Have you ever been deep in a binge-watch of your favourite series and just wished you could be there? Have you ever stepped out of the cinema and wanted to find yourself on the film set? If so, you could be in luck.
We've hunted down the real-life locations of our favourite movies and TV shows that you can visit not just for a day but to spend the night. Some, like the Beverly Wilshire Hotel from Pretty Woman, are as luxurious as they seem onscreen. But others, like the Timberline Lodge from The Shining, may be slightly too scary to bed down in for the night.
We’ve compiled the hotels made famous by Hollywood so you can figure out whether you should consider them for your next holiday. You may not be able to have Julia Roberts’ exact Pretty Woman experience, but at least you can stay in the same hotel room...
The Lobster
Photo: Rex
Parknasilla Resort & Spa
County Kerry, Ireland
We'd say the chances of anyone getting a relaxing stay at the fictional hotel depicted in The Lobster are pretty low, unless your idea of relaxation is to be forcibly turned into an animal. Fortunately the real hotel used by director Yorgos Lanthimos as the primary location for the film is much more serene. You may not run into Colin Farrell or Rachel Weisz but you will have access to a spa complete with outdoor hot tubs, rainfall showers and steam cabins. And unlike its brutal onscreen counterpart, you won't be forced to find a romantic partner in 45 days. Instead, explore the nearby coves or have a drink overlooking Kenmare Bay. Much more pleasant.
Twin Peaks
Photo: Rex
Salish Lodge & Spa
Snoqualmie, Wyoming
2017's revival may have made you want to binge-watch David Lynch's cult classic Twin Peaks, but what if you could visit Dale Cooper's hotel IRL? The iconic Great Northern Hotel may only exist onscreen, but Salish Hotel & Spa was used for the original 1990 filming location and even features in the opening credits. Here you can go the full Twin Peaks hog by sampling a Dale Cooper-inspired cocktail in the hotel bar or indulging in Damn Good Coffee and Cherry Pie-inspired spa treatment. Super fans can get even closer by buying boutique Twin Peaks merchandise inside the hotel.
Pretty Woman
Photo: Pictures/REX/Shutterstock
The Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Beverly Hills, California
The Beverly Wilshire is one of film’s most famous hotels. It’s the location for much of Pretty Woman and ever since the film came out in 1990 the hotel has attracted tourists to its ornate front doors. The hotel currently offers a "Pretty Woman For a Day" package (which we assume does not involve any sex workers) and you can stay in the Presidential Suite where scenes from the film were set. Best of all, the Beverly Wilshire is near all the famous designer shops in the film. You may or may not have the funds to shop in them, but hopefully the salespeople will be nice to you. If not, they’ve made a big mistake. Huge.
Photo: Via @annaukh
Lost In Translation
Photo: Focus Features/REX/Shutterstock
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
Scarlett Johansson made ennui look chic in Lost In Translation, which was largely set in the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Hopefully you’re in a bit of a better place in your life than her character was in the movie when you head to Japan and book a room overlooking the lights of Tokyo. The hotel remains a popular choice in the city, both because of the movie and because it’s actually a luxurious place to stay, and you can base your exploration of Tokyo from here. The hotel also offers several restaurants and a spa and the views look insane. Bill Murray probably won’t be there, but you can drink a whisky in his honour.
Photo: Via @parkhyatttokyo
Some Like It Hot
Photo: United Artists/REX/Shutterstock
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado, California
We know Some Like It Hot is an old movie and you may not have seen it (if you haven’t, go watch it immediately to understand the allure of Marilyn Monroe in her heyday). But the hotel where director Billy Wilder set the film is still available for your vacation needs. The beachfront hotel is historic but up to date with its amenities and feels like a quintessential southern California resort. Because it’s near San Diego you can visit year-round and always find some sunshine. Don’t just stay here because Marilyn did – although that’s a good reason – but pick Hotel del Coronado as your home away from home because it’s beautiful and right by the Pacific Ocean. We won’t judge if you get a ‘50s-style bathing suit in tribute.
Photo: Via @palemoonphotography
Somewhere
Photo: Focus Features/REX/Shutterstock
Chateau Marmont
West Hollywood, California
If you’ve ever been inside Chateau Marmont, one of Hollywood’s most famed hotels, you’ll know that Sofia Coppola hit the nail on the head in her 2010 film Somewhere. The movie was set almost entirely inside the hotel, which is a favourite celebrity haunt. Some actors actually do stay on the property for long periods of time and you can always spot someone famous in the outdoor restaurant area inside the hotel. You can and should stay there yourself. It’s a well appointed, historic hotel with a great pool and an exclusive feel. Just be sure to roll up in a nice car and a pair of oversized sunglasses, since the valets are as snobby as the staff inside when it comes to us "normal people" visiting the Chateau. Oh, and don’t mind the paparazzi outside.
Photo: Via @fernandaharcha
The Bodyguard
Photo: Warner Bros/REX/Shutterstock
Fontainebleau Miami
Miami, Florida
For some reason the Fontainebleau Miami has been very popular with filmmakers. Maybe it's the hotel’s luxe aesthetic and oceanfront locale, but the property has appeared onscreen several times, including in Goldfinger, Scarface and The Bodyguard. The latter is our personal favourite (come on) and you should enlist your significant other to carry you around the hotel in their arms. Several scenes were shot in one of the hotel’s penthouse suites, which run from about £2,000-6,000 per night. Instead, book one of the hotel’s regular rooms with an ocean view and order room service while you rewatch Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner fall in love.
