Movie Set Hotel: 'Almost Famous' and the Gramercy Park Hotel

October 24, 2006 at 9:00 AM | by juliana | 0 Comments

While we're not quite done with discovering what celebrities are staying in what hotels, we are taking a page from baby bro Jaunted's playbook this week by looking at hotels that have appeared in movies. However, we are eschewing the cliche movie hotels like those that appeared in"Pretty Woman" and "The Shining." Instead, we are looking at recent movies or little-known hotel cameos. If you happen to be a movie hotel buff, send us your fave appearances.

"Almost Famous" starring Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, and Patrick Fugit was about a young high school journalist who wound up following a 70s rock band, Stillwater, around the country as part of an assignment for Rolling Stone.

Loosely based on writer/director Cameron Crowe's life, the main star of the movie is Fugit's character William who hopelessly falls in love with the band's #1 groupie...er...band aid, Penny Lane (Hudson). Of course, Penny Lane is in love with Billy Crudup's character Russell, the band's lead guitarist who is married.

So when Russell's wife joins the band on their tour, where does she meet them? Why at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Before the place was Schrager-ized, the Gramercy Park Hotel had a history as being the it hotel for rockers in the 1960s and 70s.

The hotel cameos don't end there for "Almost Famous". The Riot Hyatt makes a more obvious appearance as well with William walking the halls which resemble a modern-day dorm room with doors flung open, musicians jamming inside the rooms and makeouts in the hallways. And Penny Lane decides to hole up in the Plaza Hotel in NYC with some "friends" but the Gramercy Park Hotel is a watch close or you'll miss it type of scene.

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