From Miami’s storied Fontainebleau Hotel, appearing in the opening of the 1964 James Bond classic Goldfinger, to The Biltmore in Asheville, N.C., featured in Peter Sellers’ 1979 swan song Being There, movie appearances can be branding gold.
Hotels with multiple screen credits, such as New York’s Plaza Hotel and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, assume an especially cinematic aura by association.
L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, loved sojourning at San Diego’s fabled Hotel del Coronado, where he wrote several other Oz books.
Possibly Baum’s inspiration for Oz’s Emerald City, the red-roofed “Del” has enchanted travelers since 1888.
With 130th anniversary celebrations in full swing, this timeless 757-room National Historic Landmark was prominent in the 1959 Marilyn Monroe classic Some Like It Hot.
“From Presidential, royalty and celebrity visits and events, to the filming of Some Like It Hot, the Del is a celebrity in its own right,” said Harold Rapoza, the hotel’s general manager. “Backed by this rich legacy, the hotel continues to evolve as one of the world’s leading choices for creating memories.”
Among the California filming locations for 1967’s The Graduate was Berkeley, where scenes include a brief appearance of the historic Hotel Durant. Named for University of California founder Henry Durant, this 1928 local treasure reopened in June 2017 as Graduate Berkeley.
Not named for the film, but part of Chicago-based Graduate Hotels’ expanding portfolio of properties in university-anchored towns across the U.S., this artful 144-room property, with event space for up to 70 people, has The Graduate movie posters in the guest rooms.
It even plays the film’s Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack on “vino and vinyl nights.”
“As with all Graduate Hotels, Graduate Berkeley’s individual design is tailored to offer subtle references to local history, including a nod to The Graduate,” said Dell Dellinger, the hotel’s general manager. Other homages include keycards depicting college IDs of famous Cal Berkeley alumni, such as late screen legend Gregory Peck.
