Where Was The White Lotus Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)
  • HOME

Where Was The White Lotus Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)

Inside the sun soaked HBO show

It recently scooped up the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, so if you haven’t watched Mike White’s magnificent The White Lotus yet, it’s about time you hopped on board. The second season, which aired weekly at the end of 2022, helped Jennifer Coolidge to secure her first ever Golden Globe, for Best Supporting Performance in a Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, after being nominated for the same award for the first season. (And she delivered an emotional and hilarious acceptance speech to boot). With a whole new star-studded cast (except Coolidge, who reprised her role as Tanya), season 2 saw a new sun-soaked setting, and a new series of (unfortunate?) events. If you’re anything like us at Country & Town House, though, there’s one question left unanswered: where was The White Lotus filmed? And, more importantly, can you visit? 

Read the C&TH Responsible Tourism Guide

Where Was The White Lotus Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)

If you need somewhere to stay during your White Lotus inspired travels, Villatravellers have a stunning collection of villas in Sicily to choose from. Keep reading to find out more, or click here to skip ahead.

a hotel team welcoming guests

Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina, hotel manager

Where Was The White Lotus Season 1 Filmed?

Season 1 of The White Lotus was filmed and set in Hawaii, specifically at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. In the series, it is the fictional White Lotus Resort Hawaii, led by Manager Armond (Murray Bartlett). While the singular setting appears pretty purposeful when watching – The White Lotus has been likened to an upper-class, American version of the British TV series, Benidorm – the use of one primary setting is rooted in 2020’s Covid restrictions. Filmed from October to December 2020, season one’s cast and crew were completely isolated during filming, with a singular location used in order to avoid any cross contamination.

Guests who arrive at the White Lotus under Armond’s management include:

  • Nicole (Connie Britton) with her husband Mark (Steve Zahn), son Quinn (Fred Hechinger), daughter Olivia (Sydney Sweeney), and her daughter’s friend Paula (Brittany O’Grady)
  • Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge)
  • Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) on her honeymoon with her new husband Shane (Jake Lacey)

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea with the sea lapping onto the shore

Where Was The White Lotus Season 2 Filmed?

Season 2 of The White Lotus was filmed and set in Sicily, Italy – specifically at the the San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel. In the series, it is the fictional White Lotus Resort Sicily, led by Manager Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore). Post-Covid, we see the stars branch slightly further afield than season 1, which was filmed entirely in the hotel and its nearby beach. In season 2, spot the likes of Taormina, Noto, Palermo, Cefalù, and this very beautiful villa.

From one White Lotus to another, and from one Four Seasons to another: just as season 2’s resort is supposed to be run by the same team as season 1’s hotel – hence why Tanya returns (she loves a White Lotus resort) – both season 1 and 2’s real life hotels are operated by Four Seasons.

Guests who arrive at the White Lotus under Valentina’s management include:

  • Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge reprising her role from season 1), holidaying with her new boyfriend Greg (Jon Gries) who she met at the White Lotus Resort Hawaii, along with her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson)
  • Dominic (Michael Imperioli) with his father Bert (F. Murray Abraham) and his son Albie (Adam DiMarco)
  • Cameron (Theo James) with his wife Daphne (Meghann Fahy), and his friend Ethan (Will Sharpe) and his wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza)
  • Lucia (Simona Tabasco) and her friend Mia (Beatrice Grannò)
  • Quentin (Tom Hollander) and his ‘cheeky nephew’ Jack (Leo Woodall)
four actors walking away from a hotel entrance

(L-R) Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller, Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller, Meghan Fahy as Daphne Sullivan and Theo James as Cameron Sullivan in season 2 of The White Lotus.

Where Are They Filming Season 3?

It has been confirmed that The White Lotus season 3 will be filmed in Thailand in 2024. But where exactly? If previous seasons are anything to go by, it’ll be another Four Seasons hotel, reimagined under the ‘White Lotus’ brand. We think it’ll be the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui – click here to find out why.

Italian Filming Locations In The White Lotus Season 2

Photo 1 of
the exterior of San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel with mount etna

San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel

Situated high on the rocks on Sicily’s north east coast, most of the action of season 2 of The White Lotus takes place in the expansive San Domenico Palace – once a 15th century monastery, now a luxury resort in the Four Seasons group after a careful 2021 refurbishment. There’s 111 rooms, suites and speciality suites, a spa, a fine-dining restaurant, ancient courtyards and gardens, and a beautiful infinity pool – a scene stealer in The White Lotus.

With views of the Ionian Sea, Mount Etna and an ancient amphitheatre, and in close proximity to the Isola Bella nature reserve, this isn’t the San Domenico’s on-screen debut. Fans of Michelangelo Antonioni might recognise the hotel from the ending of his 1960 classic, L’Avventura – or others might recognise it from 1988’s The Big Blue. In the second episode, Tanya (Coolidge) even expresses that, in her dream day in Italy, she would look like Monica Vitti — leading star of L’Avventura — and proceeds to dress like her while she and Greg (Jon Gries) traverse the town’s winding roads on a Vespa. The hotel has also hosted an array of famous faces over the years, including Oscar Wilde, Audrey Hepburn, and Edward VII.

