Star treatment takes on a whole new meaning at these VIP-owned hotels. Famous faces from actors and singers to sports stars have invested in cute boutique inns, five-star luxury resorts and exclusive wellness retreats across the globe. Fancy checking-in, or at least checking them out? Read on to discover these celebrity-owned properties where you can spend the night. Remember to check the latest travel information and hotel websites before planning a trip.
Long-time Carmel resident (and the town’s mayor from 1986-88) Clint Eastwood rescued this farm from developers who wanted to turn it into condominiums in 1986 and transformed it into a boutique hotel. Mission Ranch Hotel, overlooking Point Lobos, Carmel River Beach and the Pacific Ocean, has some 30 rooms spread across historic buildings including the Bunkhouse, which dates from when the ranch operated as an officers’ club during the Second World War.
The ranch was originally owned by indigenous American Juan Romero, who sold it in the 1850s before it became one of the state’s first dairies. The old creamery now houses the restaurant, whose terrace overlooks a meadow grazed by sheep with views stretching to the ocean. When Clint bought the property, he renovated the buildings in their original style which is why the restaurant still has a 1840s feel today.
This picture-perfect hotel, located in the charming town of Bedford, New York, was bought by Pretty Woman actor Richard Gere and his business partner Russell Hernandez in 2007, with the pair keen to restore the 1860s-built property to its former glory. The Bedford Post, a Relais & Chateaux property, is now one of the town’s most prestigious hotels.
Love this? Follow our Facebook page for more travel inspiration
There are only eight rooms in the boutique inn, along with two farm-to-table restaurants and a bright yoga studio that opens up to the gardens. The sheer amount of space for so few guests really adds to the luxurious, exclusive feel, as do details in the rooms such as fireplaces, free-standing baths and terraces. This 2011 photo shows Gere and Hernandez on the grounds (also pictured are Hernandez’s wife and co-owner Alessandra, and Gere’s then-wife Carey Lowell – the couple has since divorced).
Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio opened Costa d’Este in the seaside village of Vero Beach in 2008 and it’s just glorious. The beachfront property is all coastal chic with a good dash of Latin sizzle thrown in – there’s often live music and fun cocktail nights. The music power couple (Emilio is a Grammy Award-winning producer) regularly visit so guests might be lucky enough to hang out with them. They’re pictured at the property here.
The Atlantic Ocean views and beaches are a big draw – in fact it was a visit to the area that inspired the Estefans to open a hotel here. Now, though, the resort is a destination in its own right with gorgeous pool areas (including an oceanfront infinity pool), an organic restaurant and spa. Bedrooms are pretty plush too, with Egyptian cotton sheets, limestone bathrooms and views over the gardens or ocean.
This hotel has graced the Södermalm district of Stockholm since 1937, when it first opened as a cinema and later became a multi-use entertainment space with a hotel, restaurant and apartments. Its grandeur faded a little over the years and it was ready for a significant refresh when ABBA star Benny Andersson took ownership in the early 2000s. In true ABBA style, his priority was to bring back a bit of glitz and glamour by restoring it in the style of its 1930s heyday.
Hotel Rival is now considered among the best places to stay in the Swedish capital, loved for its Art Deco style and air of Hollywood glam. Lavish spaces include an elegant cocktail bar, centrepiece circular staircase and a plush cinema with red velvet seats. Rooms are also filled with luxurious textures and brightened by jewel and pastel colours, while many have views over tree-filled Mariatorget Square or neighbourhood rooftops.
Legendary actor and singer Doris Day co-owned this cute boutique inn with local businessman Dennis LeVett from the mid-1980s until her death in May 2019. But her own star quality wasn’t even the main selling point of Cypress Inn, in the small (and hugely pretty) seaside town of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California. The actor was a passionate animal activist and she built the inn’s reputation as one of the country’s most pet-friendly places to stay.
The inn itself dates back to 1929 and blends Spanish architecture with Californian coastal chic. Rooms are cosy and richly decorated – and, of course, pets are more than welcome to stay the night too. The hotel bar, Terry’s Lounge, is known for its ‘Yappy Hour’, when dogs are served treats and ‘muttinis’ as their human pals sip wine. Today the hotel is still owned by LeVett and pays tribute to Day with photos, posters, film screenings and menu items named in her honour.
