The Continental filming locations - where is Amazon Prime John Wick prequel filmed - is it a real hotel?

Just six months after the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, prequel series The Continental comes to Amazon Prime. The series follows a younger Winston Scott as he ascends to become the owner of New York’s Continental hotel.

In the John Wick films Winston, played by Ian McShane, has been in charge of the secretive hotel for decades, and ensures that his guests obey the strict rules, chief among them that no business (e.g. killing) is carried out on Continental grounds.

But in The Continental, a three-part miniseries, Winston, now played by Colin Woodell, has not yet taken charge of the institution, instead it is in the dangerous hands of Cormac, played by Mel Gibson.

The series uses some of the filming locations that featured in the John Wick quadrilogy but unlike the movies, which moved between New York, Rome, Japan, and Paris, the series harnesses The Continental as the show’s main setting. 

Where was The Continental filmed?

Production on The Continental began in November 2021 in Budapest, Hungary, with filming taking place at the Origo studio, as well as Stern in the town of Pomáz. Other projects shot at Origo include Dune, Blade Runner 2049, The Witcher, Berlin Station, and Moon Knight. 

But scenes concerning the hotel were actually filmed on location in New York. The real-life location of the Continental Hotel is The Beaver Building at 1 Wall Street Court in New York City - this is where exterior scenes were filmed for the series as well as the John Wick films.

The real building, known as the Small Flatiron, was built at the start of the 20th century and is at the heart of Manhattan’s financial district. It is a 15 floor property which was converted into condo units in 2006, and now has a sushi restaurant on the ground floor.

The building’s frontage was dressed with The Continental’s capital ‘C’ logo, sconces, and an awning, to give it the distinctive John Wick feel. Location manager Nicholas Bernstein said: "It was so unique and so cool and so different, we just realised it was the perfect place."

However, The Continental’s interior scenes were filmed using the inside of Delmonico's, a 186 year old fine dining restaurant located at 56 Beaver Street, New York, just a three minute walk from 1 Wall Street. Films that have made use of the restaurant include 1960s romantic comedy The April Fools, and Whoopi Goldberg comedy The Associate. 

Scenes set in The Continental’s foyer were filmed at Cipriani 25 Broadway, a designated New York landmark and events venue designed in the neo-renaissance style. Other projects shot here include 2010 Wall Street sequel Money Never Sleeps, as well as episodes of Boardwalk Empire, and Gotham. 

Is The Continental a real hotel?

Unfortunately, The Continental is not a real hotel, though you can of course visit Delmonico’s where the interior scenes were shot. You’ll need deep pockets - the restaurant offers entrees ranging from $35 to $75, a 10 oz steak goes for $65 plus $6 for a sauce, and upwards of $15 for sides.

If that’s a little out of your price range, you can always head to Haru Sushi on 1 Wall Street for a lighter, and more economical meal in an iconic filming location.

In the John Wick universe, The Continental is a chain of hotels, all of which harbour assassins - through the film series other Continental’s have been revealed to exist in Rome, Osaka, and Casablanca.