Plain English Four Seasons hotels win big with ‘White Lotus’
Nov 6, 2025
The podcast dives into the fascinating intersection of luxury resorts and pop culture. It reveals how Four Seasons hotels gained fame from the HBO series 'The White Lotus,' which was filmed at their properties during a risky pandemic filming venture. The conversation explores how viewer interest surged, leading to a significant spike in travel inquiries. Additionally, Four Seasons is now creatively leveraging this newfound fame with themed events and premium experiences, including an extravagant travel package for fans.
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Hit Show Turned Hotels Into Destinations
- The White Lotus used real Four Seasons resorts as filming backdrops, turning fictional drama into desirable real-world tourism.
- The contrast between luxurious settings and on-screen dysfunction boosted viewers' fascination with the actual hotels.
Pandemic Bet That Launched The Series
- During 2020 lockdowns HBO asked Mike White for a filmable concept and he proposed a hotel-set dark comedy with minimal cast and script.
- Four Seasons Maui agreed to host production, letting the crew take over the empty resort for 13 weeks.
Reputation Risk But Calculated Comfort
- Many luxury hotels feared reputational risk from fictional scandals, but Four Seasons had prior experience with risky productions.
- That comfort with risk made them more willing to rent an empty property to the show.