British tennis star Andy Murray is the proud owner of Cromlix, close to his hometown of Dunblane, Scotland. The hotel is small yet luxurious, with 15 bedrooms and a one-bedroom lodge, all decorated with carefully-sourced Scottish antique furniture. It opened in spring 2014, just under a year after Murray’s first Wimbledon win, with the main hotel building surrounded by gardens and woodland.
The aim was to recreate the grandeur and decadent lifestyle that would have been enjoyed by the lairds (nobility) of Cromlix, who once owned the 19th-century property. Since it has its own chapel, a loch and a Chez Roux restaurant – once helmed by the late Albert Roux and now overseen by his son, Michel Roux Jr – it’s doing a pretty good job at giving guests a taste of the rich life. Oh, and of course there's a tennis court too.
Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi has made a bit of a name for himself in the hotel industry, owning several properties in Spain in collaboration with Majestic Hotel Group. Messi’s MiM Hotels are located in Ibiza (pictured), Mallorca and Cádiz, with a ski resort in the Pyrénées and another property set to open in the independent municipality of Andorra, also in the Pyrénées between Spain and France.
However, it's not all plain sailing. MiM Sitges, which was the first of the mini-chain to open in 2017, is currently under threat of demolition. The four-star hotel just outside Barcelona, where Messi spent most of his football career, has fallen foul of building regulations because its balconies are allegedly too big. (Pictured is Hotel MiM Mallorca.)
Robert De Niro is almost as prolific when it comes to his hotel portfolio as with his acting career. The actor co-founded Nobu Hotels with legendary Japanese chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa and film producer Meir Teper. De Niro first met Matsuhisa at his Los Angeles restaurant in 1988 and, according to the chef’s memoir, persuaded him to open a sushi spot in Manhattan – the start of his high-end sushi empire, Nobu. (Pictured is Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, Mexico.)
The first Nobu Hotel opened inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2013 – pictured is De Niro at the launch. There are now 13 locations with many more in the pipeline. The current portfolio includes an oceanfront hotel in Ibiza, a property with a rooftop bar in Barcelona’s Eixample district plus an outpost with a spa and restaurant in London’s Shoreditch neighbourhood. Each sticks to the principles of modern, elegant design with local touches.
Legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola owns several boutique hotels under The Family Coppola Hideaways group, and most are places where he and his family have either lived or occasionally stay. The dreamy Palazzo Margherita (pictured), in his grandfather’s hometown of Bernalda, Italy, is sometimes used by the family as a holiday home and is where the director’s daughter Sofia was married. The 19th-century palazzo has nine suites that can be booked individually – or people can hire the entire property which includes large gardens, two private bars and a salon/cinema.
Coppola and his family also lived at Jardín Escondido in Buenos Aires, Argentina while he was there filming Tetro, released in 2009. Again, the hotel – owned in partnership with the Bourbon chain – is small while packing in plenty of charm. Seven rooms are arranged around a plant-filled courtyard with various terraces and a small swimming pool. Like all the properties in the Coppola portfolio, including three in Belize and one in Guatemala, the hotel exemplifies good taste with touches like wardrobes fashioned from vintage travel trunks.
Named after the home of fashion brand Versace in Milan, Italy, Palazzo Versace was launched by designer Donatella Versace in 2000, with the first property opening on Australia’s Gold Coast. The Queensland resort drips with gilded glamour and Italian style, with bright, elegant suites, a gorgeous pool, several restaurants and an incredible waterfront setting. It's just the right side of gaudy, with luxurious textures and pops of pattern and colour.
Its sister property opened in Dubai in 2016 and is designed to reflect the style of an Italian palace. As lavish as that (and its location) would suggest, the resort has more than 200 bedrooms and a super-luxurious Imperial Suite arranged over the hotel’s top two floors, with two bedrooms and a private terrace with pool, hot tub and views of the city’s skyline.
