With all of the distressing headlines and closure announcements, it might feel like we’re in the middle of a science-fiction thriller. Non-essential travel has been all but cut from the script, taking our spring breaks and family getaways right along with it.
Luckily for us, Hollywood has given us plenty of opportunities to escape over the years — even if we’re stuck at home. So, if you’re looking to get away while in self-isolation, take a trip with these movies and TV shows that make reservations at some of our favorite hotels and resorts.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Stream it: Hulu
With gorgeous Jamaica as the backdrop, an unlucky-in-love middle-aged woman (Angela Bassett) falls for a much younger local (Taye Diggs). Sparks fly but so too do the jokes from a friend played by Whoopi Goldberg.
Scene stealer: The only thing better looking than Bassett and Diggs in Stella might be Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Round Hill Hotel and Villas, a sugar-cane-plantation-turned-resort where some of the movie was shot. Villa 11, with three bedrooms, its own pool and incredible views, was prominently featured.
Pretty Woman
Stream it: Amazon Prime
This Cinderella story could have happened anywhere, but there’s just something magical about Beverly Hills that makes Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s chemistry soar even more.
Scene stealer: Four-Star Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel) inspired the setting for this romantic classic. Fantasize about your own Pretty Woman moment: primping at the hotel’s Five-Star spa and then embarking on your own shopping spree on Rodeo Drive, which sits mere feet away.
Couples Retreat
Stream it: YouTube
If your marriage was falling apart like Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia’s (Kristen Bell), you might think that a trip to breathtaking Bora Bora would be the answer, too. Tip: when you do get away for the sake of the relationship, don’t bring Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau along for the ride.
Scene stealer: While the couples are working out their issues, Five-Star The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort’s over-water villas and let-me-grab-my-phone views mesmerize in the background, seemingly without a problem in the world.
Wedding Crashers
Stream it: Amazon Prime
We wouldn’t typically condone inviting yourself to someone else’s nuptials, but if the venues were in coastal Maryland, with its historic mansions and 40-foot yachts, we’d totally understand where Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn might be coming from.
Scene stealer: Crashers’ big wedding reception takes place at Inn at Perry Cabin, an Eastern Shore stunner that vows to deliver maritime elegance, seasonal cuisine and world-class golf with every visit.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Stream it: Hulu
Director David Fincher has made a career moving his camera around dark, foggy corners (Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac). This 2011 thriller starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara keeps with that general theme, only this time the chills center on snow-capped Sweden.
Scene stealer: Though breathtaking shots of Stockholm and Oslo set a tone, it’s Zurich’s Four-Star The Dolder Grand, a 175-room historic gem overlooking Lake Zurich, that ultimately captivates.
Live and Let Die
Stream it: YouTube
Over the decades, James Bond has found himself in difficult situations in fabulous locales around the globe. In this 1973 film, our favorite British secret agent keeps his travels in the Western Hemisphere, jumping from New York City to New Orleans and then onto the Caribbean.
Scene stealer: Half Moon Jamaica is a Four-Star resort that’s great for golf getaways, family vacations and, yes, romantic escapades like the one 007 and a junior CIA agent had in the movie.
Notting Hill
Stream it: Amazon Prime
This smart romantic comedy about an English book seller (Hugh Grant) with his eyes on a famous American actress (Julia Roberts) probably could have worked in any part of London, but the film’s writer Roger Michell wisely chose Notting Hill because he knew the area so well.
Scene stealer: The Five-Star Savoy gets some screen time in the movie’s heart-fluttering “Indefinitely” climax, but it deserves an extended stay for its awe-inspiring rooms, afternoon tea and timeless American Bar.
Love Is Blind
Stream it: Netflix
This sleeper hit show foretold the future: couples “date” through isolation pods, sight unseen. If a couple gets engaged in the pods, they get a face-to-face pre-honeymoon in Mexico’s alluring Riviera Maya and then move in together in Atlanta. The drama is addictive (what’s up with Jessica?), but the Riviera Maya beach and hotel pools also captured our attention.
