If you fancy following in the footsteps of James Bond and you like your Martinis shaken but not stirred, here are 10 stunning luxury hotels where you can experience scenes from various Bond movies without having to defeat any baddies.
1. 5 Star Hotel Central in Sölden
Pinewood Studios chose Sölden as the snowy film location in Spectre. Director Sam Mendes chose Ice Q, a three-story glass building that resembles a melting ice cube (hence the name) located at the top of the 3,048m summit of the Gaislachkogl glacier, as the villain’s lair before Bond (Daniel Craig) skis down to the Tyrol village of Sölden.
The actual Ice Q can be reached by gondola and is the perfect place for a lazy lunch. Stay where Sam Mendes stayed, at the 121-room Das Central hotel in this snow-sure resort. This five-star luxury hotel is utterly modern, with rooms that offer floor to ceiling windows looking out upon the nearby peaks. The bar here is slick and has a modern feel with icy lighting around a trendy bar and a lounge area. Brown suede sofas will gobble-you-up as you enjoy your Martini, shaken not stirred, beside the fire.
2. The Langham, London
This is one of our favorite hotels in London, although on our last trip we saw Jeremy Clarkson in the bar rather than Daniel Craig which doesn’t carry quite the same panache! In fact, being located across from the BBC building, quite a lot of presenters use the bar here making it the perfect place for your Martini. The hotel itself has a great sense of history with a beautiful marble foyer and a maze of historic rooms up elegant staircases. The Langham doubled for the Grand Hotel St Petersburg in Goldeneye.
3. Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico
Spectre opens with Bond in a skeleton-painted suit, who follows a beautiful woman into an ornate elevator and chamber. This is the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, just to the southwest of the Zócalo. This spectacular Art Nouveau hotel with stained glass vaulted ceilings transports guests back in time to a palace from the past. Stay for a night and immerse yourself in history in a glorious setting.
4. Villa Di Fiorano
This Villa was Lucia’s Roman Villa (Lucia was Sciarra’s widow) in Sceptre. After the funeral, Lucia returns to her home, puts on some music, and pours herself a drink. She walks outside to the pool area, expecting to be executed. Instead Bond shoots the potential killers and comments on the lovely view! Villa di Fiorano, which isn’t actually a hotel, can be rented for special occasions and is an amazing venue just outside Rome. It would certainly make a dreamy spot for a wedding, a big party, a Martini, or in Bond’s case, a killing.
5. One and Only Beach Club, Bahamas
This hotel is featured in Casino Royale and is the beach where Daniel Craig emerged from the sea in his first movie as Bond. This resort bills itself as paradise. You can spend time in the same library that Daniel hung out in and can replicate the Bond experience by booking villa 108 which was also featured. Resorts don’t come more glamorous and this is a truly great resort to relive the Bond experience.
6. Hotel Danieli, Venice
Venice regularly features in Bond movies including From Russia From Love, a speedboat race in Moonraker, and the 2006 Casino Royale. The Hotel Danieli, a SPG (Sheraton) Luxury Collection Hotel, just off St Mark’s Square, is a key location. This 14th century palace on the Grand Canal is one of Venice’s best hotels (although we prefer the Aman Canal Grande and the Belmond Cipriani. Suite del Doge at the Danieli is where Dr. Goodhead can be found in the Bond movie in Moonraker.
7. British Colonial Hilton, Bahamas
Two Bond films have scenes in the Bahamas; Thunderball and Never Say Never Again were filmed at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel. Opened in 1923, it is a beautiful and historic hotel and remains the only hotel in Nassau to offer a private beach.
8. Peninsula, Hong Kong
Created in 1928, and Hong Kong’s oldest hotel, the legendary “Grande Dame of the Far East” offers unmatched classical grandeur and timeless elegance. A stay at the hotel allows you to re-live the glamour of travel of a by-gone era and explore the many antiques and historical artifacts on display around the hotel. Bond girl Andrea Anders from the Man with a Golden Gun, as Mary Goodnight, spends the night in one of the Peninsula’s rooms, and the sheer glamour of this hotel means that a stay here is just like stepping into the movie.
9. Circus Circus, Las Vegas
In Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery tips up in a casket at Palm Henderson cemetery before meeting Tiffany Case at Circus Circus. To be honest, this hotel does not offer Bond-Esque glamour but we have reviewed the most spectacular suites in Vegas where you can enjoy a truly Bond-style experience. If you prefer, stay somewhere cheap and grab your Martini in a bar with one of the best views in Vegas. Whatever your choice, there is nowhere quite like Vegas.
10. Atlantic Hotel Kempinski, Hamburg
This classic lakeside hotel stars in Pierce Brosnan’s outing in Tomorrow Never Dies where Bond climbs from the Atlantic Suite to the globe on the roof of the hotel after Bond killed Dr. Kaufman. The interior of the hotel did not feature in the movie but this is undoubtedly one of the most elegant places to stay in Hamburg.
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