Next stop, Thailand: These Four Seasons hotels are the real main characters of ‘The White Lotus’

Are you feeling lost since the last season of “The White Lotus” ended? Are you counting down the hours until Season Three, set in Thailand, begins Feb. 16? Or, maybe the sweeping landscapes of Hawaii and Sicily, Italy, have inspired you to take a dreamy vacation to a swanky resort where guests are treated like “sensitive children,” as Armond, the manager of the fictional “White Lotus” resort on Maui, instructed his staff before his untimely demise?

Either way, you can live out your “White Lotus” fantasies by visiting the real-life Four Seasons resorts where the smash HBO series was filmed. And to show you just how sweet a stay at one of these resorts is — you know, without the drama the guests on the show experience — we sent some of TPG’s best to each of the three featured Four Seasons resorts to film their experiences.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, the luxury Hawaiian resort where the first season was filmed; the San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel, the historic convent-turned-hotel that played host to Season Two; and the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, a lush paradise on the Gulf of Thailand that appears in the latest installment of the series.

Unfortunately, Four Seasons doesn’t have a loyalty program, so if you decide to visit one of these beautiful (and expensive!) hotels, you need a workaround to snag some elitelike benefits.

Consider booking through our partner Skylark for property credits, potential room upgrades and late checkout (when available). Or, if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can book through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts to get perks like daily breakfast for two, property credits and guaranteed late checkout.

If your vacation budget isn’t quite as big as Tanya McQuoid’s, we’ve also found points-based alternatives to consider that’ll help you earn or redeem points and score elite night credits.

Season 1: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

When the world was introduced to “The White Lotus” in 2021, we were also introduced to one of Hawaii’s most luxurious resorts, the Four Seasons Resort Maui. In the popular resort area of Wailea, this Four Seasons is bright, airy and, in true Four Seasons style, totally sophisticated (but with a tropical twist).

Guests are greeted with a traditional lei and then invited to experience the many, many things on offer. Spend your days soaking up some sun by one of three pools (including an adults-only option) where chilled treats are brought out throughout the day. Or, head to the beach to snorkel or paddleboard.

Book a treatment in an open-air hut at the spa. The sounds of the Pacific Ocean waves massage your mind while a masseuse massages your body with Hawaiian pohaku (or rocks) collected right on the island.

Dining options are plentiful and range from the Hawaiian outpost of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, serving coastal fusion food, to alfresco dining at Duo, a steakhouse and seafood restaurant.

There are also an Italian restaurant, pool bars and cafes, and a lobby bar that serves sushi and hosts live music. Or, just laze the day away and order room service.

Speaking of the rooms, guests can choose among a number of rooms and suites that face out to the ocean or the lush, green gardens.

All are decorated in muted tones that reflect the natural beauty of Maui and feature lanais that allow guests to have a private outdoor space to breathe in the salty ocean air.

To take a luxury trip to this resort to the next level, Four Seasons can help organize a private plane to the island through its partner NetJets.

The on-site concierge team can also organize incredible activities like private helicopter tours over the island with stops for coffee tastings, hula lessons and outrigger excursions to see the sea from a different perspective.

Also, if you need to get out on a boat (is it even “The White Lotus” if Tanya isn’t on a boat at some point?), the resort can organize a private charter on a sailboat, catamaran or yacht.

Rates at the Four Seasons Resort Maui typically start around $1,200 per night. However, rates fluctuate throughout the year and easily climb by hundreds of dollars a night during peak seasons.

Points alternative: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort

Just down the road from the Four Seasons, the Andaz Maui is a popular Hyatt resort you can book using points. The company has a favorable award chart and offers many of the same amenities as Four Seasons.

This resort is a great alternative if you can find award availability. However, be warned that cash rates are still pretty expensive.

During the day, guests at the Andaz can choose to relax in one of five different pools: three infinity pools, a lagoon-style pool and an adults-only tranquility pool.

At night, relax with a drink near an outdoor fire pit or book a table for “The Feast at Mokapu Luau,” an interactive show that tells the story of Hawaii through traditional music, dancing and other performances that includes a family-style meal and drinks.

Other dining options at the Andaz Maui include a Japanese restaurant by famed chef Masaharu Morimoto, a farm-to-table-style restaurant, a beach bar and an outdoor lounge that’s the perfect spot to watch the sun set.

Like the Four Seasons, the Andaz Maui has stylish, well-appointed rooms, suites and even villas, all of which have private lanais. If you really need to spread out, consider booking one of the multiroom villas, some of which feature private pools or hot tubs.

Other features of the resort include the Awili Spa and Salon in Wailea, dog-friendly rooms and a concierge staff that can help arrange activities and excursions like helicopter tours or whale-watching trips.

A Category 8 World of Hyatt resort, the Andaz Maui has award nights that range from 35,000 to 45,000 points per night. Cash rates start around $950 per night.

Season 2: San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel

Despite what Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya might think, there is no queen of Sicily. However, you’ll certainly feel like royalty after a stay at San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel — the setting for the second season of “The White Lotus.”

Built as a convent in the 14th century and converted to a hotel in 1896, the property features sweeping views of the Ionian Sea. Let’s just say the only thing dramatic in real life at the San Domenico Palace is the views from the clifftop infinity pool or sea-view suites.

