Famous hotels featured in movies
Almost nothing inspires travel like movies do. From the confines of our couches and the movie theater, we can be whisked away from wherever we are to far-off destinations for a few hours. For a lot of folks, it’s what we see on the silver screen that makes us stop and say, “Wow, I really want to go there.”
From the sands of Bora Bora and Fiji to the bustling streets of Tokyo and Beverly Hills, California, there’s no shortage of incredible places featured in classic films, knee-slapping comedies, dreamy dramas and everything in between.
Better yet, plenty of these movies were filmed at or mentioned real-life hotels around the world that you can visit — including plenty that can be booked with points.
So, whether you’re a serious cinephile, a Netflix champion or only catch a movie while you’re up in the air, here are some of our favorite hotels you’ll recognize from movies like “Pretty Woman,” “Sideways,” “The Hangover,” “Home Alone 2,” “The Blue Lagoon” and more.
Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
If you didn’t know about Beverly Hills before Julia Roberts’ breakout performance in “Pretty Woman,” chances are you were trying to figure out how to live the lifestyle as soon as the credits started rolling. The film, which has Roberts and Richard Gere posting up in the Beverly Wilshire during a whirlwind romance, gives us normal set a two-hour taste of what it’s like to live like the rich and famous — room service included.
Rates at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel start at $795 per night. For an especially cinematic experience, you can book the Pretty Woman for a Day package, complete with a specialty suite, personal wardrobe consulting at Rodeo Drive shops and a couple’s spa experience.
Park Hyatt Tokyo
In “Lost in Translation,” it’s easy to get lost in the wow factor of Tokyo, one of the world’s most populated cities. At the Park Hyatt Tokyo, located on the top levels of a 52-story high-rise, guests can look at the sprawling metropolis and wonder how it came to be.
The iconic property is currently closed for a much-needed revamp, but it will be that much more spectacular when it reopens, likely in the second quarter of 2025. When it does, visit for a chance to live out your Sofia Coppola fantasies. Before you book, it’s best to sign up for World of Hyatt, as members can earn and redeem points at this hotel in the heart of Shinjuku.
Rates at the Park Hyatt Tokyo are currently unavailable while the property undergoes renovations.
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The Plaza Hotel
We all know Kevin McCallister, Macaulay Culkin’s character, racked up a hefty bill during his solo stay there in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” but we know it was all worth it for the incredible room service, plush beds and grandeur that we’ve all dreamed of since the film was released in 1992. Just remember: It’s usually better to tip in cash than pieces of gum.
Rates at the Plaza Hotel start at $799 per night. For the full movie experience, book the hotel’s Home Alone 2: Fun in New York package, which includes such highlights as a limo ride around the city to visit the famous filming locations and an over-the-top ice cream sundae delivered right to your bed.
Related: Home alone: I was one of the only guests at the newly reopened Plaza Hotel, and it was truly magical
Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Nobody wants to go to Las Vegas to have an experience like the one in “The Hangover,” but that’s kind of the point of it, right? You never know what’s going to happen. What you can count on, however, is a first-rate experience at Caesars Palace and probably one that doesn’t include a tiger. There, go check out a headline show at The Colosseum (where Celine Dion made her mark), shop at one of the fanciest malls you’ll step foot in and try your very best to stay out of trouble.
Rates at Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino start at $80 per night.
Related: 13 best hotels in Las Vegas for a Sin City getaway
Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection by Hilton
Not many movies have as much staying power as the 1959 film “Some Like It Hot.” Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, the movie will have viewers thinking the hotel in the film, called the Seminole Ritz, is in Miami. In reality, the actual hotel is the Hotel del Coronado (often called “The Del”) near San Diego. A grand, if not funky, building that dates back to 1888, this seaside palace is bound to make you feel like a star yourself.
Rates at the Hotel del Coronado start at $662 or 95,000 Hilton Honors points per night. As part of the hotel’s massive $550 million renovation, the Victorian building entrance received a completely reimagined front drive — reorienting the guest arrival experience to restore it to mirror the property’s original arrival experience at its grand Victorian lobby, as it was when “Some Like It Hot” was filmed.
Related: The best hotels in San Diego
Fontainebleau Miami Beach
One of Miami’s most iconic hotels, Fontainebleau Miami Beach appears in more movies than you probably realize. Since it opened on Millionaire Row in 1954, the hotel has been featured in the 1964 Bond film “Goldfinger,” the slapstick comedy “The Bellboy” and Whitney Houston’s “The Bodyguard.” If you really want to know how great the resort is, just ask Al Pacino’s “Scarface” character Tony Montana, who says, “This is paradise, I tell you,” while looking out at its sandy beaches.
Rates at Fontainebleau Miami Beach start at $375 per night.
