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5 luxury hotels from films and TV shows you can visit in real life
By Shivani Dubey | 14 February 2025 | Culture, Lifestyle, Travel
From The White Lotus to Succession, these luxury hotels have been the backdrop to some of the most popular films and TV shows today
From luxurious retreats in picturesque corners of the world to iconic landmarks surrounded by skyscrapers, luxury hotels form the backdrop to some of the most entertaining films and TV shows of today. Whether it is taking in the natural beauty of Norway in a season of Succession or setting up high octane spy action in London a la Black Doves, these hotels are just as captivating as the stories unfolding before them. So, as the new season of The White Lotus comes to Thailand, we list some of the incredible luxury hotels featured in some of our favourite films and TV shows in recent years.
Four Seasons Koh Samui, Thailand | The White Lotus
The White Lotus is one of those shows where the hotel itself is one of the headlining stars. So much of the drama takes place within the picturesque hotels, you can’t help but want to live it yourself. Well, the magic of each season is well contained within the many Four Seasons properties around the world. Every season of the hit HBO show has been filmed in this luxury hotel chain — season 3, which takes viewers to Thailand, is no different. Filmed at Four Seasons Koh Samui (among others), this hotel overlooks the idyllic Gulf of Thailand. The ideal place to enjoy the serene island life of Koh Samui, here you’ll find pristine sandy beaches bordered by lush tropical greenery and tranquil blue seas. Or if you’re a character in The White Lotus, some murder, mayhem and a whole lot of nailbiting chaos.
Related: Five star escapism in Italy’s fashion capital at Principe di Savoia Milan
Hotel Plaza Athénée, Paris | Emily in Paris and Sex and the City
Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris has served as a backdrop to many memorable films and TV shows. The two that stand out, however, are Emily in Paris and Sex and the City. It is here that Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw leaned out of her suite window to the unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower — forever entrenching it as the must-stay destination for any Sex and the City fan. A few decades later, Lily Collins’s Emily would roam the halls of this architectural marvel of a hotel and stay in the very same suite — the Haute Couture Eiffel suite — featuring a picture-frame window highlighting the Eiffel Tower.
Royal Lancaster London | Black Doves
If you want to immerse yourself in some covert spy action, Royal Lancaster London is the place to go. A huge section of the hit Netflix series was filmed in this luxury hotel. When hitman Sam (Ben Whishaw) returns to London to help Helen (Kiera Knightley), he stays in the royal suite of the hotel, sipping champagne at the hotel’s Park Lounge bar as he washes the night away. Kiera Knightley is also seen walking down the hotel’s grand marble and gold staircase — revealing Royal Lancaster London to be the place where she first set sights on her politician husband.
Related: Exploring the contemporary cool and wild landscapes of Iceland
Juvet Landscape Hotel, Norway | Succession
Over its four seasons, Succession’s Roy family has stayed in many luxurious hotels and scenic locations around the world. Each season, the family was embroiled in a toxic war on power, control and coercion — complete with a healthy dose of tantrums, backstabbing and extremely creative expletives. One such location is the insanely gorgeous Juvet Landscape Hotel in Norway, where the Roy siblings and the Waystar RoyCo crew go to visit the tycoon Lucas Mattson (Alexander Skarsgård). Located in the beautiful wilderness of Norway’s northwest coast, this hotel features towering glass walls, treehouse style rooms, open spaces and breathtaking scenery. You might not find any Roy siblings bickering or any high handed backstabbing when you visit, but I think the oasis of calm and jaw dropping views is a pretty good trade off.
Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan | Somewhere
Another Dorchester Collection property to be used in a film is Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan for acclaimed director Sofia Coppola’s 2010 movie Somewhere. The property serves as the backdrop for pivotal scenes in the film, with the movie’s father and daughter duo staying in the hotel’s presidential suite, which offers a private spa and Pompeii-style swimming pool. The hotel is also a very popular stop for the many high profile attendees of the Milan Fashion Week — an ideal destination for those wanting to stay in the world’s fashion capital.
Images: Warner Bros, Four Seasons and Dorchester Collection