And the Oscar Goes to… Hotels in Asia That Are Celebrities Themselves

What it’s all about: A White Lotus-famous Ko Samui escape with private pool villas, big Gulf views and just enough drama to justify the hype.

The White Lotus effect is very real. When it was announced that the hit HBO show would film its third season at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, searches surged 40 percent on booking engines. But the resort does not need prestige TV to sell its rooms.

Perched on a jungle-clad hillside above Laem Yai Bay, the 71-key resort, including 60 pool villas and 11 private residences, is a private paradise on one of Thailand’s most famous islands. Each villa comes with its own infinity pool and wide views of the Gulf of Thailand, while a private beach, an island-focused spa program and yacht excursions round out the fantasy.

Production used several of the private pool villas. You will recall the wide timber decks and plunge pools where much of the R-rated drama unfolded. It also used the resort’s main infinity pool, shaded salas and sweeping sea-facing terraces.

What it’s all about: An Oscar-winning Tokyo stay where Lost in Translation turned Park Hyatt Tokyo’s skyline views and New York Bar into a cinematic icon.

Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola’s portrait of the painfully alone, became a cult hit soon after its 2003 release. In the film, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray play two Americans untethered in Tokyo, drifting through jet lag, marital doubt and loneliness in a city that never seems to sleep. As they find meaning in Tokyo’s late nights and surprising silence, Park Hyatt Tokyo serves as their luxurious home base.

Occupying the top floors of Shinjuku Park Tower, the 171-room hotel, including 29 suites, rises above one of the capital’s busiest districts. Guest rooms are large by Tokyo standards, with floor-to-ceiling windows and deep soaking tubs positioned toward the skyline.

In late 2025, after a 19-month closure, the hotel reopened following a full renovation led by Studio Jouin Manku. The studio introduced new textiles and stone surfaces and subtly reworked the room layouts while preserving the hotel’s original restrained aesthetic. Beyond the rooms, the New York Bar on the 52nd floor is the film’s most recognizable setting. Floor-to-ceiling windows and live jazz frame Tokyo’s skyline. For a relaxed experience, order a whisky, take a seat by the window and watch the city flicker to life below. Because it is Suntory time somewhere.

What it’s all about: A storied Singapore icon where the Singapore Sling was born and Crazy Rich Asians brought Raffles Hotel back into the cinematic spotlight.

Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel has long been a crowd favorite. It was here, in 1915, that bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the Singapore Sling. Ever since, the stately landmark has drawn travelers eager to sip the cocktail at the famed Long Bar while soaking up its 19th-century charm.

In 2018, it returned to the spotlight as a filming location for Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians. Raffles stood in as the fictional Kingsford Hotel, where Nick (Henry Golding) and Rachel (Constance Wu) stay upon arriving in Singapore. A year later, the 115-suite property completed a comprehensive restoration, refreshing its heritage interiors and whitewashed façade while preserving its colonial character.

To relive the cinematic moment, check into the presidential suite above the lobby, where key scenes were filmed, and order a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar.

What it’s all about: A sky-high Bangkok spot where The Hangover Part II made Lebua’s golden-lit rooftop, home to two Two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, an icon.

The Hangover Part II had a strange impact on Bangkok. On one hand, it framed the city as a debauched playground. On the other hand, it turned a handful of locations into instant landmarks. Lebua at State Tower was one of them.

Rising above the Chao Phraya River, the all-suite hotel delivers the soaring views expected of a Bangkok stay. But the real draw is the Dome, its rooftop cluster of bars and restaurants. Set on the 63rd and 64th floors, Sirocco and its bar served as the backdrop for some of the film’s most chaotic moments. Overnight, the golden-lit terrace became one of the city’s most recognizable settings.

To relive it, minus the face tattoo, join sunset chasers at Sky, order a Hangovertini and take in the panoramic views.

What it’s all about: A floating palace in Udaipur where Octopussy turned Taj Lake Palace’s white marble setting into a Bond-worthy cinematic escape.

If ever a hotel were made for the movies, it is Taj Lake Palace. Built in the 18th century as a royal summer residence, it now operates as a 65-room hotel, including 18 suites, set on Jag Niwas island in the middle of Lake Pichola. Guests arrive by boat, the only way in, crossing from Udaipur’s City Palace complex to the white marble structure rising directly from the water.

That setting made it a natural fit for the James Bond franchise. In 1983, the palace appeared in Octopussy as the floating residence of the title character, its courtyards, colonnaded terraces and lake-facing façade woven into Bond lore. Inside, carved marble, inlaid stone, Mughal arches and Rajput detailing reflect its royal origins. Dining draws on Mewari traditions, while terraces overlook the same stretch of lake seen on screen.

Book a lake-view suite, arrive at dusk and let the setting do the rest.

Header image: Bill Murray in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. © Focus Features