By now, many individuals know that the hit HBO sequence, “The White Lotus,” filmed its third season in Thailand, and the beautiful 4 Seasons Resort Koh Samui served as the primary Thai outpost for the present. Whereas 4 Seasons Accommodations & Resorts stays the first model that acts because the stand-in for the fictional luxurious lodge chain, another high-end lodge manufacturers make an look on the present, too — and different close by properties have equally luxe vibes.
The forged and crew filmed elements of the sequence at Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas — a luxe resort by the Thai model Anantara Accommodations & Resorts on the island of Phuket. They filmed different scenes at Rosewood Phuket, which can absolutely make jaws drop to the sand with its traditional luxurious and serene Emerald Bay location.
Thailand has many different properties which might be “The White Lotus”-worthy, together with Banyan Tree Phuket — which wows company with its consideration to native experiences and Thai cooking. There may be additionally Amanpuri, which excels in Thai wellness choices, and Kamalaya Koh Samui, with its holistic strategy to well being and wellness remedies.
Associated: The 14 greatest motels in Phuket, Thailand
Beneath, discover a rundown on why every of those motels is usually a excellent place to your subsequent dream trip (sans the nail-biting homicide thriller, after all).
Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas
Anantara is the flagship luxurious model for Thai conglomerate Minor Accommodations. Whereas it may not be the primary backdrop just like the 4 Seasons on Koh Samui, it is simple to see why Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas nonetheless will get a while on display on “The White Lotus.”
The third season of the present is slated to discover themes of loss of life, Jap faith and spirituality, and its hair-raising opening scene (amongst different appearances) was filmed on the property. Do not get spooked by that while you e-book a keep: The resort, which is only a 20-minute drive from Phuket Worldwide Airport (HKT), truly gives spacious pool villas, delectable eating and attentive service.
Nonetheless, there are many Thai components right here which have made the property the right setting for some scenes of “The White Lotus.” Use the resort’s bikes to pedal via its lush tropical gardens and cross torch-lined picket bridges over lily pad-filled lagoons. Then, take pleasure in a few of Phuket’s greatest sundown views from the resort’s perch alongside Mai Khao Seaside. You may additionally discover a Buddhist shrine close to the Anantara Spa — the right alternative for “The White Lotus” company to discover faith and spirituality (or their very own ennui) earlier than dipping in for a 120-minute Anantara Signature Therapeutic massage.
In fact, the villas are luxe retreats with walk-in closets and dressing rooms, non-public plunge swimming pools, teak decks and spacious bedrooms with arched, basket weave ceilings. You possibly can step out from the toilet right into a jetted tub for just a little added romance or take pleasure in an out of doors bathe following a day on the seashore or infinity pool. Cabanas off your non-public deck make for an important place to lounge with a glass of wine and a e-book on the finish of the day — and those that improve to a Sala Villa can even have a non-public pavilion overlooking the lagoon.
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Eating choices at Anantara vary from the sprawling breakfast buffet to Thai and Indian fare at La Sala, the lodge’s important restaurant that overlooks the lagoon. Sea Hearth Salt, a extra Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, is nearer to the seashore and excellent for catching a sundown whereas having fun with grilled seafood. Tree Home, the resort’s omakase restaurant, is perched within the bushes simply behind La Sala.
The pool deck and beachfront garden are perfect for sunbathing, beginning the day with dawn yoga or simply taking a leisurely dip within the infinity pool. Solar loungers flank the pool deck, and you may even discover a couple of stationed within the shallow finish. And, identical to you’d count on at any White Lotus property, pool attendants are available to ship cocktails and snacks from the resort’s poolside bar.
Charges at Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas begin round $600 per evening however typically price nearer to $700 per evening through the peak winter season.
Banyan Tree Phuket
Banyan Tree Phuket is among the best-known and most established luxurious resorts on the island of Phuket. The resort — which sits on a former tin mine, only a 30-minute drive south of the Phuket airport — is good for company seeking to take pleasure in curated native experiences and facilities. Vacationers also can take pleasure in a couple of Western components as a part of the broader Laguna Golf neighborhood the place the Banyan Tree resides.
