5 World-Class Hotels Made Famous By Movies

Luxury hotels have always inspired Hollywood. Serving as the backdrops to films like “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Lost in Translation,” these hotels are perfect for movie buffs:

Park Hyatt Tokyo – “Lost in Translation”

Sofia Coppola’s award-winning 2003 film—starring Bill Murray as an aging actor and Scarlett Johansson as a discontented newlywed—was filmed in spots all over Tokyo, from karaoke bars and shabu-shabu restaurants to historic temples. But ask anyone who’s seen the movie, and chances are they will most remember the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which almost becomes another main character in the film.

From the moment a guest walks in and collects the room key on a sterling silver key ring, it is clear that a stay at Park Hyatt Tokyo will be an “over-the-top” experience.

Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire – “Pretty Woman”

Then known as the Regent Beverly Wilshire, the Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Wilshire—set in a 1928 Beaux Art–style building—is name-checked plenty in the blockbuster 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. As an escort hired to be Gere’s companion during his stay in Los Angeles, Roberts’s character Vivian spends a lot of time at the hotel, learning about proper table manners and etiquette from its good-hearted general manager (played by Hector Elizondo) and getting shopping and styling tips from its staffers. These days, the Four Seasons embraces its connection to the movie, offering Pretty Woman for a Day packages and Pretty Woman–themed experiences around town, including—of course—private shopping along Rodeo Drive.

For decades, the hotel has been a preferred address for Hollywood celebrities and the international elite, from Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Warren Beatty to the Aga Khan, Dalai Lama and the British royal family. The luxury hotel features 395 stylish guest rooms (including 137 spacious suites), Michelin-starred restaurants, a world-class spa, and warmly hospitable Four Seasons service.

Le Bristol Paris – “Midnight in Paris”

In this 2011 Woody Allen film, main character Gil Pender (played by Owen Wilson), his fiancée (played by Rachel McAdams), and his parents are based at the Oetker Collection’s Le Bristol hotel during their Parisian vacation. On screen, viewers will spot the hotel’s façade, the elegant suites, characters wearing “Le Bristol” bathrobes, and even one of the hotel’s actual doormen (in a shot set at the entrance).

Le Bristol Paris is an icon of French elegance and art de vivre boasting 190 completely renovated rooms and suites in the heart of Paris. Re-create some of the magic yourself by checking in to one of the Panoramic Suites (you may be able to snag suites 727 and 728 on request), and lounging in the elegant lobby.

Hotel del Coronado – “Some Like it Hot”

Voted the number-one comedy of all time by the American Film Institute, this 1958 romp starring Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, and Tony Curtis shot for a week at the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. Built in 1888, the Del (as the hotel is affectionately known) hadn’t changed much in decades when director Billy Wilder came to check it out, so he found it perfect to “play” a resort that’s supposed to be from 1929 (and that, in the movie, is supposed to be in Florida). All 200 of the cast and crew stayed at the resort for the filming, which took place primarily outside, against a backdrop of the hotel’s Queen Anne exterior and lush grounds.

The Dolder Grand – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

This Oscar-winning 2011 mystery thriller features Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, the titular tattooed “girl.” In a climactic section of the film, Lisbeth travels to Zurich to conduct some secret financial transactions, and checks in to the Dolder Grand—the iconic, art-filled hotel set on a hilltop above the city. Filming took place over two days in December 2010, in areas including the castle-like façade and sweeping driveway, the reception area and lobby, a guest-floor corridor, and the Masina Suite.

As the hotel is nonsmoking, the shots of Lisbeth puffing in her suite were added digitally in postproduction. The hotel is also mentioned by name in the film, and features several actual staff members from that time, including receptionist Vanessa Kellerhals. The Dolder offered a Tattoo-themed package at the time of the film’s release, and staffers are still happy to chat about the connection to interested guests.