Another big Four Seasons clue just dropped for ‘The White Lotus’ season 3
Editor's Note
The worst-kept filming location secret in Hollywood is finally confirmed.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and HBO officially announced the third season of "The White Lotus" will be filmed in Thailand. The statement confirmed reports from earlier this year that noted filming would take place in the southeast Asian country and explore themes of death, Eastern religion and spirituality. The series from creator Mike White first debuted in 2021 after filming the year prior, during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.
Part of the show's appeal — and what prompted the initial green light for White's idea — was that it could be filmed safely in a closed-set bubble, according to White in prior interviews.
"We are pleased to partner with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to execute Mike's creative vision and showcase all that the beautiful country of Thailand has to offer, as the next group of guests check in to the White Lotus," Janet Graham Borba, executive vice president of production for HBO and Max, said in a statement.
The next Four Seasons property to host "The White Lotus" may have also been crowned, according to Hollywood chatter and a two-month blocked-out reservations page. Thailand's Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui will serve as the backdrop to the third season of "The White Lotus," according to a post this month on the celebrity gossip Instagram account Deuxmoi.
But we're not just relying on anonymous celebrity gossip for our clues. TPG previously gave a rundown of which Thai Four Seasons properties were in the running, including Koh Samui.
Koh Samui's star was already shining bright for its potential TV appearance. Also, the reservations page for the Four Seasons property shows the hotel isn't accepting any bookings from later this month through late March. This links up with earlier reports that production is set to begin in early February.
A Four Seasons spokesperson declined to comment when TPG contacted them. Still, the company is widely seen as a shoo-in to once again be the stand-in for the fictional, ultra-luxury White Lotus hotel brand.
Following the first season in Hawaii, "The White Lotus" moved to Sicily in the second season. San Domenico Palace, Taormina, a Four Seasons Hotel, served as the White Lotus du jour. By this point, the series had become a cultural juggernaut and vaulted Jennifer Coolidge back into legend status (though "Legally Blonde" fans among us will say she never lost it).
What's so special about Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui?
The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is a TPG and luxury traveler favorite. Its location on a secluded northwestern stretch of Koh Samui island makes it an ideal spot for some rest and relaxation; it's positioned away from more bustling Bo Phut, the island's popular beach town.
The property features a mix of pool villas, beachfront villas, elevated villas with panoramic ocean views and even over-the-top private residences that can house an entire family. Basically, there are plenty of luxe accommodations for "The White Lotus" guests to spar over in the event of an overbooking. There's also plenty of space where they can get up to their usual ultra-one-percent melodrama.
Related: The 16 best Four Seasons in the world, according to travel experts who have stayed at them
Additionally, when the going gets tough and characters get peeved at one another, they don't have to actually take it out on each other. Instead, they can book a session with the on-site professional Muay Thai kickboxer and trainer. Of course, one can also unwind with a slew of high-end treatments like an energy four-hands massage — including in an alfresco oceanfront setting — at the spa.
Guests on the last season of "The White Lotus" got real-life media scrutiny for largely sticking to the hotel restaurants for meals. Even so, you won't want to leave the Four Seasons Koh Samui when your stomach rumbles.
Koh Thai Kitchen at the resort serves a palatial breakfast spread — including cooked-to-order fried rice and omelets — before turning into a Thai restaurant for lunch and dinner. Guests will find tapas and drinks at the CocoRum pool bar, while Pla Pla is a Mediterranean option for lunch and dinner. There's also the Rum Vault for a library of global rums meant to sample and also Koh Bar for predinner cocktails.
Guests can also pass time by swimming in the oceanfront infinity pool or lounging in a chaise lounge at the pristinely maintained beach. Guests can also take part in a wide array of activities like kayaking and paddleboarding.
The stellar service Four Seasons is known for shines at the Koh Samui beachfront. Guests can enjoy a free mini barbecue station with roasted corn and bananas, and they can cool off as staff members furnish complimentary scented cold towels, juice shots, fresh fruit and facial spray.
White Lotus guests might consider checking their small children into the Kids for All Seasons club to avoid passing their drama onto the youth. Alas, prior seasons show that usually never happens.
Who's in and who's missing
Spoiler alert: We'll miss Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya (and probably give any yacht excursions a second thought going forward), but Natasha Rothwell, who played spa worker Belinda in the show's first season, is back for season three.
The rest of the cast is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
At least we know there will almost certainly still be some stellar fictionalized Four Seasons service to go with all that well-to-do ennui and trickery that keeps us tuning into "The White Lotus."
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