Top Movie Hotels in Asia | Stay Where Films Have Been Made!

You know you’re in for a special stay when your hotel has a movie credit on IMDB. More than just a place to lay your head for the night, these famous movie hotels in Asia immerse you in a cinematic mood for the ultimate escapism. Best of all, you can book these hotels—and others like them—right now and enjoy your own movie-inspired getaway.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan

Lost in Translation (2009)

Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson may have won awards for playing Bob and Charlotte, but the real star of the movie is the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Japan. A sleek and luxurious hotel in downtown Tokyo, this classy property spans the top 14 levels of Shinjuku Park Tower, with famous New York Bar on the 52nd floor. Those panoramic hotel room views that open the film? They’re 100% real—no movie magic involved. On clear days, certain rooms have Mount Fuji views. The king beds are also just as humungous and comfy as they appear in the film, and the robes—as modeled by Bill Murray—come as standard room amenities. (Just don’t try to wear one to New York Bar.)

Can you stay in the actual rooms in Lost in Translation? Technically no, as both of the movie rooms were set up in the hotel’s Diplomat Suite. Can you stay in a very similar version? Yes. You’ll find a perfect movie match in the hotel’s King Bed Deluxe room category—though the in-room fax machines were sadly retired some time ago.

Browse deals at Park Hyatt Tokyo or save money at a more affordable lookalike, with deals at Park Hotel, Tokyo. Or splurge—there’s a similar aesthetic in Akasaka at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo.

Cheong Fatt Tze—The Blue Mansion – Penang, Malaysia

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

This grand George Town hotel is famous in Penang. It boasts appearances in multiple productions, including the Oscar-winning Indochine (1992)—but unless you’re a serious film buff you’re probably more familiar with Crazy Rich Asians. The 19th-century residence sets the scene for the mahjong game where Rachel (Constance Wu) sacrifices a win against Eleanor (Michele Yeoh) in an intense moral defeat. The venue where the characters face off is Cheong Fatt Tze’s Chinese courtyard, whose traditional decor lends to the symbolism of the scene.

Not shown are Cheong Fatt Tze’s most recognizable attributes: its indigo-washed walls. You also don’t get a good glimpse of its Art Nouveau windows, its wrought-iron railings, its timber latticework, or its blueness. The only way to really appreciate the look and feel of this former tycoon’s residence is to see it in person, either on one of its daily history tours, or with a stay in one of its 18 faithfully restored guest rooms.

Most rooms are surprisingly affordable, but there’s also the crazy-rich option of booking the entire property for a night, complete with gourmet dinner, Champagne breakfast and, yes, afternoon mahjong in the courtyard (BYO mother-in-law).

Book your stay at Cheong Fatt Tze and mix it up with Agoda Special Offers at Yeng Keng Hotel, Penang. Or check out another highly rated Penang hotel on Agoda, Areca Hotel Penang.

Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve – Krabi, Thailand

The Hangover Part II (2011)

Neither movie in The Hangover franchise is what you would call a work of art, but the same cannot be said for its leading hotels. The Hangover Part II famously features the rooftop bar of Lebua, Bangkok in a scene where a SWAT team lands in a chopper. In the real world, the rooftop doesn’t open until 6pm (because tropical heat), additionally our wolf pack would never have been allowed in (see: unyielding dress code), but the views are definitely just as panoramic and breathtaking, if not more so. Definitely worth the lofty drink prices.

Not as prominent in the movie, but even more spectacular, is Phulay Bay—A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, located on the beachfront of the popular southern province of Krabi. This ultra-luxury resort on Krabi beachfront stole the film’s opening sequence, in which hotel staff are setting up Stu (Ed Helms) and Lauren’s (Jamie Chung) tropical-garden wedding, and where Doug (Justin Bartha) fields calls by azure, palm-fringed pool.

You’d better believe that this resort—and Phang Nga Bay in general—is every bit as idyllic as it looks on the big screen. Phulay Bay’s pavilions start at 84 square meters, with half of that devoted to humungous Moroccan-style bathrooms. Everything here is as posh and polished as you’d expect from a resort patronized by Lauren’s high-society family. You might have to save up for this one. Or better yet, get the in-laws to foot the bill.