STAY: fourseasons.com

Ruins of Ancient Greek theater in Taormina, Sicily, Italy. Taormina located in Metropolitan City of Messina, on east coast of island of Sicily.

Taormina

With the resort sprawling across a cliff in the small town, The White Lotus features snippets of Taormina, an ancient beach destination with roots traced back to before Ancient Greece’s first Sicily colony of 734 BCE. With pretty beaches accessible by aerial tramway, visiting Taormina is a way to experience the White Lotus magic if you don’t want to check in for the night.

Meghann Fahy and Aubrey Plaza on a large set of stairs in Noto

Noto

Moving to Sicily’s south east, fans of Cyrano (2021) might recognise the baroque Noto, which is ventured to on a day trip in season 2. And, throwing it back to Antonioni, a L’Avventura scene was shot here, too. Head here for gorgeous cathedrals, pretty balconies, limestone piazzas, and a sprinkling of movie magic.

Daphne and Harper in Villa Tasca

Palermo

Towards the end of Daphne and Harper’s Noto day trip, Daphne takes Harper to a beautiful Italian palazzo and reveals that she has booked the pair a surprise night. The palazzo is Villa Tasca, in reality located in Palermo, situated in the north-west of the island, almost the exact opposite side to south-easterly Noto. If you’d like to live like the uber rich, you’re in luck: Villa Tasca is now listed on Airbnb, welcoming visitors for minimum three-night stays. Read all about it here. 

Beautiful old harbor with wooden fishing boat in Cefalu, Sicily, Italy.

Cefalù

Another Sicilian town, another day trip: hotel guests also venture to the medieval Cefalù with its Norman cathedral and popular beach. With a year-round population of 14,000, the tourism here is hard to miss: the tiny town attracts millions of visitors every year from across Sicily, Italy, and Europe. If you pay it a visit yourself, you might recognise the Piazza Marina from The White Lotus.

a restaurant overlooking the sea

Where To Stay

Gorgeous Villas In Sicily Courtesy Of Villatravellers

Villatravellers’ properties combine the indulgence of a five-star hotel without compromising on the familiarities and privacy of home. Looking for villas in Sicily for your White Lotus inspired travels? With expert local knowledge across all regions of Sicily – which is renowned for its diverse offering, each corner carrying its own identity – Villatravellers provides experiences for every area, showcasing the island’s culture, natural beauty and gourmet scene. Find a selection of their dreamy villas below.

BOOK IT: For more information on Villatravellers, please visit villatravellers.com, email [email protected] or call 0044 (0)20 3608 4505.

A villa in Sicily

Casa d’Eraclea, villatravellers.com

Can You Stay In The Hotel From Season 1 Of The White Lotus?

Yes: the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is available to book. Set across 15 acres, there are 380 guest rooms and suites, three pools, three restaurants (including Wolfgang Puck’s Spago), three golf courses, a spa and even an art museum.

How To Stay In The Palm Suite

One of season 1’s crucial tensions is the honeymooners’ dissatisfaction with their bedroom – in particular, Shane (Jake Lacy). The Palm Suite is one of the resort’s Elite Oceanfront Suites, and it was completely redecorated for The White Lotus (although it wasn’t painted).

How To Stay In The Pineapple Suite

If you’d like to get one over on Shane, who longs to rest his head in the premiere Pineapple Suite, you’ll want to look for the Lokelani Presidential Suite. At 4,500 square feet, with three bedrooms, five bathrooms and two living rooms, it is the largest suite in the resort, and in the entirety of Hawaii for that matter. Again, it was redecorated for The White Lotus, with plenty of pineapples thrown in for good measure.

Steve Zahn and Connie Britton sat at a desk

Steve Zahn and Connie Britton in the Tradewinds Suite

How To Stay In The Hibiscus Suite

Less conflicted by the size of her room, Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) stays in the Hibiscus Suite – one of the Four Seasons’ Oceanfront Prime Suites. Again, it was redecorated for the show.

How To Stay In The Tradewinds Suite

The Mossbacher family, again, are less conflicted by the size of their suite – other than the sartorial Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) insisting that her younger brother, Quinn (Fred Hechinger), sleep in the galley kitchen. In reality, the Maile Presidential Suite is much larger than The White Lotus gives it credit for, with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and its own sauna.

WATCH

All episodes of The White Lotus are streaming on NOW. In the US, stream The White Lotus on HBO Max.

Featured image: (L-R) Aubrey Plaza, Will Sharpe, Theo James and Meghann Fahey in season 2 of The White Lotus.  All images courtesy of Warner Media.