Hotels, throughout history, have become more than just simple backdrops in the world of cinema, even rising to the status of protagonists. Shelters from great catastrophes, deadly traps, portals to the unknown, or simply ordinary accommodations. Below, we review 10 films where the role of a hotel has turned into an additional character.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, in The Shining the Overlook Hotel stands as the soul of this psychological horror masterpiece from the early ’80s. Isolated in the mountains and steeped in a dark history, this hotel becomes an almost living entity that slowly consumes Jack Torrance’s sanity.
Director Genndy Tartakovsky gives us a vision of a luxury resort hotel for monsters, created by Count Dracula to protect his daughter. A place full of life (literally) and humor, serving as the center of a story about acceptance and family.
With its unique aesthetic and charming narrative, this fictional hotel in Eastern Europe is the heart of a story about friendship, war, and legacy. Every corner of the building is filled with style and symbolism, guidelines set by the direction of Wes Anderson.
Directed by Mikael Håfström, this film is based on a short story by Stephen King in which the main character is Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. A challenge to logic and reality, it traps both the protagonist and the viewer in a loop of psychological horror.
John Madden introduces us to the story of a group of British retirees who move to a hotel in India expecting luxury, but end up finding something much more valuable: a personal rediscovery. The Marigold Hotel, though in ruins, becomes a symbol of second chances to change life regardless of age..
Directed by Terry George, it is based on real events, showing us how a hotel manager saved more than a thousand refugees during the Rwandan genocide. The hotel becomes a true sanctuary in the midst of chaos.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Bates Motel is one of the most iconic locations in horror cinema. Its calm façade hides dark secrets, and its owner, Norman Bates, is one of the most disturbing characters in film history.
The Park Hyatt Tokyo is a space for disconnection and connection for two lost souls in Tokyo, played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Its silent hallways and panoramic views reflect the loneliness and intimacy of the protagonists.
Directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, among others, this film tells four surreal stories that take place in different rooms of the same hotel during a New Year’s Eve night. The Hotel Mon Signor’s bellhop, played by Tim Roth, is the connecting thread of this dark comedy for the ages.
A classic of cinema with the personal touch of director Edmund Goulding, who delights us with several intertwined stories set in the luxurious Grand Hotel in Berlin, which becomes a microcosm of society, full of drama, romance, betrayal, and redemption. Based on the novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum, this film won an Oscar for Best Picture.