Try and splurge on the executive suite with a plunge pool and sea view. The decor is light, bright and breezy. Rooms also showcase Italian art and marble bathrooms.

The hotel is home to Italian gardens and the Michelin-starred Principe Cerami restaurant (no, it isn’t odd that the guests in the second season of “The White Lotus” spent so much time eating at the hotel). Unwind at the spa with a variety of treatments, like a San Domenico hot stone massage or a personalized body treatment wrap.

Check out some of the experiences available throughout the hotel — from Sicilian wine tastings to exploring historic sites like the Palazzo Corvaja and the Piazza IX Aprile. These custom tours are an excellent way to learn about the island’s mix of Arab and North African cultural influences.

The Four Seasons team can also assist with chartering a yacht or sailboat for snorkeling, sightseeing the landmarks of Isola Bella and Grotta Azzurra, and nourishing the day with a Four Seasons-prepared private lunch.

When disembarking the boat (spoiler alert), don’t be a Tanya — please watch your step.

Room availability can be spotty, and rates are steep — so book quickly ahead of the hotel reopening for the season March 1.

Rates for sea-view rooms at San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel typically start around 2,585 euros (roughly $2,760) per night throughout the summer. More affordable guest rooms (without the sea view) are available in October and start at 1,545 euros (roughly $1,650) a night.

Points alternative: Delta Hotels Giardini Naxos

For those who are not looking to drain their 401(k) for a Sicilian hotel stay, you’re in luck.

A 20-minute drive southwest down the coast from San Domenico Palace is the points-friendly Delta Hotels Giardini Naxos, which is part of Marriott Bonvoy. The beachfront hotel showcases views of the Ionian Sea and has a private beach, an infinity pool and upgraded spaces following a renovation that was completed in 2021.

Public spaces feature local art with pops of Mediterranean blue, yellow and stone hues. The renovation extended to the lobby and check-in area (the new dark gray lava top of the check-in counter is a nod to the island’s Mount Etna volcano) and the hotel’s bars and restaurants.

Fluido Bar on the pool terrace is a fabulous spot to grab a cocktail and take in the views of the sea and volcanic sandy beaches. For fine dining, La Sciara features Sicilian cuisine and wines. The Brezza Beach Bar and Panarea are more casual spots to grab a bite (Panarea is the hotel’s breakfast spot).

All guest rooms and suites feature balconies and cozy furnishings with a mix of bright upholstery and dark wood furnishings. Sea views are only offered with superior and deluxe guest rooms and suites. The one-bedroom presidential suite, the ultimate RG Naxos splurge, comes with a sea view and an expansive terrace.

The hotel’s spa offers a variety of services, from couples massages to manicures and pedicures. Nearby attractions include Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanos and the tallest peak in Italy south of the Alps, and the Alcantara Gorges, a river bed dating back 300,000 years.

Nightly rates at Delta Hotels Giardini Naxos typically begin at 169 euros (roughly $180) or 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points through the summer.

Season 3: Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui

Though we’ll have to wait for Season Three to unfold, we can dig into the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Thailand, where we know the third installment of “The White Lotus” will partially take place.

Koh Samui is the second-largest island in Thailand and a beautiful destination for travelers who want to enjoy crystalline waters, boat around beautiful natural formations, hike to hidden waterfalls or just relax on picture-perfect beaches. To do it in luxury, the Four Seasons is a no-brainer.

At the resort, guests can stay in one of 60 villas featuring a private pool and different viewpoints, including one right on the beach with easy access to the water or another higher up with panoramic views of the islands dotting the Gulf of Thailand.

Scenes will certainly take place at one of the resort’s many restaurants and bars, like Koh Bar, which serves Thai wine; the poolside rum bar Cocorum, which has Asia’s only rum vault; and Koh Thai Kitchen, a Thai restaurant with a thatched roof high up in the resort, making it a scenic perch to watch the goings on of whatever mischief takes place in Season Three.

Of course, the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui offers plenty of other luxuries we’ve seen on the show, like private yachts to charter and sail around the islands, a spa with an array of treatments, a beachfront infinity pool — and, in true Thai fashion, a Muay Thai ring.

Rates at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui start around $1,033 per night.

Points alternative: The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui

If you want to take a “White Lotus”-style vacation to Koh Samui using points, there are a handful of great options across a few programs, like IHG One Rewards, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. But few are as luxe as the island’s Ritz-Carlton.

Set on 58 acres on the northeastern part of Koh Samui, this Ritz-Carlton has many accommodation types to choose from, including terrace suites with king beds and pool villas looking out across the water.

Breakfast is served at the open-air Shook! restaurant, with Asian and Western options on the menu, while other dining options include a steakhouse, an Indian restaurant and even a dinner experience featuring Thai street food and live dancing on Saturday nights.

During the day, guests can relax by the beach or pool, get in a Muay Thai workout, visit the spa for some rest and relaxation or even embark on a guided snorkel at the resort’s on-property swim reef that’s free of jellyfish and home to 50 varieties of fish.

Rates at The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui start around $308 or 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Related reading:

• My near-perfect stay in a rustic Thai resort: A review of the Six Senses Yao Noi
• Where traditional Japanese ryokan culture meets unbeatable luxury: A review of Four Seasons Hotel Osaka
• The 16 best Four Seasons in the world, according to travel experts who have stayed at them