Find deals at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, at the similarly luxurious Rayavadee, or a more affordable luxury resort in Krabi with a similar feel: Dusit Thani Krabi.

The Grand Hotel Taipei – Taiwan

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994)

Hungry? You will be 30 seconds into Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman. Main protagonist Chu (Sihung Lung) is a former master chef, and many a mouth-watering cooking scene in the film serves to propel the storyline forward. One of these is set within the kitchens of the Grand Hotel, Taipei, where Chu saves the governor’s son’s wedding banquet with acts of culinary magic. While its industrial kitchen might not be recognizable, its red-trimmed, Chinese-style banquet hall (in real life, the hotel’s lobby) is unchanged to this day, 28 years after the film was released.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is not the Grand Hotel’s only claim to fame, in fact it has a long list of accolades. It was Taipei’s first five-star hotel, opening in 1952. It has hosted presidents, prime ministers, kings, and queens. It has also popped up on smaller screens with Constance Wu and Randall Park in US sitcom Fresh off the Boat. Bonus: it has a secret underground slide for securely evacuating VIP guests.

A stay at the Grand Hotel Taipei naturally includes amazing meals in opulent settings, but to get close you your own Eat, Drink… experience, try its Grand Garden Restaurant, with its “borderless” buffet of more than a hundred Chinese, Western, and international dishes.

Browse deals at The Grand Hotel Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan. For a more modern boutique hotel in Taipei, with three Michelin stars, try the Palais de Chine, specifically restaurant Le Palais. The Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel is also home to a Michelin two-starred restaurant, called The Guest House.

The Memory at On On Hotel – Phuket, Thailand

The Beach (2000)

Of all the lodgings in this indie cult classic, this is the least attractive—but a lot has changed since then the early noughties. The Memory at On On Hotel plays the grungy hostel in Bangkok’s backpacker strip, Khao San Road, where Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) has his pivotal encounter with Daffy (Robert Carlisle). You might recall Daffy tearing through the ventilation screen above Richard’s bed with his bare hands, or the map he left on Richard’s door with extremely vague directions to “the beach.”

Today, there are no torn screens or crazed backpackers in this boutique heritage property. Located in Phuket Town, The Memory at On On Hotel serves gorgeous period details, lovingly preserved Sino-Portuguese architecture, and, as Richard might lament, “all the comforts of home.” It’s one of the oldest inns in Phuket—its history proudly on display in vintage photographs and antiques all around the property.

Can you stay in Richard’s room? In a way. The Beach Junior Suite is the upmarket version of the movie set. The suite features heritage-style timber walls and floors, white linens, and a wireless radio—plus your own private courtyard, ensuite bathroom, air-conditioning, and a picture of a young Leo DiCaprio on the nightstand.

Launch your own beach adventure with a deal at The Memory at On On Hotel, Phuket, Thailand. If you want to stay in a different heritage guesthouse in Phuket Town , check out Woo Gallery Boutique Hotel or the hip The Blanket Hotel .

Raffles Hotel – Singapore

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Crazy Rich Asians could fill an entire article of its own centered on luxury hotel backdrops—it also features Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi in Malaysia. But it’s Raffles Hotels that’s the most iconic of these.

Our lovebirds stay in the Sarkies Suite—one of the hotel’s two presidential suites—and the film provides good look both at the suite’s lavish colonial vibes and Nick’s eight-pack. Shooting was scheduled just before the hotel underwent a full refurbishment, so if you book a stay in the Sarkies Suite today it will be looking even more expensive and luxurious than it did in the movie, if that’s even possible.

Regardless of movie credits, Raffles Hotel is a legend in its own right. Long Bar is the birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail, the property’s Sikh doormen are so renowned they have plushie dolls and keyrings in their honor, and kinds of VIPs have stayed here since it opened in 1887.

You don’t have to be a VIP to find a deal at Raffles Hotel, Singapore, nor at the relatively new Singapore heritage hotel, Capitol Kempinski. If you prefer to stay on the water, the Fullerton Hotel is the heritage stay for you.

Ravla Kemphur Hotel – Udaipur, India

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

In case you’re not familiar with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, it’s kind of like a British senior-citizens’ version of Crazy Rich Asians, in that the plot somehow requires shooting in a bunch of beautiful hotels. Like Constance Wu’s Rachel, the main protagonists take a while to get used to their new surroundings, and while they do, we’re treated to eyefuls of colorful Indian locales.

