‘White Lotus’ and the Ultra-Luxurious Thailand Hotels That Stood in for the “Best Resort in the World”
Enter the grounds of any Anantara resort in southern Thailand and the real world slips away behind an emerald jungle veil. The buzzing of scooters and traffic surrenders to birdsong — the cooing of the coucal, the cree-cree of the magpie and the subtle cheep of the orange-breasted trogon accompanied by floral scent and spice. A hostess in the lobby offers a cup of ginger tea and the key to a greenery-enveloped private villa with a plunge pool set amid a verdant coastal paradise.
Such is the world of White Lotus season three, among the most anticipated TV series of the year. Beach resorts like Koh Samui Four Seasons, Anantara Bophut, Anantara Lawana and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket combine to make up the fictional luxury resort in the new season, each anticipating the much vaunted “White Lotus bump” in tourism that followed the first two seasons, set respectively in Hawaii and Sicily.
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After season one aired in 2021, Maui’s Four Seasons, where it was filmed, saw patronage jump 25 percent. Season two, located at Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, sold out the hotel for 2023. And while Anantara and Four Seasons are separate brands, they both fall under the auspices of Minor International PCL, founded and chaired by American businessman Bill Heinecke. Reporting over 35 million visitors in 2024, Thailand has seen a 21 percent jump since the start of the year, which will no doubt rise to a new high after the Mike White–created show premiered its third season Sunday on HBO.
“Not only was this artistically a dream come true for me, but personally it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” cast member Michelle Monaghan tells The Hollywood Reporter about her work on the show, which began principal photography in February 2024.
“We started our production doing a blessing at a spirit house. I’ve never had that happen on a film,” notes Leslie Bibb who, along with Monaghan and Carrie Coons, plays one of three childhood friends reuniting for a vacay only to discover their friendship has eroded. “You’re immersed in this world, nothing is put on. It’s practical sets, and it’s happening in real time. So, it takes some of the pretending out of it.”
The image of monkey god Hanuman, representing wisdom, strength, courage, devotion and self-discipline, is prominently placed in the series, which pits Western notions of wealth and materialism against Buddhist concepts of selflessness and spirituality.
“It’s a country full of Buddhists and monasteries and people that are trying to lead their best and kindest and most gentle life,” says actor Jason Isaacs, who plays Timothy Ratliff, a wealthy southern businessman vacationing with his wife (Parker Posey) and kids. “Buddhism definitely comes into our storylines – the who am I, what am I here for, what’s important in life? It’s one of the themes Mike [White] wanted to explore.”
Season three’s White Lotus hotel is described by the concierge as the best resort in the world. And judging by the footage, that’s no lie. Too bad such an edenic lodging doesn’t really exist, but the locations do. And anyone with a few extra grand can experience them for themselves.
“I can’t begin to explain what an immersive experience it’s like shooting White Lotus. You eat and shoot and live in the same space, and you become so close and create intense relationships,” says Monaghan. “It’s like camp. We were there for six months. Every few weeks we’d pack up our bags and move to another location. We did it six times. It was a very nomadic lifestyle.”
The Koh Samui Four Seasons covers 43 acres of steep slopes overlooking the pristine and inviting waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Located in the lesser-developed northwest of the island, its 60 villas and private residences cascade into a valley redolent with tropical flowers and alive with birdsong. The resort’s Residence #9 served as the Ratliff family villa, a luxurious hilltop multi-level domicile featuring four bedrooms, two infinity pools, a private chef, and stunning views.
The same hotel was home to Jaclyn Lemon (Monaghan), Laurie (Coons) and Kate (Bibb), as well as Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins) who, accompanied by girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), is seeking revenge. Additional scenes were shot in the hotel’s restaurants, pool, gym, boxing ring, spirit house, beach and common areas, as well as those luxurious water hammocks.
Filming also took place at Anantara Lawana, located on a serene strip of private beach in Chaweng. There, Hatchett has drinks with Chelsea at the hotel’s stunning Singing Bird Lounge located within Tree Tops, an al fresco restaurant situated in the jungle canopy. Inspired by traditional fishing villages combining Thai and Chinese architectural motifs, Lawana offers suites featuring a private sundeck and plunge pool with a suspended swing and shaded daybeds.
Anantara Bophut stands in for the White Lotus security station, jewelry store, employee parking area, tree-lined entryway and lobby just beyond which is the main pool, inviting but upstaged by the sea with its sapphire-colored water as warm as a soothing bath. There, guests can swim amid psychedelic colored wrasses and butterflyfish, and backstroke with barracudas and reef sharks. A short drive away is Fisherman’s Village, one of Koh Samui’s main attractions, a raucous tangle of shops, restaurants and trendy beach bars.
A short flight away is Anantara Mai Khao, located at the northern tip of Phuket, adjacent to the Sirinath National Park, which provides a constant chorus of birdcalls while walking the hotel’s jungle pathways, charming footbridges and removed lotus-strewn waterways. Mai Khao’s “Lotus Awakening” ritual includes chakra crystal balancing and sound healing therapy. Its restaurant, La Sala, has compiled a menu called the “Lotus Season” dinner. It is here that masseuse Belinda (Natasha Rothwell, from season one) learns new spa techniques and will investigate a mystery from season two. Shooting locations include Belinda’s room, (Suite #45), as well as the show’s spa (with massage parlors shot at Bophut).
Thai massage technique is practiced globally, and while it effectively relieves the pressure induced by city living in New York or LA, it’s even more gratifying in its place of origin. Opt for Bophut spa’s Coconut Dream Experience, a full body deep tissue massage using heated coconut oil to ease the stress of the long flight.
The “Lotus Awakening Escape” package, a four-night Phuket/Koh Samui excursion, takes visitors to all three Anantara resorts with an itinerary inspired by the series.
The show’s Bangkok locations include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel as well as sites like the Grand Palace, which dates to the 18th century. Blending Thai, Chinese, and European architecture, its highlights include the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (carved from a single stone, one of the world’s largest). There’s a lot to learn about the city’s sites, and you would be lucky to learn it from a guide called Luck Amornvoravong. She works for Zicasso Travel which offers a White Lotus-themed itinerary of spiritual and wellness sites and locations customized to your particular tastes.
And when it comes to taste, Bangkok is home to no fewer than 35 Michelin-starred restaurants, including the Centara RedSky, open air dining on the fifty-sixth floor with a carpet of city lights at your feet. About 40 minutes outside of town is Pae Krung Kao Restaurant, a few miles from Ayutthaya, a palace dating to the 14th century and a model for Bangkok’s Grand Palace. The menu includes sumptuous green curry, grilled prawns and fish balls, and some of the finest Tom Yum you’ll find.
Despite the luxury, wellness and unfathomable creature comforts, cast members all agree on the one thing that sets Thailand apart. “The people. There’s such a warm culture. They call it the land of smiles, they’re not wrong to,” notes Monaghan.
“The national characteristic in Thailand, it’s a cliche, but I found it to be true, is gentleness,” adds Isaacs. “There’s a gentleness and a kindness to Thai people, and I don’t mean working in the hotel, I mean everywhere. It’s unavoidable and it warms the soul.”
The White Lotus season three releases new episodes Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and Max. Follow along with THR’s season coverage, including a premiere explainer.
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