Renowned for his use of cinematic symmetry, stop-motion animation, dollhouse set designs and Art Nouveau colour palette, Wes Anderson’s films span continents and decades and have created a design subculture movement. From the charming cobblestones of Czech Republic to the sun-soaked streets of Singapore, we’ve rounded up ten hotels that could have been in a Wes Anderson movie.
Scroll through the gallery and then start packing. It’s time to start living out your own Wes Anderson adventure.
1. The Great Madras, Singapore
If Wes Anderson were to run a small boutique hotel, The Great Madras would be it. Much like the filmmaker himself, the owners of this charming and spirited hotel tucked away in the heart of little India certainly have an eye for detail. Leaving the original art deco facade untouched as a nod to the building’s heritage as a pre-war housing block turned no-frills hotel, the design team breathed new life into its existing structure by artfully layering playful prints of ferns and retro dive-bar decor against whimsical teal and cream herringbone floors. The best part? Bathe in a sea of dreamy pastel hues—just like The Grand Budapest Hotel—in their retro pool, featuring a circular arch that would satisfy Wes Anderson’s appetite for symmetry.
2. Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, South Africa
Now that we’ve seen Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, we can strike visiting The Grand Budapest off our bucket list. At 120 years old, the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel exudes old grand hotel charm with its confectionary pastel pink and white palatial walls bearing a striking resemblance to—you guessed it—The Grand Budapest. It even has a water fountain perfectly positioned in front of its main entrance that looks uncannily like the keystone monument seen in the opening scene of the movie. Inside, eclectic floating bauble chandeliers, textured grey suede armchairs, polka dot pouffes and a backdrop of pastel walls create an understated 70s aesthetic that Monsieur Gustave would have admired greatly. All that is missing is a bottle of L’Air de Panache.
3. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
The plush, Prussian blue coat of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and its gilded gold engravings are enough to make us want to pack up our life in a suitcase and embark on a journey of self-discovery in style like the brothers in The Darjeeling Limited. With its polished wood, exquisite tangerine and mint upholstery, art deco moldings and team of smartly dressed cabin stewards in their crisp uniform topped with a hat—the train epitomises the glamour of 1920s travel; except without the grit.
4. Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, Mexico
Nestled in the heartlands of Mexico, this rustic retreat with its burnt orange hue offers cosy respite from the bustle of the city. We like to think of this one as Etheline Tenenbaum’s summer abode when she’s on a sabbatical. Lounge around on the patterned Mexican-style embroidered armchairs in the drawing room with its intricately carved oak shelves and ornamental plates or head to the pool for a rejuvenating afternoon dip. Porque no los dos?
5. Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Switzerland
What caught our eye at this enchanting lakeside hotel situated in the city of Lugano was the bedroom which bore an uncanny resemblance to the richly-toned Paris hotel room seen in Hotel Chevalier. With its yellow composite, striped pastel green wallpaper, cream furniture and a bohemian-inspired elephant table lamp to add just that unexpected quirk to the room, we’d hazard a guess that someone at this Italian-style hotel too, is a massive fan of the filmmaker.
6. Le Grand Bellevue, Switzerland
This, folks, is retro aesthetic that has been elegantly executed. A collision of vibrant colours and quirky patterns greet you at the Bellevue’s lounge, giving us serious Anderson vibes, with the striped whimsical and quirky fowl patterned wallpaper offering a pleasing contrast to the pistachio ceiling with orange edging and deep jewel toned furniture. We think Margot Tenenbaum would approve. Or, if you prefer someplace more private, sip in style at the pink and olive green-themed bar before heading upstairs to a bedroom upstairs awaiting you in various shades of candy pink.
7. Rooms Hotel Tbilisi, Georgia
Reflecting the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of its neck of the woods, Hotel Tbilisi’s glassdoor facade belies the quirky and cozy urban decor of its interior design—featuring crimson and sacramento green fern wallpaper, decorative bird cages stacked atop each other (think Chas Tenenbaum with his circus of mice) and a study that Henry Sherman from The Royal Tenenbaums would love.
8. Quisisana Palace, Czech Republic
Dating back to the late 19th century, the ornate coral and cream Baroque-Revival facade of the Quisisana in the spa town of Karlovy Vary bears an old world grandeur seen in The Grand Budapest. Inside, pastel hues await you in every room: pistachio and rose accents in the dining area reminiscent of Mendls’ Courtesan au Chocolat, striped pink wallpaper and exquisite rococo moldings in the bedroom suites recalling those of its movie doppelgänger.
9. Stapleford Park, United Kingdom
If you always wanted to be a Tenenbaum, make sure to book a stay at the Stapleford Park hotel the next time you find yourself near the area. Lying in the town of Melton Mowbray, this English country house gem with its sweeping lawns belies a rich world of oak panels perfectly complemented by jewel-toned colour accents and banana and cream stripes. Don’t be thrown by the deadpan stare of the deer heads that greet you as you walk into the saloon that looks as though it came straight from the nefarious mind of Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis in The Grand Budapest.
10. Hotel L’Hotel, France
Amidst the hotel giants in the city of Paris, in a quiet street surrounded by art galleries and boutiques, sits a theatrically-decorated boutique hotel on a quiet street—once home to the eccentric playwright, Oscar Wilde. Decadently dressed with curtain-covered walls and furnished with flamboyant art, this bohemian hideaway is only a stone’s throw away from the Musée d’Orsay. Our favourite part? You don’t have to decide between sitting in the intimate bar with its zany portrait of a Great Dane, or retreat for some peace within the stone walls of the hotel’s swimming pool and sauna.