Not content with being one of the world’s greatest footballers, Cristiano Ronaldo has turned his attention to the hotel world. The Manchester United player owns five hotels under his CR7 brand, in collaboration with Pestana Hotel Group. The first opened in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira in 2016, aimed at “the modern-day millennial traveller”. The hotel (pictured) is very tech-forward, has a rooftop infinity pool and outdoor gym and, of course, plenty of football-themed art and memorabilia. Guests also get free entry to the nearby CR7 Museum, all about Ronaldo’s football career.
The other properties are in Marrakech, Lisbon, Madrid and New York City. The latter (pictured) opened in Times Square in summer 2021 and is in keeping with the brand’s vibrant, sporty image. Ronaldo tweeted about the launch, describing the latest property in his portfolio as “the coolest new hotel, in the best location in town”. There are also plans to open a luxury hotel in Manchester in 2023 – putting Ronaldo in competition with his former teammates Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, who co-own the city’s Hotel Football and Stock Exchange Hotel.
Legendary actor Robert Redford was a trendsetter in the celebrity hotel field, founding Sundance Mountain Resort in 1969 with a vision to create a place that fostered a balance between art, nature and community. The grounds became home to an idyllic, luxurious yet low-key resort that’s especially popular during ski season. It encompasses holiday cabins, restaurants, ski lifts and private houses, mostly nestled among the trees. Here’s a vintage photo of Redford hitting the slopes at the resort.
The property isn't just a fun place to get away from it all – Sundance Film Festival was founded in 1981. Redford and his family also lived on the complex until early 2021 when he sold the resort to Broadreach and Cedar, investment companies that the actor said shared his commitment to sustainability and “maintaining the unique character of the complex”. The actor is expected to remain involved via events organised by the Sundance Institute and Redford Center, which will still be hosted here.
U2 stars Bono and the Edge purchased this landmark Dublin hotel in 1992, together with Bono’s wife Ali Hewson, financier Derek Quinlan and property investor Paddy McKillen. The Clarence Hotel, on Wellington Quay by the River Liffey, dates back to 1852 and was transformed into a chic four-star property under the musicians’ ownership. Here’s Bono in 2013 with best friend and Irish artist Guggi and staff members in one of the hotel’s restaurants, Cleaver East.
The music superstars sold the leasehold and business to Press Up Entertainment, co-owned by McKillen’s son, in 2019. That group, which had been managing the hotel’s operations for several years, continues to run the property day-to-day, although the original co-owners have retained the hotel building. It’s a popular place to stay in the city thanks to its central location and elegant decor, from the bedrooms to the pretty lobby and bar area. This photo shows the Penthouse Suite, where U2 filmed a Top of the Pops performance in 2000.
Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have kept themselves pretty busy since retiring from football, launching GG Hospitality in 2013 and opening their first Manchester venture, the brasserie Cafe Football, a year later. Hotel Football – aimed primarily at people who eat, sleep and breathe football – opened in 2015 and, appropriately, has views over the Old Trafford stadium. The football theme runs throughout the decor, although it’s surprisingly subtle. Stadium View rooms (pictured) have ‘Class of '92’ toiletries, Sky Sports access and tasteful football-related artwork and photos.
The pair opened a second Manchester property, the Stock Exchange Hotel, in late 2019 and – while Hotel Football is a fun, family-friendly spot – this one’s a rather more elegant affair. Inside the restored former Stock Exchange building, the hotel has 40 subtly luxurious rooms and suites – including a 3,500-square-foot (325sq m) penthouse – and a restaurant from top British chef Tom Kerridge, The Bull & Bear.
Grease actor Olivia Newton-John founded this super-luxurious and exclusive health retreat in 2005, with Ruth Kalnin, Warwick Evans and Gregg Cave – the latter is pictured here at the resort with Newton-John. Gaia Retreat & Spa, built on the site of a health retreat that operated here in the 1970s, has won numerous awards for its personalised approach to wellness and relaxation.
The name Gaia refers to the spirit of Mother Earth, with Newton-John describing the place as “barefoot meets Armani, luxurious yet simple and unpretentious”. Some suites have private decks with hot tubs overlooking the lush, verdant landscape of Bundjalung Country and Byron Bay. Newton-John, pictured here at Gaia with her dog Gio, and her co-owners sold the resort to private investment group Tattarang in late 2021, although she continues to feature on the website and sing the praises of this special place.