Suite spots: Which hotels from films and TV to waltz into, and which to avoid

Admit it, half the fun of watching The White Lotus is vicariously partaking in the delights of the luxury hotel chain: lavish sea-facing suites, indulgent service, groaning breakfast buffets. When a character checks into a hotel in a movie or TV show, there’s a little bit of a fantasy for everyone watching. So forget for a minute that some of the hotels on our list were hollow sets. Would you enjoy a stay at these properties made famous on screen?

Even in pictures it’s a bit eerie. It’s huge, cold, and stuck on top of a hill. The hallways are dark. The hedge maze is menacing. The wallpaper and carpets have an unsettling vintage pattern. You may not want to move there with your family just to work as a winter caretaker – the previous one went crazy, killed his family and then himself. Spend a few weeks here and the loneliness will get too you too. You’ll start seeing visions, twin ghouls, even an axe around the corner. Avoid. (The film used several Colorado locations for the exteriors; the interior scenes were shot in a studio.)

Now, normally they don’t let prostitutes in. But Edward Lewis, who books the penthouse even though he’s afraid of heights, is such a treasured guest, he’s allowed to break a few rules. The hotel lets him play the piano when he’s stressed. Their strawberries-and-champagne service is prompt. You could lose yourself in that huge bathtub. And should your lady friend be in need of a makeover, the concierge knows exactly which stores and salons to call. “It’s the best.” (Many scenes were shot at Hollywood’s Las Palmas Hotel and in a studio. Only the exteriors of the Regent Beverly Wiltshire appear in the film.)

It’s pretty as a postcard, with a funicular ride all the way to the entrance. The service is unmatched. The fussy concierge has been having an affair with a guest, a fussier 84-year-old dowager, for the 20 years that she’s been visiting. He’s seduced other, richer clients too. Could he have killed the dowager to inherit her wealth? “Rudeness is merely the expression of fear,” he often says. Seems unlikely. (An old department store in Germany was refitted for the film.)

Are you a secretary who’s stolen from the office and needs a room for the night? Quiet, lumbering Norman Bates will have to check with his mother. He’s hospitable enough, bringing over warm meals and checking in on guests. He likes a bit of taxidermy. But he argues rather loudly with his mother. Keep your wits about you and hide the cash. Whatever you do, do not take a shower. (Incidentally, the motel scenes were shot in a studio.)

Aimed at British retirees looking to spend their final years in India, it’s a bit rundown but big on Raj-era hospitality. The manager is eager to please. The staff is welcoming. And slowly everyone finds their groove. From within its walls, the teeming city of Jaipur seems less overwhelming. Closeted men open up. Love blossoms. Even racists melt in the warmth of the desert sun. No wonder the guests are so loyal to the brand. (The hotel scenes were shot at different luxury guest houses in Rajasthan.)

The rooms are tiny and rustic at this old-timey resort in the Catskills. But there’s dancing at dinnertime. And some of the dance instructors are attractive enough to pull Baby Houseman out of her corner. Lessons, though, are gruelling. Bring your own leotard, develop your balance on tree logs and practice your jumps in the lake. But you’ll… have… the time of your life. (The film was shot on location, at a mountain lodge in Virginia.)

You can check out any time you like. But you’ll find yourself waking up in the same bed, to the sounds of the same song, reliving the same day until you learn some lessons about life. Still, it’s not a bad place to get stuck in a time loop in. The rooms are small but clean. The furnishing is vintage. Everyone is cheerful at breakfast, even on a freezing-cold morning. Use the extra time to save people from accidents big and small, make ice-sculptures, polish up your piano-playing and your French. And you only end up paying for one night’s stay. (The film is set in Pennsylvania but was shot at a B&B in Illinois that was later rebranded the Cherry Tree Inn.)

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