Now that “The White Lotus” stay in Thailand has come to a close fans are already speculating where the next installation of the HBO series will venture.
The past three seasons have all been filmed at Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii, Italy and Thailand — though set, of course, at entirely fictional White Lotus resort hotels. Max and Four Seasons even had a global partnership to celebrate the third season with an immersive activation at the featured Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui. After three back-to-back coastal locations, writer-director Mike White said that he wanted to get “a little bit out of the crashing waves against rocks vernacular” at a finale screening event Sunday.
Keeping the tone and energy of “The White Lotus” and its guests in mind, narrowing down the list and excluding coastal cities became challenging. Executive producers also revealed that White does not like the cold, so a ski season may be out of the cards.
“I can’t really say where we’re going to land, but chances are somewhere in Europe,” Francesca Orsi said in an interview with Deadline, contradicting a comment White previously made, saying he wanted to visit all seven continents with the show (he’s already knocked out three).
Keep reading for our theories about which Four Seasons resort the fourth season of “The White Lotus” might take place.
African Safari: Serengeti National Park
White has previously stated that he wants to film a season on all seven continents. An African safari stay could check that box off his list. Not only would the scenic Serengeti provide a beautiful visual landscape for the show, but African safari luxury tourism is ripe for an exploration of wealth and class dynamics.
The Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti provides luxury safari suites with an immersive view of the plains, “combining comfort with the thrill of a Serengeti safari,” the website states. The thrill of the pride lands could certainly be the setting for the next “The White Lotus” location and perhaps the site of the next mysterious killing.
French Alps: Megève, France
Although executive producer David Bernad said that Mike White does not like the cold, fans have been itching for a ski resort season of the HBO series. Rich families, couples and maybe even work colleagues in a snowy chalet, risking their lives on the slopes each day, does sound like a potential “The White Lotus” storyline.
The Four Seasons Hotel Megève is a resort in the French Alps with ski-in, ski-out access. Guests can stay in their own lodges, relax in the region’s largest spa and enjoy the Alps in both summer and wintertime, giving White the opportunity to use the resort during the warmer months if he so chooses.
Athens, Greece
With the historic, mythological backdrop of Ancient Greece, Athens would provide a unique lens for White to explore with the next season of the Emmy Award-winning series. Though Season 3 did explore religion with meditative healing and Buddhist practices in Thailand, Athens could give viewers a new perspective with the presence of Greek mythology.
The Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens is located on a peninsula with three private beaches. The hotel is only 30 minutes away from the historic Acropolis. It may not be a Season 4 pick if White wants to stray from “crashing rocks” but the plot potential is there.
French Riviera: South of France
Executive producers have hinted at a return to Europe, and the series has yet to travel to France. The Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat is a Four Seasons Hotel on the French Riviera and has been in business for over a century. The historic location boasts sea views from Nice to Monaco and a serene sanctuary within its lush gardens.
With only 74 rooms in the entire hotel, guests in the resort could certainly organically interact with one another as they do in previous seasons of “The White Lotus.” Overlooking the coastal South of France, guests at the hotel could also easily take excursions off property and find themselves in more trouble than intended.
Mallorca, Spain
The website describes the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor as “a vast private playground.” The Mediterranean landscape allows guests to connect to nature with hiking, biking or boating, and the HBO series has yet to visit a Spanish-speaking country.
The resort also has the Alcanada Golf Club on property. White could explore the uppity sport as part of his examination on luxury tourism in the next installment of the series.
Istanbul, Turkey
Venturing to Istanbul would be a change from the coastal locations of the first three seasons of the HBO series. The Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul at the Bosphorus sits on the Bosphorus Strait. Guests at “The White Lotus” could visit the city’s major attractions like the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, immersing themselves in Muslim practices.
The urban area is rich with history and a viable hub for cultural conversations. And who knows, maybe one of the guests of the next season could be traveling to Turkey for a hair transplant?
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