Kiwi Curated
Summer Travel Inspired by Movies
by Joy PecknoldBefore “Instagram-worthy” became an adjective, the greatest compliment one could pay a place was that it was “cinematic.” Playing a key role in the plot lines of some iconic summer movies, the destinations herein are cinematic in the truest sense of the word.
Summer Travel Inspired by Movies
The cult Kathryn Bigelow film starring Keanu Reeves as “Johnny Utah” takes place in various parts of Los Angeles, including Malibu. Of Latigo Beach, where the Ex-Presidents surf, Utah utters the movie title, “Nice point break. Long workable rides.” A few minutes down the road from there is the Malibu Beach Inn which gives non-locals a chance to live on what’s dubbed “Billionare’s Beach” without needing to rob any banks.
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Summer Travel Inspired by Movies
Both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies were filmed in Santorini, specifically the village of Oia. In the first, Lena (Alexis Bledel) goes to stay with her grandparents and ends up falling in love with a local boy, and at the end of the sequel, all the girls go there in search of the lost pants. Kirini Santorini is an ideal spot on the isle, whether you go for romantic reasons or to reconnect with your friends.
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In Under the Tuscan Sun, loosely based on Frances Mayes’ memoir, an American writer played by Diane Lane buys a fixer upper villa in Cortona, Italy on a whim. To have all the romance of a villa in Tuscany without the commitment, book into La Corte Dei Papi, a restored 18th century estate. Enjoy wine touring, al fresco dining in the garden and long soaks in a whirlpool tub.
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While not a lighthearted sort of summer holiday film, The Talented Mr. Ripley is just too stylish to leave off the list. Paid to track down Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), a wealthy shipbuilder’s son, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) ends up inserting himself into Dickie’s life. Rome and Venice are featured, but the beachy scenes in Positano are the ones we most want to replicate, right down to the chic 1950s wardrobe. The retro, colourful décor of Le Sirenuse fits right into the storyline.
BOOK NOWSummer Travel Inspired by Movies
Hitting up all three destinations from Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy of films is just a good idea. Messenia, Greece in Before Midnight, Paris in Before Sunset, and Vienna in Before Sunrise, where it all started. In the first film, Jesse and Céline (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) can’t afford a hotel and so walk the city all night. If pulling an all-nighter is just too much, stay at Hotel Sans Souci Wien, very close to the museum quarter which the two young travelers strolled through.
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Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona follows friends Vicky and Cristina (Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson) who both become romantically entangled with an artist and his wife (Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz) while spending a summer in Barcelona. However long you stay, Primero Primera Boutique Hotel will make you feel at home in the city with its family ownership and residential address in the Tres Torres neighborhood. Sipping a Tempranillo on their cozy terrace after dark feels cinematic.
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Summer Travel Inspired by Movies
Midnight in Paris, another Woody Allen film, tells the story of screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) as he juggles vacationing with his fiancé Inez and time travelling to the 1920s in Paris. Stay at Le Bristol Paris, the same iconic hotel that the fictional couple did, and visit the Le Meurice rooftop where they wine-tasted within view of the Eiffel Tower.
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Summer Travel Inspired by Movies
Go old school with a trip inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. Starring Cary Grant as retired cat burglar who’s trying to solve a new slew of jewelry robberies along the French Riviera. The Intercontinental Carlton in Cannes is featured heavily in the film. Its private beach is where Grant’s character catches the eye of Frances Stevens played by Grace Kelly. Fittingly, the hotel, which has suites named after celebrities, becomes a prime party spot during the Cannes Film Festival.
BOOK NOWThe cult Kathryn Bigelow film starring Keanu Reeves as “Johnny Utah” takes place in various parts of Los Angeles, including Malibu. Of Latigo Beach, where the Ex-Presidents surf, Utah utters the movie title, “Nice point break. Long workable rides.” A few minutes down the road from there is the Malibu Beach Inn which gives non-locals a chance to live on what’s dubbed “Billionare’s Beach” without needing to rob any banks.
BOOK NOW
Both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies were filmed in Santorini, specifically the village of Oia. In the first, Lena (Alexis Bledel) goes to stay with her grandparents and ends up falling in love with a local boy, and at the end of the sequel, all the girls go there in search of the lost pants. Kirini Santorini is an ideal spot on the isle, whether you go for romantic reasons or to reconnect with your friends.
BOOK NOWIn Under the Tuscan Sun, loosely based on Frances Mayes’ memoir, an American writer played by Diane Lane buys a fixer upper villa in Cortona, Italy on a whim. To have all the romance of a villa in Tuscany without the commitment, book into La Corte Dei Papi, a restored 18th century estate. Enjoy wine touring, al fresco dining in the garden and long soaks in a whirlpool tub.
BOOK NOWWhile not a lighthearted sort of summer holiday film, The Talented Mr. Ripley is just too stylish to leave off the list. Paid to track down Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), a wealthy shipbuilder’s son, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) ends up inserting himself into Dickie’s life. Rome and Venice are featured, but the beachy scenes in Positano are the ones we most want to replicate, right down to the chic 1950s wardrobe. The retro, colourful décor of Le Sirenuse fits right into the storyline.
BOOK NOWHitting up all three destinations from Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy of films is just a good idea. Messenia, Greece in Before Midnight, Paris in Before Sunset, and Vienna in Before Sunrise, where it all started. In the first film, Jesse and Céline (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) can’t afford a hotel and so walk the city all night. If pulling an all-nighter is just too much, stay at Hotel Sans Souci Wien, very close to the museum quarter which the two young travelers strolled through.
BOOK NOWWoody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona follows friends Vicky and Cristina (Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson) who both become romantically entangled with an artist and his wife (Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz) while spending a summer in Barcelona. However long you stay, Primero Primera Boutique Hotel will make you feel at home in the city with its family ownership and residential address in the Tres Torres neighborhood. Sipping a Tempranillo on their cozy terrace after dark feels cinematic.
BOOK NOW
Midnight in Paris, another Woody Allen film, tells the story of screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) as he juggles vacationing with his fiancé Inez and time travelling to the 1920s in Paris. Stay at Le Bristol Paris, the same iconic hotel that the fictional couple did, and visit the Le Meurice rooftop where they wine-tasted within view of the Eiffel Tower.
BOOK NOW
Go old school with a trip inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. Starring Cary Grant as retired cat burglar who’s trying to solve a new slew of jewelry robberies along the French Riviera. The Intercontinental Carlton in Cannes is featured heavily in the film. Its private beach is where Grant’s character catches the eye of Frances Stevens played by Grace Kelly. Fittingly, the hotel, which has suites named after celebrities, becomes a prime party spot during the Cannes Film Festival.
BOOK NOW