8 Hotels Straight Out of a Wes Anderson Movie
Wes Anderson has created an entire world through his films. The iconic pink facade from The Grand Budapest Hotel. The pool-tile blue hues of The Life Aquatic. From the hashtag turned book #accidentallywesanderson to everyday people making viral TikTok videos in the auteur’s signature quirky style, the aesthetic of Wes Anderson has become synonymous with colorful, particular design and curated ambiance—and it has inspired numerous hotel interiors around the globe. Just in time for the director’s new star-studded film Asteroid City (starring Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and more big names), which will premiere at Cannes Film Festival this month and hits theaters June 16, here are eight hotels that may very well be Wes Anderson sets.
Photo: Helen Cathcart1/8The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Think of this one as a moving hotel. The sheer luxury of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express undeniably outweighs that of The Darjeeling Limited, but everything from the decor to the staff uniforms on Belmond’s famous train flirts with the director’s nostalgic style. Anderson even designed a car on a different Belmond train in 2021, opting to maintain the midcentury carriage’s swan theme: “I love trains!” he said at the time. “I have often had the chance to invent train compartments and carriages in my movies—so I was immediately pleased to say yes to this real-life opportunity, and very eager to make something new while also participating in the process of preservation which accompanies all the classic Belmond train projects. They are keeping something special alive; igniting this endangered species of travel into a new golden era.”
Photo: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images2/8The Jane, New York City
Upon entering the Jane Hotel, one is accosted with playfully dated decor intent on bringing old New York to present day. The lush red accents and the giant disco ball fixed in the center of the lobby call to another era that would make even Richie Tenenbaum crack a smile.
Photo: Kat Alves3/8The National Exchange, Nevada City, California
While the town alone is worthy of the opening credits, the recently refurbished, historic National Exchange oozes cinematic charm with every turn. Located in the heart of Gold Country, the boutique hotel captures the director’s mood with antique furniture and bold floral wallpaper. At Lola, the downstairs restaurant and bar, the red velvet booths are as Anderson as it gets.
Photo: Chris Mottalini4/8Little Cat Lodge, Hillsdale, New York
In Moonrise Kingdom, Anderson put his own creative spin on small towns and camping. Little Cat Lodge, located in New York’s Hudson Valley and designed by Studio Loveisenough, fits into the film’s aesthetic like a glove. Symmetry—a beloved visual trick of the director—is preserved meticulously. A mix of fabrics and patterns, landscape tapestries and ditsy florals, and dark leather and cozy mohair are nestled among lived-in wood paneling in bright colors.
Photo: David Mitchell / Courtesy of Graduate Hotels5/8The Graduate Hotels: Palo Alto, California, and Oxford, Mississippi
The hotel chain, which favors cities with prominent college communities around the US, has definitely taken a page out of the director’s book. At the newly opened Palo Alto, California, hotel (pictured), an enormous pastoral tapestry welcomes guests, evoking Anderson’s signature retro style. At the Oxford, Mississippi, location, the lobby is adorned with adventure-inspiring globe lamps. Throughout, a creative mix of prints and vintage artifacts lends a playful, dreamy feel to the hotels’ rooms and lobbies.
Courtesy of Burgh Island Hotel6/8Burgh Island Hotel, South Devon, UK
In addition to idiosyncratic interiors, Anderson’s films often feature memorable and oddball architecture. Perched right by the water, the Burgh is an Art Deco stunner and a great candidate for a future Anderson project. Originally constructed in the 1920s as a coastal getaway for film producer Archibald Nettlefold, it features a romantic glass rotunda and a dramatic white-and-green color palette, with pastel-and-wood-outfitted rooms amping up the charm.
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Courtesy of Grand Hotel7/8Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
You can nearly hear one of Alexandre Desplat’s famous scores when on the premises of the Grand Hotel; there’s something intrinsically Andersonian about a quaint island, and the facade is doll-house-like, with myriad small windows and chic striped canopies. Inside, no two rooms are alike. Whimsical memorabilia—think lion heads and framed paper sketches—meet a cornucopia of pastel wallpapers and printed fabrics.
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Photo: Benoit Linero8/8Les Deux Gares, Paris
Many of Anderson’s sets look almost too precious to be real, and the same is true of the boutique Les Deux Gares. From the chic marquee to the red-and-white headboards, the hotel, located in the 10th arrondissement and designed by Luke Edward Hall, is fully dedicated to the Anderson vibe—the perfectly symmetrical lobby, with its velvet sofas and flea market-found art as well as the pastel-hued bathrooms, could be easily pictured with Margot Tenenbaum in attendance.
