Experience The World’s Top Luxury Hotels During The Coronavirus Quarantine Virtually… On TV

Photo Credit: Grand Velas Riviera Maya

“Love Is Blind,” Netflix’s recent #1-rated reality series, asked viewers (and participants) the question “Is love blind?” Although romance didn’t work out for all couples, all were beyond stoked to land at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya for a romantic weekend a deux post-proposal for fun in the sun, beach-going, pool parties and all the tequila they could handle at this adults-only, all-inclusive five-star resort.  

The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel: “Pretty Woman”

Photo Credit: Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau

The Beverly Wilshire is a living fantasy. The world fell in love with the hotel when they fell in love with Julia Roberts’ working girl Vivian Ward in “Pretty Woman.” The hotel even offers a $100,000 “Pretty Woman” experience: accommodations in one of the highly sought-after Specialty Suites and VIP offerings including a behind-the-scenes tour of Rodeo Drive’s most famous fashion houses with your own personal wardrobe consultant and stylist; an exclusive dining experience at THE Blvd, with special menu items from the Executive Chef; and a romantic dinner for two in the privacy of your Suite; a couples massage at the Spa; and a hand-drawn bath from your own personal Bath Butler as well as round-trip transportation in a Mercedes-Benz Sedan. No detail is overlooked in this celebrity-style fairy tale.

Ashford Castle: “The Quiet Man”Photo Credit: Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle, the 13th-century castle-hotel set on 350 acres in County Mayo, served as the setting for “The Quiet Man” a classic 1952 film starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara that received a total of seven Academy Awards nominations and won two Oscars. Today, guests can explore key attractions featured in the film, including “The Quiet Man” Cottage Museum, The Dying Man’s House, Pat Cohan’s Bar (complete with a replica of the interior featured in the film), Reverend Playfair’s House, John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara commemorative statue, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Guided tours of ‘Inisfree.’ Guests at Ashford can watch the movie in their rooms or at the hotel’s on-site cinema.

Hotel d’Angleterre: “Torn Curtain”

Photo Credit: D’angleterre/ Kalender Balthazar

Alfred Hitchcock used the stunning Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen as the setting of his 1966 spy thriller, “Torn Curtain,” starring Julie Andrews and Paul Newman. The political thriller film, written by Brian Moore, is set during the Cold War and revolves around an American scientist who appears to defect behind the Iron Curtain to East Germany. Hitchcock himself makes a cameo in the film holding a baby in the hotel’s lobby.

Caesars Palace: “The Hangover,” “Iron Man,”+ “Rain Man”

 

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Along with Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha, Caesars Palace became another star on 2009’s “The Hangover,” with prime locations being the pools, front desk, elevators, lobby, entrance and, of course, the roof. Other films shot at the Sin City locale (though which feature less prominently) include “Rain Man,” “Iron Man” and “Dreamgirls.”

lebua at State Tower: “The Hangover: Part II”

Photo Credit: lebua

Another hangover, another city, same Wolfpack. Bradley Cooper and crew head to Thailand for Stu’s (Ed Helms’) wedding to Lauren (Jamie Chung) in “The Hangover Part II.” A different hotel featured prominently in this film—lebua, the world’s first vertical destination a one-stop shop for gourmands, oenophiles and hedonists, offering one-of-a-kind culinary experiences in the ultimate glamorous setting. There’s a “Hangover” suite, of course, as well as a “The Hangover’ cocktail, a Hangover-tini, at the breathtaking property’s epic boite, Sky Bar.

The Plaza Hotel: “Almost Famous,” American Hustle,” “Arthur” + More

 

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There are few hotels more celebrated than New York City’s Plaza Hotel, the “castle on Central Park South” which has been appropriately immortalized in films since its opening more than a century ago in 1907, including “Almost Famous,” “North by Northwest,” “Arthur” “Crocodile Dundee,” serving as Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan‘s) new home, as well as “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” “American Hustle” and “The Great Gatsby.”

Rhinefield House Hotel: “The Crown”

 

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Netflix’s “The Crown,” descended upon the 19th century British retreat, Rhinefield House Hotel, for its third season, where cast members including Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham-Carter not only filmed, but stayed. Fans will recognize the hotel’s interior as well as its outdoor pool from show’s tenth episode, where it became The Glen, Scottish seat of Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner (played by Pip Carter).

Park Hyatt Tokyo: “Lost in Translation”

Photo Credit: Park Hyatt Tokyo
Anyone who loves getting lost in Tokyo identifies with Bill Murray in “Lost in Translation” and is equally as impressed by Park Hyatt Tokyo, the centerpiece of Sofia Coppola‘s Oscar-winning 2003 film. Designed as a private urban residence by Pritzker Prize-winning architect, the late Dr. Kenzo Tange and sole interior designer, Mr. John Morford, the hotel is distinguished in its modern interior, private art collection and acclaimed restaurants and spa and fitness center. It’s no wonder Murray and co-star Scarlett Johansson started their Japanese journey here.

Hôtel Plaza Athénée: “Sex and the City”

Photo Credit: Dorchester Collection
Who could forget when Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) up and left her beloved Manhattan for the bright lights of Paris and lover Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov) in the sixth season of HBO’s iconic “Sex and the City”? Though mostly everyone still wanted her to be with Big (Chris Noth) fans still fell in love with her Parisian wardrobe and her hotel of choice, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, where she stayed during the series’ final two episodes. This high-end hotel also made appearances in “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”