During the Christmas season of 1944 in the Pacific coast port city of Manzanillo, hotel manager Chinto loses his temper and assaults "Inés," the homosexual cook. Inés complains to the police, but when several patrolmen come to arrest Chinto, he pulls a pistol and shoots them. The authorities soon lay seige to the hotel; Chinto's employees, oddly enough, follow his orders without question and assist him in barricading the hotel's doors and windows. The guests include U.S. consul Kraft and Pamela, the blonde mistress of a Mexican businessman (whose Mexican wife is also staying in the hotel). Chinto has been having an affair with one of the maids (who, unknown to him, is pregnant with his child), but he begins a brief sexual liaison with Pamela (she asks him "Who taught you English?" and Chinto replies, "George Raft").