HBO's Emmy-award winning drama series The White Lotus has fuelled a set-jetting boom to every destination featured in the hit show – from the island of Maui in Hawaii, where season one was filmed, to the Sicilian town of Taormina, which was used in season two.
Now ‘The White Lotus Effect’ is hitting Thailand, the sunshine-filled country that show runner Mike White has chosen for season three, filming the dark satire in Koh Samui, Phuket and its capital Bangkok.
Travel agent Opodo says searches and bookings to all three places have already soared for 2025 compared to the same time last year.
Characters played by actors including Jennifer Coolidge, Leo Woodall and Theo James, have checked in to Four Seasons properties to film every show and each White Lotus hotel (including the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel) has become a star in its own right.
Now it’s the turn of the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, one of the most beautiful and luxurious resorts in the region. You’ll find the hotel scattered across a remote hillside in the northwest of the island which is covered in lush tropical gardens and swaying coconut palms.
Guests can choose one of over 60 elegant villas with infinity pools and panoramic views over the Gulf of Thailand, or splash out on private residences for bigger groups (one of them is used by the fictional Ratliff family in the new season).
Five-star facilities include an idyllic white sandy beach, the Secret Garden Spa (where the one returning character from season two, Belinda Lindsey, played by Natasha Rothwell, comes to learn about the wellness programmes), yoga sessions on the beach, snorkelling tours and a Muay Thai boxing ring.
But this kind of luxury and service comes at a price – a stay at Four Seasons Koh Samui costs over £1,000 a night in low season (May to October) and at least double that between November and April.
Yet money hasn’t stopped the tourists coming (and the show itself focuses on the foibles of the super-rich). In fact the partnership between Four Seasons, HBO and Max has been so successful that it’s now official and as well as staying in the three hotels it’s been filmed in you can also book new, more immersive White Lotus experiences, in other Four Seasons hotels globally.
Marc Speichert, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Four Seasons says: “For many Four Seasons guests, especially our pop culture enthusiasts and travel trendsetters, The White Lotus serves as the perfect travel inspiration. Formalising our partnership with HBO and Max marks an exciting milestone in our journey together, embracing a cultural phenomenon that blends exceptional storytelling with the universal love of travel”
And Pia Barlow, executive vice president of Originals Marketing at HBO and Max, adds: “The White Lotus has always been about blending authentic beauty and culture with compelling storytelling, which makes our partnership with Four Seasons an ideal fit. We’re excited to create unforgettable moments that resonate both on and off the screen.”
The first multi-day White Lotus break is being held at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in southern California to celebrate the launch of season three but others will soonr follow around the world. Let’s just hope they don’t include some of the darker elements in the show – or maybe that’s exactly what White Lotus inspired guests are looking for!
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