If you want to live out scenes from your favourite television shows and movies, these luxury properties from across the globe will happily set the stage.
There’s a growing faction in Hollywood that believes stunt people deserve to be annually acknowledged at the Oscars. We couldn’t agree more. But we don’t think the trophy presentations should stop there. Location scouts are another underappreciated part of the filmmaking process. These are the unsung heroes who travel the globe looking for the perfect spot to shoot movies and shows. They’re the ones you should thank every time you say, “Wow, that place is gorgeous,” from your couch.
When these experts do their job exceptionally well, you have the urge to put down the remote control and pick up your credit card to buy a plane ticket to see these lovely destinations with your own eyes. It’s a travel trend called set-jetting. Over the years, many of the world’s top hotels and resorts have served as beautiful backdrops on the silver screen. Some play themselves; others take on personas. It’s all filmmaking magic. But as these 20 photogenic properties prove, the coolest trick of them all is that you don’t need a big camera crew or professional stuntmen to make vacation scenes you’ll remember forever.
Crazy Rich Asians
On Location: Marina Bay Sands
Romcom Crazy Rich Asians peeked into the lives of Singapore’s 0.1%. It memorably ended at Four-Star Marina Bay Sands’ over-the-top 57th-floor rooftop infinity pool — the world’s largest. To vacation like the movie’s uber-wealthy characters, stay in the Paiza Royal Collection’s extravagant new suites on MBS’ upper floors that offer next-level amenities like a golf simulator or an entertainment den with a foosball table and a 95-inch TV with an integrated karaoke system. The wellness-focused Horizon Suite comes with a Himalayan salt wall and heated loungers, a room with two Gharieni massage tables and a gym.
Yellowstone
On Location: The Ranch at Rock Creek
While the Duttons welcome a new kind of drama to their Montana ranch on every episode of the popular Yellowstone series, their fans are regularly gifted with jaw-dropping looks at majestic mountains and wide-open expanses as far as the eye can see, too. When the crew shot season four scenes in Missoula, they were less than 100 miles from Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Ranch at Rock Creek. Aside from effortless natural beauty, the posh all-inclusive resort offers horseback riding, UTV tours, frontier skills classes and anything else you’ll need to play cowboy for a few days.
The Union
On Location: The Savoy
In Netflix’s action movie The Union, Halle Berry’s Roxanne is a spy who uses shady methods to lure her ex-boyfriend (Mark Wahlberg) from Boston to London to help with a mission. We’d typically feel bad for Wahlberg’s character, but seeing as how he wakes in Five-Star The Savoy, we’re not so sympathetic. Look out for shots of the posh lobby and that unmistakable porte-cochère. And bonus points to director Julian Farino for giving The Savoy’s FTG Five-Star plaque some quality screen time around the film’s 15th minute.
James Bond
On Location: Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and Raffles London at The OWO
One of the destinations most synonymous with 007 is glamorous Monaco, namely the legendary Casino de Monte-Carlo. The tuxedoed British secret agent gambled, tangoed and sipped martinis in the opulent gilded space during Never Say Never Again and GoldenEye. After playing roulette, retire to the adjacent Five-Star Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo — the grand, modern 1864 property housed the GoldenEye cast during filming.
If you want to visit the spy’s hometown, Raffles London at The OWO is a must. Writer Ian Fleming worked with naval intelligence in the former Old War Office during WWII, and it’s where he dreamt up the Bond novels. The London hotel opened in 2023, but its stately Edwardian Baroque building has long fronted as M16 for the franchise; spot it in Octopussy, A View to a Kill, Licence to Kill, Skyfall and Spectre.
The Bear
On Location: Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Since Four Seasons Hotel Chicago sits less than a mile from Mr. Beef — the beloved Chicago beef stand that inspired Hulu’s hit series — the Four-Star hotel cooked up a Carmy-approved tour that offers a taste of the foodie city. During the “Yes, Chef! Chicago, The Bear Style” tour, historian Liz Garibay personalizes itineraries with at least two food stops while visiting show locations, local landmarks and various neighborhoods. It runs three hours, but you can add on a private architectural cruise.
The Lost City
On Location: Casa de Campo Resort & Villas
Casa de Campo has cameoed in so many movies (from 1979’s Apocalypse Now to 2021’s Shotgun Wedding) that the Dominican Republic resort should have its SAG card by now. One of the 7,000-acre property’s recent moments in front of the camera was in Paramount Plus’ The Lost City with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. In this 2022 adventure comedy, the leads are bloodied and bruised by bad guys in search of treasure. Somehow, amid all the chaos in the jungles and archaeological sites, this Four-Star stunner never shows a blemish.
Black Panther
On Location: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
The heartfelt acting and dynamic action sequences are central factors in 2018’s Black Panther becoming a cultural phenomenon, but let’s give the scenery its proper credit as well. Puerto Rico, with its lush greens and dramatic coastlines, played the role of Wakanda brilliantly in the movie. El Yunque National Forest and the town of Fajardo, two important shot locations, both sit less than an hour from Condado Vanderbilt, a Four-Star waterfront stunner with the superpower of making all its guests feel like stars.
Emily in Paris
On Location: Hotel Plaza Athénée Paris
Rediscover Paris as Chicago bumpkin Emily (played by Lily Collins) moves there for a job and takes you to places like Galeries Lafayette, Galerie-Musee Baccarat and Hotel Plaza Athénée Paris. In fact, the Five-Star hotel appears throughout the popular Netflix series, including season four’s newly dropped part two. That’s because the gorgeous Five-Star hotel is as fashionable as the Savoir staff. Spy its distinctive red-awning exterior, seasonal courtyard ice rink and pink-accented Haute Couture Eiffel Suite (featuring dazzling Iron Lady views) in the show.
