Fontainebleau Miami Beach is a landmark hotel at 4441 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, opened in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus in the Miami Modern style. With its sweeping curved façade, grand public spaces, and long association with celebrity culture, it became one of the most recognisable resort hotels in Florida and one of the best-known screen locations in Miami Beach.
Fontainebleau Miami Beach appears in A Hole in the Head (1959), The Bellboy (1960), Goldfinger (1964), Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988), The Bodyguard (1992), and Scarface (1983). Of these, The Bellboy (1960), Goldfinger (1964), and The Bodyguard (1992) are among the clearest and most closely associated with the hotel.
In The Bellboy (1960), Fontainebleau Miami Beach is the main setting of the film. Jerry Lewis plays Stanley, a silent bellboy working at the hotel, and the film uses the lobby, guest areas, and wider resort environment throughout. More than simply appearing in the background, the hotel functions as the film’s central location.
In Goldfinger (1964), Fontainebleau Miami Beach is used as James Bond’s Miami hotel. It appears in the sweeping aerial shot after the opening credits, and it is also the hotel where Jill Masterson is murdered by Oddjob. The hotel is one of the defining Miami locations in the film.
In Scarface (1983), Fontainebleau Miami Beach appears in the scene where Manny flirts with a woman and gets slapped. The hotel is not the main setting of the film, but it is used as part of its upscale Miami backdrop.
In The Bodyguard (1992), Fontainebleau Miami Beach is used for the benefit concert scene where Rachel Marron performs “I Will Always Love You.” The hotel’s stage and resort setting are directly tied to one of the film’s best-known musical moments.
In Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988), Fontainebleau Miami Beach is one of the film’s primary hotel settings, with many scenes shot there as the characters stay at the resort during the story.
In A Hole in the Head (1959), the Fontainebleau pool is shown during the party scene attended by Tony Manetta. This makes it one of the earliest major feature films to use the hotel.
Goldfinger
Goldfinger was shot across England, the United States and Switzerland, with Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire serving as the main production base.
Caribbean Club
Key Largo (1948) was primarily filmed on sound stages with exterior shots taken in the Florida Keys, specifically around the Caribbean Club in Key Largo.
Buckhead Diner
Buckhead Diner appears in DTF St. Louis (2026), and the building has also been used for other Atlanta-shot productions.
The Exorcist Steps
The Exorcist Steps are a famous 75-step stairway in Washington, D.C. renowned as the filming location for the climax of the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.
The Exorcist House
The Exorcist House refers to the private residence in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., which was used for exterior filming of the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist.
Garrett Jacobs Mansion
The Garrett Jacobs Mansion has been used in productions as Bedroom Window, Clara’s Heart, Her Alibi, The Accidental Tourist, He Said, She Said, Major League II, 12 Monkeys, Diner, Species II, and My One and Only.
Philadelphia Museum of Art Steps
Philadelphia Museum of Art Steps appear most famously in Rocky (1976), and later returned in several other Rocky and Creed films. They also appear in Shazam.
Rocky Statue
The Rocky Statue appears in Rocky III (1982), Rocky V (1990), Philadelphia (1993), Creed II (2018), and several later Rocky-related screen works.
Eastern State Penitentiary
As a filming location, Eastern State Penitentiary is used in three feature films: 12 Monkeys, Return to Paradise, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Hook & Ladder 8
Hook & Ladder Company 8 appears in the Ghostbusters franchise, Hitch (2005), Seinfeld, and How I Met Your Mother.
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