Marisa Ventura, a single mother raising her 10-year-old son Ty, works as a maid at the Beresford Hotel in the heart of Manhattan. When not in school, Ty spends time with Marisa's fellow hotel workers, who think she can be promoted to management.

While Marisa and her co-worker Stephanie are cleaning the room of socialite Caroline Lane, Stephanie convinces Marisa to try on a Dolce & Gabbana coat. Lane had previously asked for it to be returned to the store, and Stephanie argues that it "technically" does not belong to anyone at the moment. Elsewhere in the hotel, Ty befriends hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher "Chris" Marshall, whom Ty learns has an interest in Richard Nixon, the subject of his school presentation. Ty wants to go with Chris to walk his dog and the pair go to Caroline's room to ask Marisa for permission. Chris meets Marisa, who is wearing the designer coat, and is instantly smitten with her. He assumes that she is Caroline. The trio spend some time together at the park. Though Marisa and Chris are attracted to each other, Marisa is terrified that management will find out about the ruse and makes it a point to avoid Chris afterwards.

Chris asks the hotel's head butler, Lionel Bloch, to invite "Caroline Lane" to lunch, but is confused when the real Caroline shows up instead of Marisa. Marisa was present when she received the invitation and even offered Caroline advice on what to wear for their "lunch à deux". When the real Caroline shows up, Chris asks his assistant Jerry Siegal to find "the other Caroline Lane", promising that he will attend an important dinner and wishes her to go with him. Jerry asks Lionel to find her. Lionel, who has figured out that Marisa is the woman Chris has been looking for, tells her to go to the dinner and end the affair swiftly if she wants a future in hotel management. Stephanie and the hotel staff assist her in preparing for the evening by styling her hair and loaning her an expensive dress and spectacular necklace.

Marisa is unable to end the affair, and she spends the night in Chris' hotel room. The next morning, Marisa is spotted by the real Caroline and her friend leaving Chris' room. Caroline blurts out the truth to the hotel management and Marisa is fired in front of Chris in Lane's hotel suite. Both Marisa and Chris spend time apart with him still thinking about her. Marisa is also hounded by the media and her disapproving mother Veronica.

Some time later, Marisa secures another job as a maid at another hotel. Chris is giving a news conference at the same hotel. Ty attends it and asks Chris whether people should be forgiven if they make mistakes, referencing former President of the United States Richard Nixon. Ty leads him to the staff room where Marisa is having her break. Chris and Marisa are reunited, and the film ends with images of publications showing that Chris has been elected, he and Marisa are still together after a year, and Marisa and her maid friends have been promoted to management.