The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), and it's making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marriage to the love of his life, Sunaina (Tina Desai). Sonny has his eye on a promising property now that his first venture, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful, has only a single remaining vacancy, posing a rooming predicament for fresh arrivals Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) and Lavinia Beech (Tamsin Greig). Evelyn Greenslade (Dame Judi Dench) and Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy) have now joined the Jaipur workforce, and are wondering where their regular dates for Chilla pancakes will lead, while Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup) and Carol Parr (Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating the tricky waters of an exclusive relationship, as Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) juggles two eligible and very wealthy suitors. Perhaps the only one who may know the answers is newly installed co-manager of the hotel, Muriel Donnelly (Dame Maggie Smith), the keeper of everyone's secrets. As the demands of a traditional Indian wedding threaten to engulf them all, an unexpected way forward presents itself.