Where was Pretty Woman filmed?
1990
City Locations
Los Angeles, California
Location Types
Clubs/Bars, Hotels/Motels, Restaurant, Retail
Location Styles
Boutique Hotel, Dilapidated/Neglected, Hotel/Motel Style, Luxury Hotel
About Pretty Woman
A spirited but down-on-her-luck prostitute. A rich but lonely businessman. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. A love story that’s come to be known as a modern classic.
That pretty much sums up everything you need to know about Pretty Woman, the 1990 romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Nancy Gross, Gary Goldstein, Steven Reuther, and Arnon Milchan. Pretty Woman was the first collaboration between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and it launched Roberts’ star into the stratosphere as ‘America’s Sweetheart.’
The film tells the story of Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a New York corporate fat cat on a business trip to LA. Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, Edward stumbles across LA’s red-light district and has a chance encounter with beautiful call girl Vivian (Roberts). After some initial awkwardness, the two hit it off and clearly share an attraction for one another.
Edward offers Vivian $3,000 to accompany him for a week and pretend to be his girlfriend. He’s in town to complete a corporate takeover and needs someone to join him at a host of business events. Vivian accepts the offer with excitement, but she’s about to learn that Edward’s world is very different from her own. After a memorable encounter with the snobby staff and a Rodeo Drive boutique, she realizes that she’s got a lot to learn if she’s going to fit in with the upper crust of society.
For his part, Edward can’t help but be attracted to Vivian’s down-to-earth charm. And despite their many differences, it’s clear the two are falling in love. But with Edward due to return to New York any day now, can these star-crossed lovers from different worlds find a way to make it work? This is Hollywood, so of course they can!
If you’re a Julia Roberts junkie, passionate about Pretty Woman, or just a good old-fashioned film buff, you might want to check out where Pretty Woman was filmed. To help you in your quest, we’ve gathered together a host of Pretty Woman locations and memorable scenes (including spoilers!) in this guide.
Keep reading to find out how you can visit the filming location of Pretty Woman.
Pretty Woman Locations
The plot of Pretty Woman largely takes place in LA, and that’s exactly where the movie was filmed. In fact, you’ll find a host of memorable locations from the film spread right throughout the City of Angels. At the top of the list is the Las Palmas Hotel, where you’ll find Vivian’s less than glamorous apartment. This is of course also where Edward climbs the fire escape, roses between his teeth, in Pretty Woman’s heartwarming conclusion.
Of course, several other Pretty Woman locations in LA are a whole lot more glamorous. There’s the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, for example, the exterior and lobby of which feature heavily in the film.
However, no rooms at the hotel were used during filming, with those scenes instead shot in the studio. The Rodeo Drive boutique where Vivian has her hopes crushed by snooty staff — but later gets her sweet revenge — is located on the corner of Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. And with a host of other iconic Pretty Woman settings within easy reach, there are plenty of locations worth checking out around the LA area.
Fun fact:
The necklace Edward gifts to Vivian in Pretty Woman is worth $250,000. An armed guard had to be present at all times during filming to ensure the necklace didn’t fall into the wrong hands.
Edward meets Vivian scene in Pretty Woman
Walk of Fame, 6541 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
This classic love story begins with a chance encounter between the movie’s two co-stars. Recently dumped, Edward leaves a glamorous Hollywood Hills party in something of a huff. Borrowing his lawyer’s car, he drives off into the LA night with no real idea of where he’s going. He soon ends up in the Hollywood Boulevard red-light district, where bright neon lights and prostitutes looking for business are the defining features.
Struggling with the manual transmission, Edward pulls over right next to where Vivian and Kit (Laura San Giacomo) are working their patch of sidewalk. Strutting up to the car window, Vivian leans in and says, “Hey, sugar. You looking for a date?” But Edward is dismissive and instead asks for directions to Beverly Hills.
Vivian is happy to give them — if Edward is willing to pay — and after a little bit of negotiating she eventually hops into the passenger seat to show him where to go.
This Pretty Woman scene was filmed along the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. You can see Vivian and Kit standing near Bob Hope’s star, which is found at around 6541 Hollywood Boulevard. Bus 212 passes close by.
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Shopping scene in Pretty Woman
Boulmiche Boutique, 9501 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA
Having agreed to accompany Edward for the next six nights for the huge sum of $3,000, Vivian is over the moon. But before she can attend the sort of glamorous business events Edward frequents, she’s going to need a new wardrobe. To do that, she of course heads to the high-class boutiques of Rodeo Drive to use Edward’s money to buy clothes. But as soon as she walks through the door, the staff look her up and down and decide that she’s not worthy of their store. Although she’s got money to spend, they refuse to give her the time of day. “I don’t think we have anything for you. You’re obviously in the wrong place. Please leave,” the snooty shop assistant says condescendingly. It’s an embarrassing and heartbreaking scene, and a shattered Vivian leaves with her tail between her legs. Of course, the good news is that she returns later in the movie to get her revenge. This Pretty Woman filming location is found at 9501 Santa Monica Boulevard on the corner of Rodeo Drive, where these memorable scenes were shot in the boutique Boulmiche. It’s about a 2-minute walk from the stop at Santa Monica and Camden.
