Central Hotel

Central Hotel is a historic hotel building on Praça da República in the centre of Sintra, Portugal. The building stands close to the National Palace of Sintra, in one of the town’s most recognisable public squares. Its traditional façade, street-level restaurant spaces and position among Sintra’s older buildings make it a useful screen location for films needing a small European hotel or town-square setting. In film-location sources, the building is often referred to as Hotel Central, and its address is given as Praça da República 36.

Central Hotel appears in The Ninth Gate (1999). The film uses several Sintra locations during Dean Corso’s search for the authentic copy of The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, including Central Hotel, Praça da República and Chalet Biester. Sintra stands in for part of Corso’s journey through Portugal, where the town’s historic architecture, steep streets and old buildings give the story a darker, more mysterious atmosphere.

In The Ninth Gate (1999), Central Hotel appears during the Sintra section of the film. Dean Corso travels to Portugal while following the trail of the rare occult book, and the hotel is used as one of the locations connected to his stay in Sintra. The Girl, played by Emmanuelle Seigner, is seen waiting outside Hotel Central on Praça da República, making the hotel exterior and the square part of Corso’s movement through the town. The film also uses other Sintra locations, including Chalet Biester, which appears as Victor Fargas’ house.

The Ninth Gate (1999)

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