At the six best cinema hotels in the world, from Manhattan to Stockholm, there is something for every film fan.
Astoria7, San Sebastian, Spain
It’s fitting that this old cinema has been transformed into a stylish movie-themed hotel, located as it is in the city that hosts one of Europe’s biggest film festivals. Reminders of the building’s former life are everywhere: the library, situated behind sleek glass walls, houses an impressive book collection dedicated to the silver screen, and each bedroom is devoted to a different film personality, including Quentin Tarantino, Sean Penn and Meryl Streep. Most impressive is the suite honouring Alfred Hitchcock. It comes with a projector and a screen, as well as a living room packed with movie paraphernalia.
* See astoria7hotel.com
Tribeca Grand Hotel, New York
As the name suggests, this boutique hotel is located in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood, where Robert De Niro co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. The hotel’s cinema, with its leather seats and statement lighting, hosts private screenings plus free Sunday showings of cult films and popular TV programmes. The 201 rooms and suites are dressed in a mid-century modern style.
* See tribecagrand.com
Mondrian, London
Set within the South Bank’s Sea Containers building, the Mondrian, which opened last September, not only offers fancy suites and a glitzy cocktail bar, but also its own nautical-themed cinema. The 56-seat cinema, run by Curzon, is open every weekend to guests and the public, showing new films as well as old favourites. Bedrooms are compact and functional with marble en suite bathrooms. Suites have rainfall showers and free-standing baths. The basement houses an impressive spa.
* See morganshotelgroup.com
Ace Hotel, Los Angeles
This building in Downtown LA started life in 1927 as a United Artists film studio. Today, it houses the Ace Hotel, incorporating the restored United Artists Theatre, which is immense with three storeys and 1600 seats. It’s intricately decorated with a vaulted ceiling and an ornate balcony festooned with thousands of mirrors. Bedrooms are the exact opposite: classically cool with bare walls, wood floors and, in some, acoustic guitars. Suites have kitchenettes and stand-alone baths.
* See acehotel.com/losangeles
Hotel Rival, Stockholm
Chic Art Deco-inspired design has helped turn this old 1930s cinema into a modern boutique hotel in the heart of Stockholm. Above each bed is a giant still from a Swedish film, with floor-length cinema-style curtains hanging either side. A 700-seat theatre puts on regular concerts and shows. The hotel is also part-owned by Abba’s Benny Andersson, which explains why there’s an Abba Gold CD in every room along with a selection of other CDs and DVDs.
* See rival.se
Limes Hotel, Brisbane, Australia
Watching a film doesn’t have to mean sitting inside. Perched on the rooftop of Brisbane’s hip Limes Hotel is a cinema, kitted out with comfy seats and cushions, where movies are screened every Wednesday and Thursday evening. Grab a drink from the rooftop bar or, during the day, take a dip in one of the plunge pools while you admire the view. Bedrooms are decked out with everything from iPod docking stations to mini-kitchenettes and hammocks.
* 142 Constance Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (limeshotel.com.au)
The Independent