I respond if someone that I was interested in did this or that, like I see on the shows,” she shared. “So I expected that I would just go in there and sort of own it since I’d watched so many love shows, and was very pleasantly surprised that there was quite a bit that I needed to learn about myself when it came to dating.
“I’m just a hardcore romantic, and I’ve been begging and pleading with the powers that be, and when the opportunity came, I was very happy to say yes to being a part of Bravo’s first dating show.”
Upon her check-in, Darby said that all she wanted was a “hot guy” who valued self-care.
“Men are taking care of themselves in different ways. They’re more conscious of their appearance and style, and I needed to find a guy who was stylish in his own right. I can’t carry it for the two of us. He’s got to be able to share some of the weight.”
The reality star has two young children, both of whom appeared briefly on The Real Housewives of Potomac.
Luann de Lesseps spills on her love life and cabaret career
Ana York/Bravo
Luann de Lesseps—a.k.a “The Countess”—has appeared in 13 of the 15 seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City. She also has a very successful cabaret career, which she says she “works very hard on.”
“It’s been an amazing, incredible journey for me and my shows,” she noted. “You never get to see my show on television because of music rights. They always just show drama around my show. So when people come to my show, they’re like, ‘Wow.’”
De Lesseps is currently on tour for her latest show, “Countless Cabaret,” but she said that is not stopping her from heading to Mexico to find love.
“I’ve been single for quite some time now, and so when they called me and said, ‘We want to send you on a trip, and we’re gonna find you guys,’ I was, like, ‘Good luck with that,’” she joked. “They actually did bring around some really great guys. I was thrilled with the idea of doing something other than The Housewives. This show is about finding love again at this point in our lives. And I think it’s going to be inspiring for the fans.”
The Countess is 59 years old and has two children.