Halle Bailey on the Country That Feels Like a ‘Second Home’ to Her — and How It Ties to “The Little Mermaid” (Exclusive)
The actress and singer starred as Ariel in the live-action remake of the beloved Disney cartoon
Halle Bailey is a worldwide traveler!
In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE tied to her partnership with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card from Chase, the singer and actress, 24, opens up about her favorite travel destinations — including one that she has a special connection to.
"I think there are so many places I've been that feel very memorable to me, but the one that stands out in particular would be London," Bailey says.
"I lived there for almost up to a year for filming of The Little Mermaid," she continues, referencing her role as Ariel in the 2023 live-action remake of the beloved Disney cartoon.
Adds Bailey: "London will always have a special place in my heart. I feel like that's my second home."
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Related: Halle Bailey Says It Was 'Super Important' to Show Her Natural Hair in 'The Little Mermaid'
Directed by Rob Marshall, The Little Mermaid follows Ariel, a mermaid with a love of the human world, who trades her voice for legs in order to learn more about the world above the ocean.
Alongside Bailey, the film also stars Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
Disney announced that Bailey — one-half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle — would be taking on the role of Ariel in July 2019.
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Back in July 2021, Bailey announced the completion of filming the film through an Instagram post, in which she included a photograph of herself posing in the ocean water against a sunset.
"And just like that..that's a wrap ❤️after auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19 , to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it...💖," she wrote in the caption. "I feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory..it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone i've ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as i've reached the end. This experience has made me so much stronger than i ever thought i could be."
"I'm so grateful to have such lovely and talented people in the cast like @jonahhauerking that will be my friend for infinite lifetimes, @jacobtremblay who i'm so proud of 🥺and legends like @bardemantarctic @melissamccarthy @awkwafina @daveeddiggs who are masters of their craft but are so welcoming and open to little old me..as well as to the rest of the beautiful cast and crew," Bailey added at the time. "I cannot wait for time to speed up so you all can watch this film because it was made with so much love (plus blood sweat and tears) lol thank you sardinia for a wonderful ending!!! Xoxo."
While London holds a special place in her heart, Bailey also tells PEOPLE that she is a fan of other destinations across the globe, including the Maldives and Cabo.
Knowing how important it is to carve out time for a vacation, especially with a group of loved ones, the "Angel" musician has teamed up with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card from Chase to launch the Bold Chat Court contest, which will award 5 million Marriott Bonvoy points to 10 travelers — for a total of 500,000 points each — for those who want to finally take their trip beyond a group chat.
"We all can relate to being in a group chat, whether it's friends or family, and we always talk about, like, 'Oh, we're going here,' 'Let's go here, from this date to this date,' or, 'Okay guys, let's do it,' and then crickets and it falls through, or somebody has an excuse," Bailey explains. "Now there's a way for us all to get this done together through Marriott."
Once a week, between Thursday, Sept. 26, and Wednesday, Oct. 30, those hoping to score the points can share an Instagram Reel describing their ideal trip, why it hasn't happened yet and how the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card can help them book the getaway. Written entries are also accepted.
Full details and rules for this new promotion can be found here. The Little Mermaid is currently available to stream on Disney+.
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