Top 10 most-famous movie hotels

Everyone gets a kick out of seeing a film shot in a location they recognize. I loved watching “The Transporter” drive through Cannes, France because I’d visited Cannes, and I recognized Detroit Metro Airport in scenes from “Up in the Air.” What’s even cooler is staying in the same hotel that film protagonists use. TripAdvisor put together a list of the hotels most commonly featured in big-name films. Which ones have you stayed in?

1. The Fairmont San Francisco—San Francisco, California
This snazzy hotel first served as the scene for Alfred Hitchcock’s fantastic “Vertigo”. Since then, it’s also been the backdrop for “Towering Inferno”, “Sudden Impact”, “Junior”, and “The Rock.”

2. Bellagio Las Vegas—Las Vegas, Nevada
The Bellagio is probably most famous for its grandiose fountains, which feature in almost every film and TV show set in Vegas. The Sin City hotel got extra play in “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Ocean’s Thirteen”, when Danny Ocean tried to steal millions from the casino’s vault.

3. The Plaza—New York, New York (pictured, right)
Guests as The Plaza can enjoy views of Central Park and the knowledge that films like “North by Northwest”, “Crocodile Dundee”, “The Way We Were”, “Home Alone 2”, and “Bride Wars” have all been filmed on-site.

4. Millennium Biltmore Hotel—Los Angeles, California
One for the movie buffs: TripAdvisor claims the Biltmore has been featured in over 100 different films! Some of the more notable shoots include “Mission Impossible 3”, “The Bodyguard”, “Spiderman”, “Wedding Crashers”, “Dreamgirls”, and “Pretty in Pink.”

5. Beverly Wilshire Beverly Hills—Beverly Hills, California
This is just a few blocks from Rodeo Drive, the famed street for wealthy shopaholics. Film fans will also appreciate that the hotel has been the backdrop for such films as “Pretty Woman”, “Beverley Hills Cop” iterations 1 and 3, “Bulworth.”

6. Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport—Saint Louis, Missouri
Speaking of George Clooney’s “Up in the Air”, countless scenes were filmed in the Renaissance’s many rooms. It was probably chosen in part due to its close proximity to the airport.

7. The Roosevelt Hotel—New York City, New York
This New York location, pictured at right, has been near the famous Grand Central Station for decades. Oh, and it was the filming location for scenes from “Maid in Manhattan” and “Wall Street.”

8. Fontainebleau Miami Beach—Miami Beach, Florida
As the picture at right shows, this is a fancy Miami lodging. It’s been in films like “The Bodyguard”, “Goldfinger”, and “Scarface,” as well as TV shows including “The O.C.”, “Top Chef”, and my favorite, “Burn Notice.”

9. Timberline Lodge—Timberline Lodge, Oregon
Perhaps this movie association won’t entice you to stay in this hotel. The Timberline Lodge was the setting for freaky “The Shining”. Only exterior scenes were actually shot at the hotel—all interior shots were a movie set. Still, it’s a scary film…

10. Mountain Lake Hotel—Pembroke, Virginia
Remember “Dirty Dancing”? No, not that remake, the old Patrick Swayze version. It was filmed at the Mountain Lake Hotel, which still offers “Dirty Dancing” weekends featuring dance lessons and karaoke.

Readers: have you stayed in any of these hotels? Are there any you want to visit because of their film ties?

Popular Posts

Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Allegiant Nonstop game center (Warren, MI) is fun for the whole family