Pool villas are the usual at Banyan Tree Phuket, however since when has any important character been identified for limiting themselves? The resort additionally gives Double Pool Villas in a extra secluded stretch of the property that has easy accessibility to high-end Tre, a European restaurant overlooking a lagoon; this makes it a quieter spot to seize breakfast over the busier Watercourt restaurant nearer to the primary foyer.
When you’re unwilling to splurge on the Double Pool Villa, concern not. Entry-level pool villas are nonetheless extremely spacious, with seating areas, walk-in closets, kitchenettes, non-public patios and plunge pool decks. Housekeeping is twice every day, and you’ll borrow bikes close to the foyer to experience across the sprawling property.
The Banyan Tree workforce will get excessive marks for weaving in curated experiences for many who wish to get extra native publicity. Participate in a uncooked cooking class within the resort’s kitchen studio. Or, take pleasure in a meditative stroll via a labyrinth to start out your day on a contemplative notice earlier than visiting native markets and rubber plantations. The Banyan Tree workforce is joyful to rearrange all types of actions at a second’s discover.
Do not miss out on a spa remedy on the Banyan Tree Spa Phuket as a result of this property is the place all spa workforce members who work for Banyan Tree come to coach earlier than returning to the lodge or resort the place they work. Remedy rooms are secluded, stand-alone villas in a quieter stretch of the resort — splendid for letting all of the stress subdue over the span of a therapeutic massage.
Entry-level charges at Banyan Tree Phuket begin at $340 per evening in off-peak months earlier than rising to round $500 per evening in peak winter journey months.
Rosewood Phuket
Odds are that by the tip of a keep at Rosewood Phuket, you may end up already searching for methods to return (if not lengthen your present go to). That is as a result of the Rosewood’s idyllic setting (suppose: verdant vegetation and breathtaking blue water galore) attracts you within the second you step foot on the property.
Rosewood Phuket’s atmospheric restaurant, Ta Khai, steals the present in most of the restaurant scenes in “The White Lotus.” And that is no shock: The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance to the Rosewood Phuket is an early sign that seclusion and exclusivity reign supreme right here.
The resort has a breezy foyer with lily pad-filled fountains; company stroll over a boardwalk right into a extra intimate check-in space overlooking Emerald Bay. After getting particulars sorted out, a pleasant workers member will whisk you in a buggy down a tree-lined, hilly path to your lodging in the primary resort space.
Pavillions, villas and homes — all with their very own non-public swimming pools — are the lodging choices right here. Relying on which you select, chances are you’ll discover luxe particulars like out of doors bathtubs, absolutely geared up kitchens, and terraces with backyard or bay views. All characteristic tasteful, luxurious and muted decor (a whole lot of earth tones accented by darkish wooden and backlit bookcases). Facilities embody cocktail kits within the minibar and electronically managed blackout shades for while you’re prepared for some uninterrupted slumber.
As for the pool space, it gives a mixture of wading spots for youngsters and deeper stretches to get in a couple of laps. Stroll throughout the pool on a boardwalk, and you may attain a sandy stretch of Emerald Bay. You possibly can hire paddleboards and kayaks to discover the bay, or you possibly can relax with a e-book on a solar lounger — there are lots to select from on the sand or again nearer to the pool.
However maybe the resort’s greatest attribute is its service. The workers is extremely attentive — and never simply by the use of the twice-daily full housekeeping. You will not stroll too far earlier than a buggy driver will inevitably cease to ask for those who want a elevate; the workforce by the pool is fast to supply an additional umbrella for solar safety or a contemporary fruit popsicle to take pleasure in.
Off-peak charges at Rosewood Phuket begin at $810 per evening earlier than rising to $1,123 per evening throughout peak journey months over the winter.
Kamalaya Koh Samui
The primary episode of the third season of “The White Lotus” has already made it clear: Whereas the lodge group’s outposts in Sicily and Hawaii had been all about indulgences and extra, its Thai resort places well being and well-being on the forefront. In fact, the real-life White Lotus in Thailand (the 4 Seasons Resort Koh Samui) does have a dreamy spa. Nevertheless, you may wish to search out Kamalaya Koh Samui — one of many nation’s most beloved wellness retreats — for those who’re severe about getting your well being again on observe.