Related: The best Miami Beach hotels
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort
If any movie will make you want to go to paradise, it’s “Couples Retreat,” the 2009 comedy set in Bora Bora. While you might not need to go on an over-the-top couples retreat to visit paradise, The St. Regis Bora Bora — where much of the movie was filmed — is the perfect place to take a romantic trip with your significant other. A truly luxurious resort where you can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, the property offers an atmosphere that’s truly Oscar-worthy.
Rates at The St. Regis Bora Bora, a Marriott Bonvoy Category 8 resort, start at $2,227 per night. Awards typically cost between 70,000 and 100,000 points per night — if you can find availability.
Turtle Island
In the late ’70s, film producers approached Richard Evanson, an American businessman who built Turtle Island, to use his island to remake the 1949 movie “The Blue Lagoon.” After filming wrapped for the 1980 remake — starring a teenage Brooke Shields — Evanson decided to open the property to guests. The barefoot luxury property now hosts a maximum of 14 couples in bures built from island timber by resort staff.
The all-inclusive resort offers activities like horseback riding, scuba diving, kayaking and snorkeling. It partners with the World Wildlife Fund and invites guests to help tag and release turtles back to the sea and participate in more activities that support the natural ecosystem. Each guest also plants a tree before leaving the island. Oh, and this either seals the deal or breaks it: Turtle Island is Wi-Fi-free by design.
All-inclusive rates at Turtle Island start at $2,950 per night for a minimum of five nights.
Mountain Lake Lodge
Nobody puts Baby in the corner. Fans of the 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing” will recognize that iconic line — and the Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia, where much of the movie was filmed. Tucked into the Appalachian Mountains in the middle of a 2,600-acre nature preserve, the lodge offers dance lessons in the same spot where Baby and Johnny practiced their moves. Visiting fans can take a guided tour for behind-the-scenes filming insights, and the lodge’s on-site restaurant even offers a menu inspired by the film’s time period. Choose from a range of accommodations, including cozy cabins and luxurious suites, all steeped in rustic charm.
Rates at Mountain Lake Lodge start around $260 per night.
Half Moon
Jamaica is where Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond stories — and the island country was also one of the movies’ earliest filming locations. In 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” Bond visits the fictional island of San Monique — actually Montego Bay’s luxurious Half Moon property. Specifically, Cottage 10 is where Roger Moore stayed; the resort’s restaurant was also featured. Fun fact: This iconic property is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
Half Moon sits on 400 acres of lush grounds with 2 miles of private beachfront. It also features one of the largest spas in the Caribbean, an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Sr. championship golf course and the award-winning Sugar Mill restaurant.
Rates at Half Moon start at about $550 per night. Half Moon is part of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty program.
Related: The best all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, from honeymoon hot spots to family-friendly resorts
Turtle Bay Resort
The 2008 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is funny, soul-satisfying, star-studded (Jason Segel, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell) and downright wanderlust-inducing, with a dreamy setting in Hawaii filmed at Turtle Bay Resort. The property also more recently made headlines for being purchased by Marriott, which plans to turn the resort into a Ritz-Carlton, as TPG reported in May.
Located on Oahu’s North Shore, known for epic surfing and wildlife diversity, Turtle Bay Resort comprises 1,300 acres with 5 miles of pristine coastline and seven beaches. Here, there are 408 ocean-view guest rooms and suites, plus 42 waterfront ocean bungalows; you can even book the one that Peter (Jason Segel) stays in during his on-screen misadventures at the resort.
Rates at Turtle Bay start at around $700 per night. Stay tuned for Marriott award availability once the property reflags in early July 2024.
Related: The best hotels on Oahu, from luxury resorts to iconic hotels
Sideways Inn and Alisal Ranch
When “Sideways” was released in 2004, more than a dozen Solvang and Santa Ynez Valley locations and businesses made cameos in the film that would make this California wine region famous. In the 20 years since the seminal wine movie’s release, the greater Santa Ynez Valley has exploded with hospitality offerings; two hotels that served as filming locations still welcome guests.
Sideways Inn (formerly Days Inn Buellton) appeared in multiple scenes. Book Room 234 to get the real experience from the movie.
Additionally, Alisal Ranch’s golf course features prominently. Set on more than 10,000 acres, the luxury dude ranch will offer a promotional package to celebrate the movie’s anniversary this year. It’s set to include a special appearance from Rex Pickett, author of the novel that inspired the film, as well as a dinner with wine pairings and dishes featured in the movie and an outdoor screening on the golf course.
Rates at the Sideways Inn start at around $100 per night. For Alisal Ranch, you can book online or call the property to determine the best accommodation type for your group. Rates start at $1,125 per night.