Barney teaches Vivian dining etiquette scene in Pretty Woman
Ambassador Hotel, 3400 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
In Edward’s rich and glamorous world, Vivian is a fish out of water. And when the hotel manager at the Beverly Wilshire accosts her about what she’s doing in his luxury hotel, she begins to feel like she’ll never fit in. But the manager, Barney (Hector Elizondo), is a kindly man and can’t help but be charmed by Vivian’s unpretentious ways.
So, when she asks him for help preparing for a fancy dinner with Edward, he’s only too happy to help. “Elbows off the table. Don’t slouch,” he tells her, before walking her through the different types of cutlery she can expect to encounter during dinner at a fancy restaurant.
This scene was shot at the old Ambassador Hotel, which was located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard in LA. The hotel had closed down in 1989 and was used extensively as a film shoot location for the next decade and a half. However, it’s no longer standing and there’s a school in its place instead. Public transit is ideal for getting here. Hop off bus 20 at Wilshire and Alexandria.
Uncover Los Angeles Filming Locations
Slippery little suckers scene in Pretty Woman
Cicada Restaurant and Lounge, 617 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA
When Edward picks Vivian up for their dinner date, he’s immediately taken aback by just how gorgeous she looks in her new, elegant dress. “You’re stunning,” he says with awe, but once they arrive at the restaurant, it’s clear that a nervous Vivian is a little out of her depth. She heads to the ladies’ room to powder her nose, leaving the task of ordering in Edward’s capable hands.
But she’s dismayed to return to the table and discover that Edward has ordered escargot, or snails. Confronted by several different forks, Vivian is stumped by which one she should use — a fact which only endears her to aging businessman Jim Morse (Ralph Bellamy). Then when she tries to pick up one of the snails, she accidentally flings it across the room where it’s caught by an attentive waiter. “Slippery little suckers,” she murmurs, as the men at the table share embarrassed glances. “It happens all the time,” the waiter shrugs.
The restaurant where this scene was filmed in the heart of LA at 617 South Olive Street. However, Rex II Ristorante is no longer there, with Cicada Restaurant and Lounge in its place. The Metro B line, Pershing Square is just a few minutes away.
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Edward takes Vivian to the opera scene in Pretty Woman
Natural History Museum, 900 W Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
What started as a simple business arrangement has now turned into something a whole lot more serious. Despite their many differences, Edward and Vivian are both falling head over heels in love with one another. And Edward, the ruthless businessman, is starting to get second thoughts about the brutal corporate takeover he’s been sent to LA to complete.
Much to the dismay of his attorney Phillip (Jason Alexander), Edward delays moving in for the kill on Jim Morse’s company. Instead, he treats his new love to a night at the opera, taking Vivian by private jet to San Francisco to watch La Traviata. “I’ve never been on a plane before,” says a stunned Vivian, looking all glammed up in a red ball gown and new necklace.
The two then share a romantic night together, but this opera house wasn’t actually filmed in San Francisco. Instead, you’ll find the interior is actually the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. It’s located off West Exposition Boulevard, about five miles southwest of downtown LA. Getting here via the bus? Exposition Blvd and USC Watt Way is the closest stop.
Los Angeles Film Shoot Locations Directory
Edward climbs the fire escape scene in Pretty Woman
Las Palmas Hotel, 1738 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA
With his business in LA complete, Edward prepares to head back to New York. He invites Vivian to stay with him for one last night, but she declines and returns home to her apartment.
It’s time for Edward to do some soul-searching. Vivian is quite simply the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and it’s about time he realized that. And after plenty of brooding, he finally starts to come to the conclusion that his life will be empty without her. As he’s being driven to the airport to fly home to New York, he asks his driver to make a detour to Vivian’s apartment.
There, he arrives as Vivian’s knight in shining armor, just like she dreamed about when she was a child. Despite his fear of heights, he clambers up the fire escape. “So, what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?” Edward asks. “She rescues him right back,” Vivian smiles, and the two lock lips in a passionate embrace.
The Pretty Woman filming location of Vivian’s apartment is the Las Palmas Hotel. Located at 1738 North Las Palmas Avenue, a little over seven miles northwest of downtown LA, it’s a site that’s instantly recognizable from the film. Bus 212 at Hollywood and Las Palmas gets you there.
Conclusion
Pretty Woman was the movie that saw the world fall in love with Julia Roberts. It also gave us a taste of the on-screen chemistry between Roberts and Gere, which they would later revisit in the 1999 romantic comedy Runaway Bride.
Best of all, it features a host of iconic scenes that have been replayed and spoofed a million times over. From retail stores to restaurants, cheap hotels to luxury establishments, you’ll find a host of memorable Pretty Woman locations in and around LA. So, if you’re a fan of this classic rom-com, why not get out there and check out the best of them?