Ready, Set, Action! 9 Hotels That Doubled as Famous Filming Locations

Venice has long been a gift for film scouts, but Dead Reckoning Part One was the first time it had featured in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Director and writer Christopher McQuarrie had been plotting with film’s star Tom Cruise to try to shoot there for 14 years – and it was worth the wait. Their vision to represent Venice in a way it had never been seen before wowed audiences, especially the spectacular White Widow’s party, filmed inside the Doge’s Palace, a Venetian Gothic architectural landmark in St Mark’s Square. Filming also took place nearby at The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice, where Cruise and other crew members stayed during the shoot. Overlooking the Grand Canal and dating to 1475, it was once the Doge’s residence and retains the sublime opulence of that bygone era, with stunning views of the lagoon city. Take a private Riva Yacht Experience, too, guided by the hotel’s Head Concierge, and cruise through Venice’s canal system like Ethan Hunt himself.

For a film-going event that unites audiences across all ages and cultures, you can’t beat the Harry Potter series. The production company behind them is renowned for its clever use of historic buildings, from Alnwick Castle in Northumberland to Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries, famously representing Hogwarts’ exterior and interior scenes. For Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the St. Pancras, London, Autograph Collection was a perfect edifice, its sheer magnitude, red brick façade and intricate roof spires in keeping with J.K. Rowling’s books. If you’re a big fan of Harry Potter, a stay here means you can nip over to King’s Cross Station for a photo call at Platform 9 ¾ – pose next to the ‘disappearing’ luggage trolley as your Gryffindor scarf is thrown behind you to reenact the drama of running for the Hogwarts Express. And if you're a fan of the Spice Girls, then the St. Pancras, London, Autograph Collection is the gift that keeps on giving, as it provided the setting for the band's Wannabe music video. Why not book yourself into the spa for the day, and luxuriate in heavenly treatments that’ll make you feel as special, and possibly even as posh, as Victoria.

London’s historic centre has been the muse for many filmmakers, from the producers of Bond to Paddington Bear. In Johnny English Strikes Again, the clumsy antihero played to perfection by Rowan Atkinson, the London Marriott Hotel County Hall is the HQ for MI7, the fictional British Government spy department that’s standing in for the real MI6. Invited out of retirement, English meets with MI7 boss Pegasus in the hotel’s historic and beautifully appointed King George V meeting room, the salubrious surrounds a counterpoint to his slapstick humour and hilarious ineptitude. Filmed in the impressive former County Hall building, the hotel faces the River Thames and stands cheek by jowl with the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye – seeing all this lit up by night is a cinematic experience in itself, with or without a camera crew.

Another Matt Damon success, the ‘Bourne’ series began in 2002 with The Bourne Identity, and is a well-loved, high-octane thriller franchise that proves the preference for real-world locations over green-screened CGI. For its mixture of history and intrigue, Berlin perfectly fit the bill for the sequel, The Bourne Supremacy, where amnesiac Jason Bourne, a former undercover agent, is framed for murder. Trying to clear his name he heads to Germany – playing cat and mouse with CIA boss Pamela Landy and tracking her down to The Westin Grand Berlin, Germany, where he gains entry to her elegant suite via the grand lobby and huge staircase with its iconic 30m high atrium. A stay here puts you close to the Brandenburg Gate, as well as other film locations like Alexanderplatz and the World Clock – a living, breathing film set that pays homage to both factual and fictional historic events.

Bond is the quintessential character-driven spy film franchise – especially when it comes to jet-set, jaw-dropping locations. With iconic scenes from downhill ski pursuits to tanned characters emerging from turquoise seas, it’s hardly surprising that Italy has featured more than once in the adaptations of the Ian Fleming stories. In The Spy Who Loved Me (allegedly Roger’s Moore’s favourite from his stint as the suave British agent), Sardinia’s Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Smeralda has a timeless elegance, and has been the place to see and be seen at since the 1960s. Dress like a Bond femme fatale or the man himself, and have all eyes on you as you take your spot on the terrace, glass of champagne in hand, for the ultimate in Sardinian sunsets.

Separated by the Danube River, the districts of Buda and Pest make Hungary’s capital an immensely impressive location for filmmakers. With its hard-hitting storyline surrounding the events of the 1972 Olympics, Steven Spielberg’s epic drama Munich needed a versatile backdrop that could double for a few European cities, including Paris and Rome. Budapest’s rich architectural splendour and mix of styles provided a fabulous substitute – and a walk around the city tells its own story of exactly why it is so beloved by travellers and movie producers alike. Though the Budapest Marriott Hotel was used in Munich for scenes set in London, you can enjoy an authentic Budapest experience with a stay here – expect sublime views of the Danube, the stunning Buda Castle and Gellért Hill citadel.

Friends might just be the biggest global series of the TV era, a sitcom set in New York that took us all by storm – is there a fan anywhere in the world who can resist singing along to its catchy theme tune? And when the series headed to London for the two-part fourth-season finale in 1998, it created an extra special bond with the English capital. With several scenes between Joey and Chandler filmed at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel, the characters are well placed to go sightseeing, even taking a selfie with the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and meeting Richard Branson, playing a street vendor of tourist paraphernalia. Grab some of your friends for a few nights in the capital, and see if you can't spot a famous face or two as you walk in the characters’ legendary footsteps. 

Idris Elba brought a touch of edgy glamour to the role of Luther, filming across London in some memorable locations for the critically acclaimed British psychological crime thriller. With its excellent location and spacious, light interiors, Episode 5 kicked off with a series of scenes at the Renaissance London Heathrow. Winning him a Golden Globe amongst others, Elba’s DCI Luther has become an icon of British TV drama. A stay at this perfectly positioned hotel means you can make like a jet set character and fly off to Rio at a moment’s notice. Or, just stay put and enjoy the excellent facilities, including incredible views of the airport runway through soundproofed windows – a thrilling backdrop to your own social media reels.