Lights! Camera! Action!.... at Macdonald Hotels

Macdonald Hotels has 48 properties across England and Scotland but no one hotel or location is the same – from Gothic and Georgian properties on the edge of historic towns like Oxford and Bath, or sleek hotels in bustling city centres such as Edinburgh and Manchester, to Victorian mansions on the edge of the Yorkshire moors and manor houses nestling in beautiful country grounds.

As a result many Macdonald Hotels have made the director’s cut as filming locations or been picked by cast and crew as the place to rest their weary heads and enjoy fine food and service during a shoot. Film and TV buffs visiting various Macdonald Hotels can also add a fresh angle to a weekend break by following in the footsteps of their thespian or literary idols.

The Macdonald movie connections include:

Dunkirk Spirit – the cast and crew of Atonement, the critically acclaimed film version of Ian McEwan’s magnificent novel, stayed for weeks on end at the Grade II-listed Macdonald Gisborough Hall in North Yorkshire while filming war torn Dunkirk scenes on the seafront at nearby Redcar. Room only rates start from £85 based on two sharing. www.macdonald-hotels.co.uk/gisborough, tel: 0844 879 9149.

Royal Welcome – the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort was booked by the cast and crew of The Queen during filming of the award winning British drama’s Scottish scenes as the resort is located in the heart of the breathtaking Cairngorms National Park. Room rates start from £80 per night bed and breakfast based on two sharing. www.macdonald-hotels.co.uk/aviemore, tel: 0845 6083734

On the Case in Oxford – follow in the footsteps of Oxford’s celebrated TV detective Inspector Morse at the Macdonald Randolph Hotel in the heart of the city of dreaming spires. Kevin Whately (Sergeant Lewis) and the late John Thaw (Detective Inspector Endeavour Morse) often frequented the hotel’s Morse Bar during filming. The bar is also popular with Oxford author and Morse creator, Colin Dexter, and was used during filming of the final Morse film “Inspector Morse: The Remorseful Day”. Rooms at the Randolph start from £168 based on two people sharing a classic double or twin room, bed & breakfast. www.macdonald-hotels.co.uk/randolph, tel: 0844 879 9132

The Bath Experience – the five star Macdonald Bath Spa was used during filming of Persuasion, Jane Austen’s final novel about a lost love re-kindled. The splendid Georgian mansion with its sweeping driveway and colonnaded façade is set in seven acres of formal gardens and only 10 minutes walk from the Pump Rooms and Roman Baths. The houses in Bath where Jane Austen lived and which were the settings for not only Persuasion but also Northanger Abbey are also close by. It is also near the location for many of the scenes in the next Harry Potter movie which is currently in production. Hotel rates start from £149 per room per night based on two sharing. www.macdonald-hotels.co.uk/bathspa, tel: 0844 879 9106

Harry’s Hogwarts, Northumberland - Harry Potter fans should experience the elegant country house retreat of Macdonald Linden Hall, Golf & Country Club, Northumberland. The hotel is located near the mighty medieval fortress of Alnwick Castle which featured as Hogwarts in the wizardry film adaptations of the famous Harry Potter books. Hotel rates start from £115 for bed and breakfast based on two sharing a classic double or twin room. www.macdonald-hotels.co.uk/lindenhall, tel: 0844 879 9084