These stunning destinations blur the line between vacation and fantasy.
If you’ve ever wished you could step into the surreal, seductive world of The White Lotus, you’re not alone. That lush, sun-drenched chaos has a way of burrowing into your wanderlust and making you question why your last hotel stay didn’t include a chaotic dinner party or secret beach. The drama might be fiction, but the vibe is absolutely real—and attainable.
Some destinations ooze the same disorienting mix of decadence, isolation, and gorgeous mystery that made the show so unforgettable. It’s not just about five-star hotels or infinity pools. It’s about a certain feeling: like you’ve slipped into another world where every corner feels cinematic and every conversation carries the weight of a secret. These places aren’t for everyone, and that’s kind of the point. If you want travel that feels like a fever dream in the best way possible, these nine spots bring the White Lotus energy in spades.
1. San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, oozes romantic mystery.
Perched high on a cliff with views that stretch across the Ionian Sea, San Domenico Palace is where The White Lotus season two worked its magic, as per authors at Four Seasons Magazine. This former 14th-century monastery is now a Four Seasons hotel that carries a dramatic weight in its bones. Walk the stone corridors and it’s easy to imagine whispering guests and old secrets tucked into every alcove. It’s elegant without trying, and the contrast between old-world architecture and modern luxury is intoxicating.
Even if you never leave the property, the atmosphere keeps you on edge—in the best way. Private terraces, sweeping gardens, and that eerie monastery calm create a setting that’s perfect for quiet unraveling. You’ll eat incredibly well, of course, and the Sicilian sun casts everything in an almost surreal light. There’s no resort staff drama (hopefully), but the slow-burn sense of something stirring beneath the surface is real.
2. Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand, wraps you in sleek, surreal serenity.
Amanpuri doesn’t scream for attention—it whispers. Tucked into a private peninsula on Thailand’s west coast, this place gives off a vibe that’s equal parts monk-like tranquility and quiet opulence. It’s the kind of resort where you half expect a mysterious stranger to show up at dinner and change your life. The design is minimalist, but not cold. Think: polished teak, sharp lines, and palms swaying like they’re choreographed.
The drama here isn’t loud—it’s slow, seductive, and likely internal. The stillness plays tricks on you. One minute you’re doing yoga at dawn, the next you’re staring across the Andaman Sea wondering who you are without your job or your phone, according to Matthew Tift in his own website. It’s very White Lotus, if the characters had a bit more self-awareness. The beach is private, the food is artful, and there’s a timeless, almost cinematic silence that lingers in the air.
3. Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur feels like a dream that’s too good to be real.
This clifftop retreat on California’s rugged coast isn’t flashy—but it doesn’t need to be. It hovers above the Pacific like a secret, surrounded by redwoods and fog. Post Ranch Inn isn’t for the Instagram crowd, as stated by Mitchell Friedman at Tablet Hotels. It’s for the slightly haunted, spiritually curious traveler who wants luxury wrapped in nature’s drama. The kind of place where you might overhear a breakup in the hot tub and then cry during a stargazing session.
The rooms are all about warm wood, fireplaces, and glass walls that pull in the sea. No TVs. No kids. Just you, the fog, and maybe some ghosts of former guests who never quite left. You’ll eat organic, local meals at Sierra Mar while watching the waves smash into cliffs below. It’s not hard to imagine a White Lotus couple unravelling over a bottle of wine here, as the ocean drowns out their last attempt at intimacy.
4. Hotel Esencia on Mexico’s Riviera Maya mixes hedonism with high style.
Tucked between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, Hotel Esencia has an effortless cool that feels like it belongs in an indie film. Once the private home of an Italian duchess, it still carries that aristocratic nonchalance. You get luxury here, but with a wink. The whitewashed walls, curated art, and jungle-meets-beach setting feel like a fever dream you don’t want to wake from.
Days melt away into massages, mezcal cocktails, and barefoot walks through palm-lined paths. It’s intimate without being claustrophobic, upscale without being cold. There’s an unmistakable sensuality in the air, something that makes you question if everyone’s hooking up or plotting something just out of earshot. This place could absolutely host a season of The White Lotus, though the only thing that might kill you here is too much ceviche and a hard look at your marriage.
