In the set-jetting hall of fame, the Turtle Bay Resort, an hour drive from Honolulu on Oahu, has pride of place.
The 410-room luxe resort which boasts that every room has an ocean view was the setting (and also the named hotel) in the film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in 2008.
Since then, it’s been the site of numerous “Survivor” episodes as well as other film and TV projects (the property was in the original Hawaii Five O series) but it was in FSM that the property achieved a unique kind of fame: playing itself in a major motion picture.
The film concerned Peter Bretter, (Jason Segel) who gets dumped by his girlfriend, Sarah (Kristen Bell) who is having an affair with a rock star (Russell Brand). He follows them to the resort and chaos ensues when he then falls for the concierge, Mila Kunis.
The film featured memorable cameos by Paul Rudd as a stoner surf instructor and Jonah Hill as an overzealous waiter in the restaurant.
Unusual for hotels featured in films, Turtle Bay was actually named, although the management would be quick to say they don’t give out suites for free, nor have CBD-infused surf instructors. When the film debuted, however, the property was deluged with reservation requests–most people wanting “The Oprah Suite” which does not exist as named but which is nicely stood in for with the property’s own private villas.
Other nearby areas seen in the film are Laie Point where Peter jumps from a 30-foot cliff into the surging waves below and the beaches at Keawau’ula Bay and Mokuleia.
Fans who want to relieve the fun of “Sarah Marshall” can book themselves into rooms or sites that have just undergone a $45 million dollar renovation, including new “eco-sensitive” design. Newly acquired by the Blackstone Group for a hefty $330 million, the hotel may soon be adding a tower, residential units and a yurts or tents for a glamping experience–something that might lure the cast of “Sarah Marshall” back for a sequel.