This historic movie hotel in Upaidur is the Ravla Kemphur Hotel, a rambling heritage mansion that dates back to the 1620s, and formerly belonged to a local chieftain. In the 1990s, a descendent of the chieftain transformed the residence into a hotel, and today it’s a 16-bed guesthouse with a swimming pool and horse stables.

You can explore the countryside by horseback or, like Dame Judy Dench’s character, Evelyn, retreat to the courtyard often to gather your thoughts. Unlike the message on the movie hotel sign (which they’ve kept out front of the real hotel) you don’t have to be elderly nor beautiful to enjoy the ambiance here.

Our retiree squad does more than just mooch around the hotel, they also visit other amazing Udaipur hotels, namely: Taj Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, Jagat Niwas Palace, and Taj Lake Palace, which is in the middle of Lake Pichola. If your budget extends to one of these, note that the latter played a Bond villain’s lair in 1983’s Octopussy, giving it possibly the highest level of movie-hotel cred achievable.

While you’re in Rajasthan, don’t miss out on its other movie locations, as seen in The Dark Knight Rises, Tenet, The Darjeeling Limited… and about a million Bollywood films.

Find your happy place at Ravla Kemphur Hotel or stay like a Bond villain at Taj Lake Palace or enjoy rooftop Lake Pichola views at the charmingly styled Jagat Niwas Palace.

Eat, Pray, Love House – Bali, Indonesia

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

It might not be a luxury hotel like the others, but for many, the Eat, Pray Love house is the ultimate dream stay. In case you’re not familiar: it’s the Balinese house in Ubud where Elizabeth Gilbert, played by Julia Roberts, meditates, self-cares, and romances Felipe AKA Javier Bardum. It’s not a Hollywood movie set, it’s a real-life pavilion-style abode nestled in whispering rice fields. And no matter how cheesy you think the book/film is, you can’t deny the appeal of a rustic-chic bungalow surrounded by swaying palm trees.

The house has been decorated to closely resemble how it looks in the film. It’s got an open-air bale for your morning yoga/afternoon nap, an outdoor bathroom with ceramic tub, a flowy linen-draped canopy bed, and even a bicycle so you can go on local explorations/journeys of self-discovery. Balinese healers, whole coconuts, and vegan cafes are a short cycle away.

Whether you’re on a quest to eat, pray, love or to eat, sleep, repeat, a place like the Eat, Pray, Love House has all your bases covered. For an equally atmospheric and chic stay in Bali, check out Bali Hideout or go for the traditional yet luxurious Balinese villa Puri Raya.

Hotel Gajeon – Tokyo, Japan

Spirited Away (2001)

Ghibli’s anime movies are the best advertisements for travel a destination could wish for—and this 2001 classic did its part for Japan’s traditional bathhouses. Miyazaki and his team drew from several atmospheric venues to inspire his spirit-world waypoint, Yubaba’s bathhouse. Meguro Gajeon in Tokyo was one.

The original 1931 Meguro Gajeon structure has been replaced by a new hotel, but historic elements remain. You will see reflections of its ornate halls, rooms, and Hyakudan Kaidan stairs—an official “Japanese Cultural Asset”—in the movie’s bathhouse scenes. And the bridge Chihiro crosses at the beginning? That was modelled on the hotel’s spa entrance.

Another inspiration for the bathhouse is Dogo Onsen Honkan, Matsuyama, in southern Japan. Dogo Onsen Honkan is almost a thousand years old, with a maze-like interior and stone baths to soak in. The historic bathhouse area is under lengthy restoration works, but you can still access its original kami-no-yu (open-air) baths—then hop on the train to another spot you might recognize from the film: the seaside Shimonada train station.

A Spirited Away stay awaits at Hotel Gajeon, Tokyo. For more Ghibli-themed creative inspiration you can book at room the traditional hot-spring forest hotel Sekizenkan Kashotei Sanso, where Miyazaki stayed before working on Spirited Away. Then there’s the historic ryokan in Nagano that film fans say gives them Spirited Away vibes: Rekishi-no-Yada Kanaguya.