5. The Brando in French Polynesia offers paradise with a side of secrecy.
When you land on the private airstrip of Tetiaroa, you feel the hum of exclusivity. The Brando isn’t just an island resort—it’s its own quiet world. Once Marlon Brando’s personal escape, the island has been transformed into a sustainable, ultra-luxe hideaway that somehow feels like you’re the only one there. That isolation? Pure White Lotus bait.
Villas come with private pools, the staff seems to know what you need before you do, and the silence is almost suspicious. The kind of place where something could unravel under the surface, even if nothing actually does. The beauty is blinding—clear lagoons, palm forests, coral reefs—but so is the stillness. It invites introspection, temptation, and maybe a dramatic reveal or two. If you need a vacation where paradise could turn complicated fast, this is it.
6. Le Sirenuse in Positano is pure cinematic indulgence on a cliff.
Positano itself is dramatic, but Le Sirenuse takes it a step further. This family-run hotel clings to the cliffside like it’s part of the town’s DNA. Everything is over-the-top in the best way—hand-painted tiles, chandeliers in bathrooms, and that view that makes your heart skip. It’s not subtle, and that’s kind of the point. This place is made for lovers, loners, and lavish, wine-fueled reckonings.
You don’t just stay here—you perform. Every hallway feels like a scene waiting to happen. The champagne bar is the kind of place where secrets are whispered, and breakfast is served on a terrace that makes you question your entire life. The line between real and fantasy blurs quickly here. If The White Lotus ever made it to the Amalfi Coast, this would be the stage for someone’s beautifully slow breakdown.
7. Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali blends brutalism with raw romance.
Perched on limestone cliffs above the Indian Ocean, Alila Villas Uluwatu feels like a futuristic temple for disillusioned romantics. The design is bold and geometric, but softened by the constant soundtrack of crashing waves. This is a place that makes you feel both small and powerful at once. You won’t see crowds here—just vast skies, dramatic pools, and those private villas that feel like they were built for secrets.
It’s easy to lose track of time. Sunsets go down like a curtain, and the silence wraps around you like a confession. It’s not hard to imagine a White Lotus guest crying in a cantilevered cabana, trying to hold it together before dinner. The service is immaculate, but there’s a sense of space and privacy that invites unraveling. Nothing feels rushed. Everything feels intentional. And yet, you can’t shake the feeling that something unexpected is just around the corner.
8. Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland rewrites what luxury means.
This place isn’t tropical, and it’s not trying to be. Fogo Island Inn is remote, stark, and emotionally charged in a way that hits different. Sitting on an island off the coast of Newfoundland, it’s all harsh cliffs, sea spray, and design that feels more like art than hospitality. There’s warmth here, but it’s wrapped in a heavy coat of reflection. You come here to feel something—maybe discomfort, maybe awe.
The inn’s structure juts out like it’s defying the elements, and every room faces the wild North Atlantic. There are wood stoves, hand-sewn quilts, and storytelling woven into every detail. If The White Lotus were set in a place where wealth and wilderness collided, it would look like this. You might not leave with a tan, but you could leave with a shifted soul. That’s luxury of a different sort—and just as haunting.
9. Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman feels like a secret whispered by the desert.
Zighy Bay is the kind of place that’s hard to reach, which only adds to its mystique. Tucked between jagged mountains and the Musandam coast, it looks more like a mirage than a real resort. Guests arrive via speedboat or paragliding (yes, really), and once you land, the world shifts. Villas are designed like traditional Omani homes—rustic, stone-built, and impossibly private.
The luxury is understated but deeply intentional. You eat under the stars, bathe in outdoor tubs, and watch the sun paint the desert pink each evening. It’s serene, but not sleepy. There’s tension in the landscape, like something could shift at any moment. If The White Lotus needed a desert season, this would be the place—equal parts elegance, isolation, and edge. It’s a strange beauty, one that lingers long after you’ve gone.