White Lotus: Season 4 Locations Wish List
EXTREMELY LIGHT, NON-SPECIFIC WHITE LOTUS SEASON 3 SPOILERS IN THIS BLOG
White Lotus. One of the best running shows on television. Sunday evening was the finale of Season 3, which was set at the White Lotus Resort (i.e. Four Seasons Hotel) in Thailand. Season 3 is the first season I've seen a significant amount of negative reviews on. I see where people who don't like this season are coming from. It took several episodes to get going. Definitely a slow burn. I heard some people bemoan its predictability. I didn't personally have any of those complaints. Even when the show is moving slow, the writing is so good, there's always an eeriness and looming sense of doom that keeps me locked in, and the characters are always interesting enough to me that even the process of watching them develop slowly is intriguing TV. And it all built up to what I considered an above average finale. Not mind blowing. But certainly nothing I'd complain about.
At the end of Sunday's finale, show creator Mike White gave a quick 5-10 minute interview discussing the season, it's themes, the decisions he made in writing it, etc. HBO has already renewed White Lotus for Season 4, which Mike White specifically alluded to in the interview. He said something interesting that hinted toward next season looking a bit different than seasons 1-3. His exact quote was, “For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves on rocks vernacular but there’s always more room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels.”
Side Note: White Lotus' composer is also leaving. I don't love that. The music in White Lotus was always perfectly on point. I'm not sure if a great composer is something that's especially difficult to replace for a TV show, or if now that the groundwork has been laid, they can pretty easily have someone else step in (i.e. John Scheyer replacing Coach K at Duke). But the background music has always been a great part of the show. Fantastic theme songs too. I was upset at the start of this season when they changed up the theme song from season's 1 & 2. But by the finale the new one had fully grown on me. Apparently there was drama behind that as well, because after the composer left, he released the theme song he wanted to use for White Lotus Season 3, but for whatever reason was denied. They cut out the iconic beat drop part.
But back to the locations. I'm curious to see where they'll decide to take the show next. Aside from what Mike White said in his post-finale confessional interview, we essentially have 3 clues. And two of the clues contradict each other.
People - Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, gave the biggest hint, telling Deadline in February 2025. “I can’t really say where we’re going to land, but chances are somewhere in Europe.” This would go against a comment previously made by the show's creator Mike White, expressing he wanted to visit all seven continents for the show, but still feels significant given it's specificity.
Executive producer David Bernad, who also spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about choosing Thailand for season 3, recently told The Guardian that “Mike doesn’t like the cold.”
So someone says it will probably be in Europe. But the writer/director/producer of the show wants to visit all continents, and they've already done Europe, North America, and Asia. Also he doesn't like the cold. And he wants to get away from waves and rocks. Additionally, all seasons of White Lotus are filmed primarily at Four Seasons' locations. They did shoot at a couple different properties for in-resort scenes in season 3. But more likely than not, season 4 will at least be based at a Four Seasons. So after browsing Four Seasons website for locations with all that in mind, here's where I'm hoping White Lotus goes next.
Cairo, Egypt
Advertisement
The capital of Egypt. There are actually 2 White Lotus resort locations in Cairo (Nile Plaza & First Residence). So even if they don't quite individually live up to the luxurious standards of a typical White Lotus resort they could easily concoct a beautiful Cairo location combining the best features of both.
White Lotus is always shrouded in mystery, which fits perfectly with Egyptian culture. By Egyptian culture, I mean mummies. The city is crawling with them.. Also, pyramids, sphinxes, pharaohs, hieroglyphics, the aliens that built the pyramids, camels, etc.. There's so much history there, much of which is unexplained. It might not be the most beautiful location, but there's a lot they could do with Egypt as a backdrop.
The Serengeti Four Season Safari Lodge. In name alone, there's so much potential. The grasslands of the Savannah. The drastic clash of cultures between rich western folk and the working class folk of East Africa. So many predicaments a troubled family or friend group can get themselves into out on Safari. If you thought White Lotus went too far with their incest storyline in season 3, you haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until Mike White takes a young couple on their Serengeti honeymoon and plays the forbidden bestiality card. Or a couple finds themselves in a tribal gang bang situation.
Advertisement
The resort itself may be a tad underwhelming. But like Cairo, Bogota has two Four Seasons locations at which they could film. It fits the bill of a warm non-water crashing rocks location in a continent White Lotus hasn't been to yet. And excuse me for immediately jumping to stereotypes, but when I think of Columbia, my mind immediately goes to cocaine. I mean their President literally said the other week that it's healthier than alcohol and he wishes the world would legalize it. So if a couple of a brothers looking for a good time (and aren't interested in fucking each other) maybe the resort being underwhelming will encourage them to venture out into the city for drugs. Who knows what shady characters they may run into.
Since starting this blog, I've realized another Mike White quote implying Japan may be in play
People - There may also be a chance that the show's next season will be filmed in Japan. Bernad told PEOPLE that at first, he and White wanted season 3 to take place there, but Thailand ended up making more sense for production.
"We didn't know much about Thailand," he said. "I had been there once before, but when we boiled down countries that worked weather-wise, had a tax rebate, that were film friendly, and really, it was just only Thailand in that region. So, we were like, oh, we'll go to Thailand first and we'll go on to Japan."
A quick search of "Four Seasons Japan" tells me that the Four Seasons in Kyoto is the most expensive. Which must mean it's the nicest. Based on the pictures, of all the locations I've looked at, Kyoto by far seems the most "White Lotusy". Do I just think that because it's in Asia and we're coming off an Asian season? And because I find Asian culture to be most mysterious? Yes, probably. But still… just look at it.
Advertisement
And consider Geishas. Geishas were basically made in a lab to have their culture insulted by White Lotus guests. White Lotus guests definitely think Geishas and use prostitutes. They will definitely try to fuck the Geishas. Overall, Japan really does have the best culture. Their writing is the coolest and the most whimsical of the Asian languages. Sushi is the best food. Samurai's are the coolest warriors. Their cities have the best roofs.
I'd probably prefer to not see back-to-back seasons set in Asia. But if White Lotus continues on for at least a few more seasons, I'd imagine we get a Japan one eventually.
Considering HBO's Head of Drama (sick title, Barstool should have one of those) said that they will likely end up in Europe, I should probably consider European locations as well. The Four Seasons website lists 19 of them.
The People article reference earlier suggested Hampshire, England as a location. Which sounded a bit dull to me at first. But then I saw the pictures of what exactly the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire has to offer. It's things like archery, falconry, horses, owls. It gives me Saltburn, rich creepy British people vibes. Any White Lotus that provides weapons for entertainment has great potential.
Advertisement
I'm also a big fan of Budapest. Which could break Mike White's alleged no cold weather rule. I'm not even sure what happens in Budapest. Which is why I think it would be great. I just know it's much different than anywhere White Lotus has filmed before. Anything that's different is good in my book.
Which bring me to my final, and possibly #1 suggestion. This one also breaks the cold rule, but a White Lotus based at a luxury ski resort would be a welcomed change of pace in my book. It doesn't get more different from waves crashing on rocks than Megeve in the French Alps.
Advertisement
There ya go Mike White. Buy yourself a nice Canada Goose jacket and brave the snow if you have to. For the good of the show.
Filming of Season 4 isn't set to take place until 2026, so we have some time to go. Plenty of time for Mike White to visit dozens of the nicest Four Seasons resorts in the world. Kind of a genius move by him to make a hit show based exclusively in luxury resorts, and be paid by HBO to experience them. Not a bad boondoggle.