Photo: Courtesy of Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami
Ex Machina
Photo: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
Juvet Landscape Hotel
Valldal, Norway
Ex Machina was a beautiful but deeply terrifying movie about how robots that look like humans should not be trusted (and how maybe we shouldn’t create them to begin with). The Juvet Landscape Hotel, located in the wilds of Norway, stood in for the modern house in the movie. There are nine detached rooms with views of the incredible mountain landscape that you can book to experience the natural wonder of rural Scandinavia. The hotel also has a spa area alongside the river for your relaxation purposes. We can’t promise there won’t be rogue robots running around, but we’re fairly certain you’ll be safe. Just maybe don’t watch the movie before heading out on your holiday.
Photo: Courtesy of Juvet Landscape Hotel
In Bruges
Photo: Pictures/REX/Shutterstock
Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce
Bruges, Belgium
You’re probably not heading to Bruges to hide out after a job as a hitman, so your experience in the Belgian city should be far different (and much less violent) than Colin Farrell’s in In Bruges. The historic boutique hotel where much of the film is set is a real place and available for bookings. There’s a downstairs bar and tearoom and the bedrooms are a fitting balance between ornate and rustic. It’s centrally located near the main town square, so you can experience Bruges in all its glory – which you definitely want to after seeing the scenery in the film. Just stay away from the clocktower if someone happens to be hunting you.
Photo: Courtesy of Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce
Somewhere In Time
Photo: Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock
Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Oh, Somewhere In Time. The saddest, most romantic movie our mums made us watch as children. The 1980 flick, which tells the heartbreaking tale of a time traveller who falls in love, is set in the real-life Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan. The island is still a favourite summertime destination, which you arrive at by ferryboat, and the Grand Hotel has been a must-stay since 1887. The grandiose hotel now looks vintage and the rooms have a kitschy antique vibe. Your stay won’t be cheap (weekday rates start at over £250 per night), but you can pretend you’re Jane Seymour and a young Christopher Reeve is in love with you. The hotel even offers yearly celebrations for the film’s anniversary, if you really want to get in the spirit.
Photo: Via @grandhotelmichigan
The Witches
Photo: Warner Bros/REX/Shutterstock
Headland Hotel
Newquay, England
Cornwall’s Headland Hotel, which opened in 1900, is best known as the location for the 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, starring Anjelica Huston. The hotel welcomes fans of the film and suggests booking rooms 205, 223 and 227, which were all used as bedrooms during filming. Today the rooms are modern and chic – perfect for a seaside getaway – and the hotel’s spa is well renowned. It’s a far cry from the vibe of the movie, but when you stand outside by the cliffs and look at the ocean it’s easy to imagine you’re in that world. Visit because you loved the movie as a kid, or just because you want to have a nice weekend away.
Photo: Courtesy of Headland Hotel
The Shining
Photo: Bros/Hawk Films/REX/Shutterstock
Timberline Lodge
Mt. Hood, Oregon
Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining after staying at The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, but the film version of the novel was shot at a remote hotel in Oregon. The Timberline Lodge, located on the slopes of Mt. Hood, stood in for the story’s terrifying Overlook Hotel. Book one of the rooms, which have a rustic cabin vibe, and enjoy the nearby skiing. It’s an incredibly popular tourist destination thanks to The Shining, but Mt. Hood is legitimately a nice place to visit and experience the Pacific Northwest of America. And if you get snowed in, don’t worry – it’s unlikely anyone will try to murder you.
Photo: Via @timberlinelodge
Dirty Dancing
Photo: Everett/REX/Shutterstock
Mountain Lake Lodge
Pembroke, Virginia
No one puts Baby in a corner. But you can recreate the character’s stay at the fictional Kellerman Resort, which was located in New York's Catskill Mountains in 1963. Dirty Dancing didn’t actually film any scenes in upstate New York, though. Most of the movie was shot in Pembroke, Virginia at the Mountain Lake Lodge, where you can book the Virginia Cottage where Baby’s family stayed in the film. The hotel has hosted themed weekends in the past where guests can take dance lessons, toss watermelons and, of course, watch the flick itself. But whether you’re a fan or not, the Lodge is a great way to see the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoy a weekend in rural America. As to whether your boyfriend can lift you over his head, well, that’s between you and him.
Photo: Courtesy of Mountain Lake Lodge
Ghostbusters
Photo: Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Los Angeles, California
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, located in downtown Los Angeles, is a favourite of Hollywood. Not only has it hosted several years' worth of Academy Awards, but the hotel is also where scenes from Beverly Hills Cop, The Sting and Rumor Has It were filmed. But the hotel's most famous appearance came in the original Ghostbusters when it stood in for the fictional Sedgewick Hotel in Manhattan. Although ghosts destroyed the hotel in the film, it remains intact and available for your sleeping pleasure. It’s a massively historic property and near the thriving downtown area. It’s also a bit stuffy and not as hip as some of the newer LA hotels like the Ace. So maybe it’s more worth an Instagram opportunity than an actual booking. Your call.
Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Biltmore HotelLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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