Draped over a jungle-cloaked hill on the southeastern tip of Koh Samui, Kamalaya has drawn a faithful clientele of big-city burnouts, high-flying executives and different wellness seekers for 20 years now. The wellness applications — which vary from five-day to multiweek retreats and embody all the things from stress and burnout restoration classes to hormone balancing and sleep enhancement — are as rigorous as they’re rewarding. Days right here stream in a blissful rhythm of massages, natural steam baths and dawn meditations overlooking the resort’s non-public seashore.
The meals, after all, is as wholesome because it will get, however menus go effectively past the same old ginger pictures and tofu scrambles. Count on Thai curries, salads with a rainbow of tropical fruits and greens, and fresh-pressed juices blended with every kind of micronutrient add-ons (suppose: spirulina, monk fruit powder, the works). There is a separate detox menu, designed by resident nutritionists, that caters to each wellness objective, whether or not it is an Ayurvedic-inspired reset, a intestine well being program or intermittent fasting. And whereas there is no alcohol on the menu (except you ask), the natural elixirs are simply as satisfying.
However regardless of its dedication to well being and wellness, Kamalaya by no means feels scientific. There is a sometimes Thai heat in each element, from the soothing interiors of the easy, earth-toned hillside suites to the spacious indoor-outdoor villas with non-public swimming pools designed to encourage relaxation and reflection within the resort’s serene pure setting.
Entry-level charges at Kamalaya Koh Samui begin at $265 per evening through the off-peak months, with a minimal keep of three nights required. This price doesn’t embody a wellness program, which begins at round $1,400 for a three-night program and rises to round $5,500 for 2 weeks.
Amanpuri
Amanpuri is the very first outpost of the illustrious Aman model, and rumors had been swirling round trade circles that it might be featured within the third season of “The White Lotus.” When showrunner Mike White was scouting areas round Thailand again in 2023, he shared Instagram Tales from The Surin Phuket resort simply subsequent door; Amanpuri’s three-month closure (for renovations, looking back) that adopted solely added gas to the fireplace. The gossip turned out to be false — and perhaps that is for the higher; silence and solitude have been a few of Amanpuri’s trump playing cards because it first opened its doorways in 1988.
Scattered round an undulating coconut grove on Phuket’s northeastern coast, lodging vary from single-room pavilions to multistory villa estates with non-public swimming pools and as much as 9 bedrooms. All are traditional Thai: Count on templelike pointy roofs poking out from tropical gardens, interiors bedecked in Buddhist artwork and gleaming teak, and contemporary jasmine and white orchids in every single place you look.
The resort’s hush-hush location implies that noteworthy eating places and the road meals scene of Phuket City require fairly a drive, however with a globe-spanning lineup of eating places on its premises, there’s little purpose to depart. Arva, an Aman staple, dishes out easygoing Italian from farm-to-table elements. There’s real-deal Thai at Buabok, the place dinners come paired with conventional Thai dance performances and the mesmerizing tones of a ranat ek (Thai xylophone) filling the courtyard. Plus, the lately renovated Nama hits the spot with omakase menus that includes seafood flown in straight from Japan. You may additionally wish to snag a seat on the terrace towards the tip of the day: From this vantage level, the gold-colored sunsets are merely chic.
As with all Aman resorts, wellness performs a number one position, and the village-size spa on the sloping perimeter of the resort is an oasis of its personal. Remedies lean closely on Thai traditions; they embody all the things from natural compress massages with native herbs and coconut oil to traditional Thai Nuad Pan Boran massages utilizing stretching methods practiced by Buddhist monks for greater than 2,500 years. Medical-grade specialists provide deep dives via hormone screenings and conventional Chinese language drugs consultations whereas visiting gurus ceaselessly host immersive retreats.
The resort’s actual scene-stealer, although, is its (virtually) non-public stretch of Pansea Seaside — a swath of powdery white sand lapped by a few of the clearest waters across the island. Snag a cabana underneath the palm bushes, order an icy gin and tonic with wild honey soda, and experience the truth that you’ve got made it to considered one of Phuket’s loveliest corners.
Entry-level charges at Amanpuri begin at $1,662 per evening in off-peak months earlier than rising to round $2,582 per evening in winter through the peak journey months.
