“Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.”
Miranda Priestly’s most infamous line from The Devil Wears Prada still divides opinion. After all, sprinting through New York with an armful of coffees and an impossible deadline should read as a cautionary tale. And yet, for anyone raised on a steady diet of 2000s rom-coms, it never quite does. The journalism industry reality tends to land somewhere between fantasy and an 11:47pm filing time – though, it’s only fair to note, Elite Traveler’s editors are considerably more forgiving than Runway ever was.
Either way, when The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens in cinemas today, May 1, one thing is for certain: it won’t just be Miranda, Andy, and Emily’s jobs or impeccable wardrobes that you envy, it will be their vacation spots, too.
Two decades on from the original film, the story picks back up between Manhattan’s relentless pace and Milan’s unmistakable glamour. While the full list of filming locations will have to be discovered from a cinema seat, we’ve rounded up the chicest spots from the sequel that are very much open for vacation plans of your own – far away from your own impossible boss.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 filming locations
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New York
Waldorf Astoria New YorkAndy’s breathless, frantic dashes through New York were part of what made the original film so indelible – and, even with an assistant of her own this time around, the city feels no less formidable. Manhattan still plays its most convincing role: all gleaming high-rises and cobblestoned charm, but in the sequel, those familiar streets are joined by a suitably glossy set piece.
Filming for Runway Magazine’s fictionalized take on the Met Gala leans into the city’s grand institutions, with scenes shot at the American Museum of Natural History, while interiors were captured at the newly revived Waldorf Astoria New York. Meaning those who happened to be left off the guest list for the real Met Gala (taking place on Monday, May 4), checking into the Waldorf Astoria New York could be a far more realistic way to indulge the fashionable fantasy – no seating chart politics required.
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Long Island
The Reform ClubSince the late 19th century, the Hamptons have served as New York’s unofficial summer drawing room – so it was only a matter of time before Andy’s Chanel boots traded the city’s sidewalks for Long Island sand. While exact filming locations remain suitably under wraps, production was reportedly spotted at several locations across the exclusive enclave, including a sprawling waterfront estate on the island’s north-eastern tip.
For those without a Hamptons address of their own, a stay at The Reform Club offers a convincing alternative. Set among English-style gardens and just moments from the Atlantic beaches, the former boarding house has been reimagined as a collection of private cottages and suites, each with a distinctly curated feel.
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Lake Como
Villa BalbianoIf the original film gave us Paris, the European tour continues in the sequel with a detour to Italy. While the plot details remain tightly guarded, it's clear that Lake Como emerges as one of its most scene-stealing stops. Of course, Miranda is not the first to take their summer vacation to Northern Italy; it's long been favored by the well-heeled.
Yet a glimpse from the trailer shows Andy and Emily gliding across the water towards Villa Balbiano, a 16th-century palazzo perched right on the lake’s edge. It’s an appropriately theatrical setting and reportedly serves as the backdrop for much of the Como storyline. (Though it's hardly the villa’s onscreen debut, as you may recognise it from House of Gucci.) And unlike some cinematic set pieces, this one doesn’t end when the credits roll. The villa is available for private hire, accommodating up to 30 guests across a series of suites and outbuildings.
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Milan
Bulgari HotelOf course, a stopover in Milan could only mean one thing: fashion week. And the sequel doesn’t fake it, as production folded itself into the real thing, with Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci spotted front row and in full character at Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring/Summer 2026 show last September.
Beyond the catwalk, the trailer flashes through the soaring glass vaults of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, along the city’s streets, and the opera house, Teatro alla Scala. But those looking for a stay that is equally fashionable and forward thinking, Bulgari Hotel Milano feels like the natural choice. Tucked behind Via Montenapoleone yet within easy reach of the Galleria and La Scala, it’s a rare sense of calm amid the city’s fashion frenzy, complete with a private garden that feels worlds away from the front row.
