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Lights. Camera. Action.
Since the silver screen’s earliest days, movies have whisked us into other worlds. Places where bumbling Englishmen like Hugh Grant always get the girl, Julia Roberts gets every hunk in Hollywood (also including Hugh Grant), and where hobbits are thrust into dangerous quests to the fires of Mount Mordor (Hugh Grant not involved this time). One of the few ways we can live out our big-screen fantasies is by staying in the hotels used as filming locations.
Once there, fully embrace cliche and throw yourself in a decadent bathtub a la Pretty Woman, order a pizza at a luxury hotel like Home Alone, or even try the Dirty Dancing lift where it really happened (futile).
Here are some amazing hotels used as filming locations. Roll camera.
Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel – Pretty Woman
Location: Los Angeles
Price: $890+
Vibe: Unabashed luxury for “Pretty woman, walkin’ down the street…”
The rundown: The first of two transatlantic Julia Roberts filming locations, Beverly Wilshire is where she found herself holed up as her relationship with Richard Gere blossomed from escort and client to full-blown romance.
While the Penthouse Suite was filmed elsewhere, the Four Seasons property was the exterior and setting for the film. The hotel leans into the connection today and even offers a Pretty Woman package that features VIP fashion tours, high-end dinners, and the finest suites the hotel has to offer.
Park Hyatt Tokyo – Lost in Translation
Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo
Price: $980
Vibe: Serene urban oasis—far happier than the movie
The rundown:Bill Murray’s iconic turn as Bob Harris in the now cult classic, Lost in Translation, revolves around the Park Hyatt Tokyo. While it’s by no means a happy film (it’s a deep dive into loneliness and dissatisfaction), the hotel itself is widely recognized as a character in itself.
Director Sofia Coppola loved the hotel’s serenity and atmospheric views over the neon-laced skyline of Tokyo and decided it was the perfect filming location for the melancholy rom-com. Check in for a few nights on your next Japan trip—maybe to ease in or out of jetlag.
Still have no idea what that whisper was about, thoug
The Plaza Hotel – Home Alone 2, The Great Gatsby, Sleepless in Seattle, Bride Wars
Location: New York City
Price: $590+
Vibe: Luxury hideout from the Wet Bandits
The rundown: Few hotels have featured as a filming location as much as The Plaza Hotel in New York City. It’s been a centerpiece in North by Northwest, The Great Gatsby, Sleepless in Seattle, and Bride Wars, but it’s most affectionately known as the setting for Home Alone 2.
The stunning hotel has no problems acknowledging its big-screen fame and offers a Home Alone package, gifting guests a large cheese pizza, a giant ice cream sundae, and a limo ride around the city.
Four Seasons Resort Langkawi – Crazy Rich Asians
Location: Langkawi, Malaysia
Price: $480+
Vibe: Crazy Luxury in Asia
The rundown: Crazy Rich Asians took the world by storm on its release and did wonders for breaking down damaging stereotypes associated with the Asian population. Of course, being “crazy rich” meant the Singapore-based family at the center of the plot lived extravagantly.
Few places were more so than the Four Seasons resort in Langkawi. The secluded Malaysian property is a stunner, perched on staggeringly beautiful beaches and flanked by limestone cliffs. Not to mention, Malaysia is an underappreciated gem of Southeast Asia.
Mountain Lake Lodge – Dirty Dancing
Location: Virginia
Price: $185+
Vibe: Dirty dancing; clean hotel
The rundown: You’re guaranteed to have the time of your life…as long as your partner has the upper body strength to replicate that move.
The Virginian getaway is the setting for the iconic movie Dirty Dancing and offers weekend getaways themed around Baby and Johnny’s exploits. They are hugely popular; they’re already sold out for 2023 but include group dance lessons, DD scavenger hunts, parties, and complete food packages.
Just don’t put Baby in the corner. Because nobody does. Nobody.
Fontainebleau Miami Beach – Scarface, Goldfinger, The Bodyguard
Location: Miami
Price: $399+
Vibe: Sunny luxury and not a cock-a-roach in sight
The rundown: “Say hello to my little friend”
Thankfully the Fontainebleau, the setting for the violent climax of Scarface, has no themed experiences. We’re unsure how a stay revolving around a power-hungry drug lord would look.
The iconic Miami outpost is one of the most popular hotels used as filming locations, popping up in The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston and even as the home of James Bond baddie Goldfinger. It’s an excellent hotel steeped in history and perfect for a chilled out weekend in the Florida hotspot.
Timberline Lodge – The Shining
Location: Timberline, Oregon
Price: $230+
Vibe: Heeerreeee’s quite a nice hotel actually
The rundown: If you’re a fan of the film adaption of Stephen King’s The Shining, you’ve got two options for a creepy stay—although neither is actually that scary. King himself was said to be inspired by the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. You can still stay here and enjoy one of their night tours, but the hotel is pretty beautiful—albeit very secluded.
If you’re looking for the one used in the film, the Timberline Lodge is the property you’re looking for. Die-hards might be disappointed, as it was purely an exterior filming location. The iconic hallways were filmed in a studio in England.
Gran Hotel Ciudad de México – Spectre
Location: Mexico City
Price: $184+
Vibe: Mexican elegance—neither shaken nor stirred
The rundown: Few hotels have enjoyed the marketing delivered by Spectre, Daniel Craig’s third turn as James Bond. Mexico City, and the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico take center stage in an expertly crafted one-take intro.While the guestroom featured was a studio, the hotel’s famous interior was in full focus, including its original mechanical elevators. Throw in the Dia la Muertos festival (also fabricated for the movie), and you’ve got an unforgettable scene. The hotel itself is a bastion of service in the city and well worth a visit—even if you’re not staying.
The Ritz – Notting Hill
Location: London, United Kingdom
Price: $1000+
Vibe: Just a hotel, standing in front of a traveler, asking them to book them
The rundown: This is one of the most iconic hotels used as filming locations in one of the most iconic cities. The Ritz is impeccable and the only place where Julia Roberts could have stayed as her romance with British heartthrob Hugh Grant sparked.
Thankfully, you won’t need to pretend you’re a journalist for Horse and Hound magazine. Amusingly, Grant was a guest editor for the real magazine back in 2015—that’ll win you a pub quiz one day.
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