Succession
On Location: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Succession viewers may not have been envious of the Roy family’s dysfunctional dynamic, but the luxurious backdrops certainly caught everyone’s attention. The Five-Star The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park offers guests a lavish experience befitting a notoriously hard-to-please business mogul, with no scheming required. The Manhattan hotel, discreetly featured in the HBO show, is a favored retreat for A-listers looking to keep a low profile.
Jurassic World Dominion
On Location: The Phoenicia Malta
Malta has a range that rivals any Oscar-winning actor. Over the years, the island country has played the roles of a zombie-plagued Jerusalem in the apocalyptic future of World War Z and an illegal dinosaur market in Jurassic World Dominion. A stay at the Four-Star Phoenicia Malta is guaranteed to spark any visitor’s imagination, thanks to the hotel’s art-deco design and its proximity to the Mediterranean country’s many historic sights and natural wonders.
The Gilded Age
On Location: The Chanler at Cliff Walk
For fans of The Gilded Age, this Five-Star Newport hotel offers a unique opportunity to experience the luxury that defined the era. The five-acre estate, once the summer home of New York Congressman John Winthrop Chanler, has been transformed into one of Newport’s most romantic getaways. You will feel like you’ve stepped into the show as you bask in the historic mansion’s grandeur and take in views from the famous Cliff Walk. Plus, other extravagant Gilded Age mansions like The Breakers and Marble House that served as filming locations are all within two miles of The Chanler.
The Good Doctor
On Location: Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver
Vancouver’s towering evergreens have quietly begun to replace the standard background of L.A.’s palms. The beautiful city has become a favorite filming location thanks to its mild weather and diverse landscape (gleaming skyscrapers, rugged forests and just about every setting in between). A new audience has begun appreciating Vancouver’s charms thanks to shows like the romantic Virgin River and imported Korean medical procedural The Good Doctor. See for yourself with a stay at the centrally located Five-Star Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver.
Pretty Woman
On Location: Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s sizzling onscreen romance unfolded at the elegant Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel. The L.A. hotel’s Pretty Woman for a Day experience lets you re-create the famous shopping montage during a Rodeo Drive fashion houses tour with a wardrobe consultant and stylist; savor steakhouse fare at Wolfgang Puck’s CUT Beverly Hills; enjoy a massage at the Five-Star spa; and relax with an in-suite aromatherapy bath (BYO Prince playlist). Add a visit to THE Blvd for the romcom-inspired Feeling Pretty (Absolut Elyx, Combier Pêche de Vigne liqueur, raspberries and rosé), the bar’s most popular cocktail.
Challengers
On Location: The Newbury Boston
For anything to take the viewers’ eye away from Challengers’ attractive central cast (Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist) is a major accomplishment, but that’s exactly what The Newbury Boston is able to do under the lights. Though the Four-Star beauty is never mentioned by name in this tennis-centered drama, astute travelers who are on their game should instantly recognize the hotel’s renowned Street Bar and its stunning Corner House Presidential Suite in some scenes.
Shogun
On Location: HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
One of Japan’s most recognizable castles, Kyoto’s Nijo was the home of real-life shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was also a backdrop for Hulu’s Shogun, a sumptuous 17th-century war epic. Next door, HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa offers sleek accommodations overlooking Nijo and guided Shogun tours of the landmark. While you won’t meet the fierce Mariko, you’ll access off-limits areas. Afterward, return to the Five-Star hotel to partake in ancient traditions, like soaking in an onsen and enjoying a tea ceremony.
The Pleasure Garden
On Location: Villa d’Este, Lago di Como
If you’re a cinephile who’s watched Alfred Hitchcock’s oeuvre, go back to where it started. When the then-aspiring filmmaker vacationed at Villa d’Este, Lago di Como in 1925, he was so inspired that he shot his directorial debut, the silent movie The Pleasure Garden, on its stunning baroque grounds. Some insider trivia: When filming wrapped, Hitchcock invited photographers into the hotel kitchen and staged a scene in which he chased the chef around the pots and pans with a knife.
Top Gun: Maverick
On Location: Pendry San Diego
While you might not be able to fly a jet on the USS Midway’s flight deck — a privilege reserved for Tom Cruise — Top Gun fans can still experience a wave of nostalgia by stepping aboard the aircraft carrier for a tour. San Diego played a starring role in the 1986 original and reprised its role in the 2022 smash sequel. With a stay at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Pendry San Diego, movie buffs can embark on a pilgrimage to the franchise’s memorable sites, such as Kansas City Barbeque, Liberty Station and The Top Gun House, a landmark just 40 minutes from the hotel. (And the USS Midway is just seven minutes away.)
White Lotus
On Location: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui
The plot might have turned dark on the acclaimed HBO show White Lotus, but viewers agree the setting remains a gorgeous bright spot. The Five-Star Maui hotel, a paradise stand-in in the show’s first season, offered audiences stunning shots of the infinity pool, cotton-candy sunsets and turquoise waters. When the show’s third season airs in 2025, everyone will be talking about Koh Samui, Thailand’s second-largest island after Phuket, and the alluring all-villa Four-Star retreat.
This article was originally published on forbes.com.
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