Scene stealer: The romantic retreat was Four-Star Grand Velas Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive oceanfront hideaway surrounded by 80 acres of jungle. The hotel’s Five-Star spa is an oasis on its own with a healing hydrotherapy journey.
After the Sunset
Stream it: Amazon Prime
While Salma Hayek, Pierce Brosnan, Woody Harrelson and Don Cheadle headline this 2004 heist flick, the breakout star is the Bahamas. Jewelry thieves and lovers Hayek and Brosnan retire to paradise and opt for one last score. But the prized diamond dulls in comparison to the island’s aquamarine waters, fresh lobster, high-spirited Junkanoo parade and more.
Scene stealer: The bright-pink towers are instantly recognizable as Paradise Island’s Atlantis. Its 10-room Bridge Suite made a cameo, but we prefer Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Cove at Atlantis, an exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel with beachy rooms, a more tranquil vibe and a sleek pool tucked between two private beaches.
27 Dresses
Stream it: Amazon Prime
Katherine Heigl plays an always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride type in this romantic comedy. She darts from one wedding to the next, bringing us everywhere from Brooklyn to the Meatpacking District. The sunny shots in Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse and Cherry Hill made us swoon.
Scene stealer: Heigl attends a wedding at Lotte New York Palace, whose neo-Italian Renaissance architecture and picturesque courtyard make it a dream venue for saying “I do.” The three-floor Champagne Suite is honeymoon-worthy with a wine cave and rooftop terrace.
Snatched
Stream it: Amazon Prime
Amy Schumer takes her mom (Goldie Hawn) on what was supposed to be a romantic getaway to Ecuador after getting dumped. The comedic duo ends up getting kidnapped and high jinks ensue as they try to escape the lush jungle.
Scene stealer: Four-Star Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina lent its sparkling adults-only infinity pool to the Hawaii-shot movie — it’s the best spot on the property to watch the sunset (preferably from one of the amenity-laden cabanas). The hotel’s Mina’s Fish House also made an appearance (the lobster pot pie is chef Michael Mina’s top dishes).
The Devil Wears Prada
Stream it: Amazon Prime
This roman à clef-turned-film rumored to be about Vogue editor Anna Wintour (played by the incomparable Meryl Streep) is just as much an ode to NYC as it is to fashion. When assistant Anne Hathaway steps out of the subway station, her haute threads pop amid the yellow cabs.
Scene stealer: One of Hathaway’s impossible tasks (to snag the unpublished Harry Potter manuscript) leads her to King Cole Bar at Five-Star The St. Regis New York. The classic hotel bar is famous for serving America’s first bloody mary (called a Red Snapper) and its 1906 Maxfield Parrish mural of King Cole.
Crazy Rich Asians
Stream it: Hulu
This romcom starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding gives a glimpse into the lives of the uber-wealthy in Singapore. But it also immerses you in the country’s rich culture — from the hawker stalls serving mouthwatering local dishes (get the cast’s food recommendations here) to the Gardens by the Bay’s futuristic Supertree Grove.
Scene stealer: Marina Bay Sands’ dizzying 57th-floor infinity pool is a Singapore skyline standout, so of course it was spotlighted in CRA along with the hotel’s adjacent CÉ LA VI Club Lounge.
Carol
Stream it: Amazon Prime
To travel back to a time when “COVID-19” wasn’t part of the vernacular, try this drama set in 1950s New York. However, this era comes with its own problems, as illustrated in the taboo affair between Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. From the snowy city blocks lined with vintage cars to a cross-country road trip with stops at retro restaurants, the period film transports you.
Scene stealer: The French art deco Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza stood in for Chicago’s The Drake hotel in the film. The Hilton’s Four-Star Orchids at Palm Court is also a showstopper, not only for its grand atmosphere but for its New American cuisine.
