The Third Season of ‘White Lotus’ Is Filming at This Iconic Thai Resort — Here’s What It’s Like to Stay

Location scouts for The White Lotus knew what they were doing when they chose to film part of the third season of the highly acclaimed HBO series at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui . Cloistered in a hillside jungle on the northwest tip of the Thai island, this 70-key resort is a rattan-and-teak fantasia whose zigzagging boardwalks and dignified lounges are ready-to-wear for the privileged guests we love to hate.

"Which character would I be?" I wondered while devouring ceviche by the pool, which faces a comet of sugar sand lined with chaises and shaded by mile-high palms. While the show hasn't had a travel writer as a guest, I can't think of a more entitled archetype than someone who counts the number of wooden hangers in the wardrobes and demands coconut milk for their iced coffee at breakfast. Not me, reader — my character.

In the immortal words of Jennifer Coolidge's daffy inheritrix, Tanya McQuoid, "Whenever I stay at a White Lotus, I always have a memorable time." And that's how I feel about the Four Seasons imprint's resorts (less so the city hotels). But the Koh Samui property exists on a higher plane; a combination of the cocoon-like comfort of the rooms, the confident and diverse food-and-bev programming, the excellent service, and the setting so lush and transporting your pupils will dilate to take more of it in.

This was Bill Bensley's first ground-up build in 2007, when he was still primarily working in landscape architecture, and it holds up beautifully. So do all 856 of the original coconut palms preexisting in the resort; Bensley refused to fell a single one during construction, preferring to tailor the low-slung villas and peaked-roof public pavilions to the forest's native footprint. Thus, a whispering frond or neon flower is never more than an outstretched arm away, and the environmental intimacy soothes the nerves of even the most deadline-ridden writer procrastinating by reading the in-room tropical fruit field guide for the fourth time. The illustrated pamphlet accompanies a bowl of slim mangoes and magenta dragonfruit, as is typical in Thai hotels. Still, for some reason, the fruits of the Four Seasons always taste sweeter.

Read on for Travel + Leisure's full review of Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.

The Rooms The smallest of the seven villa types measures over 1,000 square feet, so you'll have plenty of space to spread out inside soothing white rooms with dark woodwork, sky-blue accents, and potted orchids. A dressing area, wardrobes, and twin sinks and vanities connect the bedroom and the bathroom, which has an oval soaking tub that looks out through glass doors onto the pool deck and beyond.

Unlike other "villa" properties on the island, the careful positioning and dense landscaping provide absolute privacy; you won't see your neighbors at their pool while swimming in yours. Guests requiring even more space and seclusion can book one of the six private residences; expect to get a good look at them (the privileged guests and the stunning homes) on The White Lotus.

Food and Drink Michelin swung through Samui for the first time this year, and Koh Thai Kitchen, the Four Seasons' main restaurant, landed a recommendation from the guide. Completely open-air, with terraces suspended over the emerald ravine, the restaurant's setting is gorgeous, and fortunately, the food matches. Breakfast and dinner happen here, the former a feast of fresh juices and fruits, artistic pastries, coconut French toast, delicate dumplings, satay, wok-fried noodles, eggs any way — and that's just scratching the surface.

Start dinner with a parade of Thai tapas (prawn spring rolls, crispy sea bass with shallots and lemongrass), then explore the half-dozen intricate curries. Club and katsu sandwiches, prosciutto and melon with fried gnocchi, and miso-rubbed grilled octopus fill out the menu at the airy Pla Pla, down by the beach and the pool, whose chic bar, CoCoRum, just debuted a smart, playful list of Tiki-ish cocktails.

Activities and Experiences Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui makes an art out of the stop-and-flop stay. Comfy loungers, cabanas cooled by lazy overhead fans, and double-wide daybeds with cyan-striped pillows front the main pool, a massive rectangle whose long infinity edge appears to spill onto the beach. Staff pass by with iced elixirs and fruit skewers on trays, the cocktails (with and without alcohol) are terrific, and the vibes are entirely relaxing. That said, a robust experience menu is ready for guests who crave action. Take the yacht to explore Angthong Marine Park's 42-island archipelago, dive in the coral reef, visit an elephant sanctuary, learn Muay Thai boxing, and more.

The Spa From Maui to Kyoto to Orlando, Four Seasons, as a brand, consistently excels at both spa design and spa talent, and the Samui resort is no exception. Comprising a peaceful reception pavilion and five gleaming teak tree houses set into the vertiginous hillside, the intimate spa hits a balance of manufactured luxury and raw nature. The four elements of Thai medicine — fire, wind, earth, and water, each of which corresponds to a birth month — underpin the menu of treatments, which begin with an essential-oil selection and makrut-lime footbath by the nimble therapists who will later climb on the massage table and bend your body like a Twizzler.

Family-friendly Offerings Honeymoon in the sheets, but kid-friendly in the streets, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui offers tons for families. There's a complimentary kids' club (ages 4–12), a game room equipped with pool and air hockey, and Muay Thai classes made especially for pint-size featherweights. Children under 5 also eat free.

Accessibility and Sustainability While the villas are all on one floor with wide, accommodating doorways, the steeply sloped topography of the property, along with the numerous boardwalks and steps stitching it together, are not easily navigated by wheelchairs. Certified Gold by Southeast Asia's Green Hotel Standard, the resort's many sustainability features include greywater recycling, on-site composting, and coral conservation efforts led by the resident marine biologist.

Tucked on the quiet northwest corner of the island, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is about 12 miles from the airport, which translates to 40 or so minutes on roads that run one lane in either direction. The nearest village is Nathon Town, with its ferry dock, lunar low-tide beach, and boho cafés.

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