THAI ADVENTURE
I stayed at the White Lotus hotel in Thailand – the outlandish guest requests from £25k helicopters to beach proposals
The view, which takes in the resort’s private pink sand beach, is breathtaking
THE entitled antics of the super-rich guests in TV’s Thailand-set hit White Lotus make for great viewing.
But as the latest series kicks off in the stunning setting of the Four Seasons Hotel, Koh Samui, the real-life guests at the hotel could give them a run for their money.
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And, after meeting staff at the exclusive 5H resort where villas can cost up to £10,000 a night, it’s obvious superhuman levels of patience and ingenuity are needed to keep guests happy in paradise.
Manager Jasjit “JJ” Assi says he is very proud of the incredible feats his staff have accomplished to accommodate guests’ every whim.
One, frustrated he couldn’t land his large private jet at tiny Koh Samui airport, objected to taking a connecting flight from Bangkok as the airport lacks a business class lounge.
Magical resort
Staff volunteered to fetch the businessman from a nearby island via one of the resort’s luxury yachts but he refused to sail the hour-long journey, so in the end, they chartered a private helicopter that cost him £25,000. “That was insane,” says JJ, “but we made it happen for him.”
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Another guest arrived at 10pm during a full moon and decided it would be a beautiful night for a proposal.
But he needed a diamond ring before his girlfriend arrived at the resort, an hour later.
JJ says: “Everything shuts at 8pm. The concierge team had to wake people up and find connections.”
Miraculously, they did.
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“Someone came at 11.15pm with a tray of diamond rings and we set up his proposal on the beach.”
She did said yes, but JJ added: “I would have forced her to say yes! That’s the magic of the Four Seasons, we make it happen.”
It really is a magical resort. Residence Three is a three-bedroom villa perched on the hillside of this former coconut plantation, set in 43 acres of lush jungle. It comes with its own private pool. In the first episode of the new series, it welcomes the wealthy Ratliffs (Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey) and their three kids.
It’s obviously impressive as cocky oldest son Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) swaggers around the 12,000ft luxury apartment, calling it “clutch”, which I’m informed is a Gen Z compliment.
WHITE LOTUS ON A BUDGET
FOR those of us who don’t have a billionaire’s bank balance, there are plenty of affordable ways to enjoy the joys of Thailand and its paradise islands.
Here is a selection of breaks, all of which are seven-nights’ B&B:
The 4H Tui Blue Mai Khao Lak is from £1,129pp including Gatwick flights on March 10, 25kg hold luggage and transfers. See tui.co.uk.
The Andaman Seaview Hotel in Phuket is from £867pp including flights from the UK, arriving March 20. See destination2.co.uk.
The Pimalai Resort & Spa on Koh Lanta is from £1,475pp, based on two sharing, and including flights from Heathrow with Thai Airways, private transfers and luggage. See inspiringtravel.co.uk.
The Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa is from £1,008pp, based on two sharing, flying Ethiad from Heathrow on May 29. See kenwoodtravel.co.uk.
The view, which takes in the resort’s private pink sand beach, the Gulf of Thailand and Ko Pha Ngan island, is breathtaking.
The show’s executive producer Mike White fell into a stunned silence while location scouting, and decided immediately to set the third series here.
Peering into the jungle at dusk, he said the twinkling lights turning on felt like sinister sets of eyes watching him - the perfect setting for the “wilder and darker” third instalment.
Inside, the Southern Thai-stylised villas feel dreamlike. Personalised pillowcases are embroidered with an incoming guest’s initials; the fancy monograms also adorn napkins and bathrobes.
Even the standard villas here feature a two-person terrazzo bath tub with jungle views.
The Four Seasons has renamed its poolside Coco Rum bar, where shirtless Schwarzenegger flirts with “cougars”, as the White Lotus bar, with a special Coconut Paradise vodka cocktail featuring the locals’ favourite pandan leaf added to the menu.
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It’s not the only spot you’ll recognise from the show. Returning character Belinda stays in villa 902, but her spa scenes are filmed at the nearby Anantara Bophut resort surrounded by a peaceful lilypond.
In nearby Fisherman’s Village, Bo Phut beach was used to film scenes of a Full Moon party and local restaurant Thai Tapas became a crew favourite.
They have added a beef dish featuring edible white lotus petals in tribute to their famous guests.
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While the first two series of White Lotus saw huge increases in visitors to their locations of Hawaii and Sicily, Thailand tourism bosses are predicting a 20 per cent growth in visitors.
“The summer is going to be big business,” says JJ.
GO: THAILAND
STAYING THERE: Villas at the Four Seasons Koh Samui start at £1,264 per night in low season, and £1,867 per night in high season. See fourseasons.com/kohsamui.
(See top right for some more affordable Thailand options.)
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