In on the act
With the Academy Awards upon us, a hotel group is helping movie fans tread in the footsteps of stars, finds Mark Footer
An inspired marketing device to promote the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW; now in its 85th year) was launched ahead of (tomorrow's; HK time) 85th Academy Awards ceremony: a list of 85 movies shot at least in part in one of the hospitality consortium's member hotels.
LHW represents about 430 properties worldwide, so many of the most obvious hotels made famous by Oscar-winning movies, such as the Park Hyatt Tokyo ( Lost in Translation) and The Roosevelt Hotel, New York ( Wall Street), do not appear on the list - and many of the films that are on it did not win awards (Academy or otherwise). However, that is part of the list's charm: included alongside Hotel Le Bristol ( Midnight in Paris, an Oscar winner last year) and The Pierre, New York (1993's Scent of a Woman; best actor award for Al Pacino's performance) are some lesser-celebrated gems of the hospitality and/or film industries.
LHW was established in 1928 as a reservation service for independent properties under the name Luxury Hotels of Europe and Egypt. It initially had 38 members, including the King David Hotel in Jerusalem (which is featured in the list, having provided a set for 1960 Oscar winner Exodus) and Le Negresco, in Nice, France ( La Cage aux Folles II; 1980).
The Quiet Man(1952)/Ashford Castle, County Mayo, Ireland.
Retired boxer Sean Thorton (John Wayne) returns from America to set up home in the Irish village in which he was born. His courtship with fiery local Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara) sets off a chain of events involving property deals, secret weddings, dowries and obstacles in the form of traditional social rules. The Quiet Man won two Academy Awards, including that for best director.
Director John Ford, who had Irish roots, enlisted the help of local peer Lord Killanin to find locations for filming. Many parts of Ashford Castle and the nearby village of Cong, were used, although interior scenes were shot back in Hollywood. The main stone bridge leading to the hotel can be spotted in the opening of the movie and several scenes, including the climactic fight sequence, were shot in the castle grounds, much of which remains unchanged. The cast and many of the 80-plus crew stayed at the hotel during filming, with Wayne in Room 500 and O'Hara checking in to Room 408 (as she did again in 2011, during 60th anniversary celebrations for the film).
"We always make sure to have The Quiet Man on demand in the bedrooms as we find that a great many guests enjoy watching it while staying with us," says Paula Caroll. "We can also help organise a visit to Cong, where there is The Quiet Man Museum and a tour available."