Top 3 Thai hotels with ‘White Lotus’ vibes that aren’t the Four Seasons

Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is the flagship luxury brand for Thai conglomerate Minor Hotels. While it might not be the main hotel star like the Four Seasons in Koh Samui, it’s easy to see why Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas is expected to still get some time on screen on “The White Lotus.”

The third season of the show is slated to explore themes of death, Eastern religion and spirituality. Don’t get spooked by that when you book a stay: The Anantara — just a 20-minute drive from Phuket International Airport (HKT) — is much more centered around spacious pool villas, delectable dining and attentive service.

Still, there are plenty of authentic Thai elements at this high-end resort that could make it the perfect backdrop for an episode or two of “The White Lotus.” Use the resort’s bikes to pedal through the property’s lush tropical gardens and cross torch-lined wooden bridges over lily pad-filled lagoons. Enjoy some of the best sunset views in Phuket from the resort’s perch along Mai Khao Beach at the Andaman Sea.

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You’ll find a Buddhist shrine near the Anantara Spa — the perfect opportunity for a “White Lotus” one-percenter to explore religion and spirituality (or their own ennui) before dipping in for a 120-minute Anantara Signature Massage. Mine was “only” 90 minutes, and it was still incredibly fabulous.

Of course, the villas are luxe retreats with walk-in closets and dressing rooms, private plunge pools, teak decks and spacious bedrooms with arched, basketweave ceilings. You can step out from the bathroom into a jetted tub for a little added romance or enjoy an outdoor shower following a day at the beach or infinity pool.

Cabanas off your private deck make for a great place to lounge with a glass of wine and a book at the end of the day — and those who upgrade to a Sala Villa will also have a private pavilion overlooking the lagoon.

Dining at Anantara ranges from the sprawling breakfast buffet to Thai and Indian fare at lunch and dinner at La Sala, the hotel’s main restaurant that overlooks the lagoon. Sea Fire Salt, a more Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, is closer to the beach and perfect for soaking in the sunset while enjoying grilled seafood. Tree House, the resort’s omakase restaurant, is located just behind La Sala, perched in the trees.

The pool deck and beachfront lawn are ideal for sunbathing, starting the day with sunrise yoga or just taking a leisurely dip in the infinity pool. Sun loungers flank the pool deck, and you’ll even find a few stationed in the shallow end. Pool attendants are on hand to deliver cocktails and snacks from the poolside Infinity Bar.

Not sold yet? Sure, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is the main hotel backdrop for “The White Lotus,” but you can still get a White Lotus experience at the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas for a significant bargain.

Rates at the Anantara start around $600 per night, while those at the Four Seasons start around $1,300 over the next few weeks. That gap widens in the winter peak season when villas at the Four Seasons next January climb to $1,800 per night while you can still find villas at the Anantara for under $700 per night.

Banyan Tree Phuket

Banyan Tree Phuket is one of the best-known and most established luxury resorts on the island of Phuket. The resort, a 30-minute drive south of the Phuket airport, is ideal for guests looking to enjoy curated local experiences and amenities while enjoying a few Western elements as part of the broader Laguna Golf community where the Banyan Tree resides.

Located on a former tin mine, Banyan Tree Phuket is now a green-filled resort that features beach and golf course access and a series of lagoons for kayaking, sunset cocktails and even private dinner cruises.

Pool villas are the standard at Banyan Tree Phuket, but since when was any “White Lotus” main character known for limiting themselves? The resort also offers Double Pool Villas in a more secluded stretch of the property that also has easy access to the high-end Tre, a European restaurant overlooking a lagoon that is a quieter spot to grab breakfast over the busier Watercourt restaurant closer to the main lobby.

Fear not if you’re unwilling to splurge on the Double Pool Villa. Entry-level pool villas are still incredibly spacious with seating areas, walk-in closets, a kitchenette and a private patio and plunge pool deck. Housekeeping is twice daily, and you can borrow bikes near the lobby for your stay to ride around the sprawling property and get some cardio.

The Banyan Tree team gets high marks for weaving in curated experiences for those who want to get more of a local exposure. Take part in a raw cooking class in the resort’s new kitchen studio — I’m still craving the shredded pumpkin, carrot and tempeh salad with spiced lime vinaigrette I made while there. Enjoy a meditative walk through a labyrinth to start your day on a contemplative note, or visit local markets and rubber plantations. The Banyan Tree team is happy to arrange on a moment’s notice.

Don’t miss out on a spa treatment at the Banyan Tree Spa Phuket, as this property is where all spa team members who work for Banyan Tree come to train before returning to the hotel or resort where they work. Treatment rooms are secluded, stand-alone villas in a quieter stretch of the resort — ideal for letting all the stress subdue over the span of a massage.

The nearby fitness center serves as a sound buffer to the pool deck that features a mix of secluded swimming areas for doing laps and a lazy river that leads into the main pool with a swim-up bar.

Saffron is Banyan Tree’s high-end Thai restaurant overlooking the lagoon, and it’s the kind of luxe restaurant where you can easily imagine a “White Lotus”-style dinner taking place while a singer croons from the adjacent bar area. Luckily, you can save the tension for HBO: The most dramatic thing you’ll find here is the rice cart with four types of grains (the blue-hued butterfly pea was a standout) to go alongside curries or other delicious Thai entrees.

Save time for lunch at Veya, Banyan Tree’s wellness-oriented restaurant that overlooks a quiet pool stretch near the spa. The alfresco dining experience is known for its “Mediterr-Asian” fare that is plant-forward but more “flexi-tarian” in practice. Vegan nachos, steamed prawn dumplings and kingfish ceviche all get top marks — especially when washed down with a made-in-house kombucha.

While Banyan Tree may not lean as much into Eastern spirituality as Anantara, the resort is still a luxurious getaway with plenty of authentic Thai soul to connect you to the tastes and culture of Phuket.

Entry-level rates start at $340 per night in off-peak months before rising to around $500 per night in winter peak travel months.

Rosewood Phuket

Last, but most certainly not least, is the Rosewood Phuket. I won’t mince words: Not to get macabre, but I found myself after a few hours here muttering to myself, “When I die, I think I want my ashes scattered here.”

Covertly, of course, and nowhere that would ruin the guest experience.

Rosewood is one of the ultraluxury brands that could easily replace Four Seasons as the stand-in for “The White Lotus,” but perhaps it doesn’t want to. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance to the Rosewood Phuket is an early signal that seclusion and exclusivity reign supreme here.

The resort has a breezy lobby with lily pad-filled fountains where you walk over a boardwalk into a more intimate check-in area overlooking Patong Bay. Once you have details sorted out, a friendly staff member will whisk you in a buggy down a tree-lined, hilly path to your accommodations in the main resort area.

Pavillions, Villas and Houses — all with their own private pools — are the options for stays here.

I stayed in a Partial Ocean View Pool Pavilion, a spacious bungalow with a living area partitioned off from the sleeping area. The bathroom features dual vanities as well as ample built-in storage space for luggage and unpacked clothes. You’re treated to both an indoor and an outdoor shower and an outdoor tub.

Off the living area, an outdoor patio surrounded by a plunge pool also includes a sun lounger as well as a seating area with a view of the bay. Back inside, you’ll find tasteful, luxurious and muted decor (a lot of earth tones accented by dark wood and backlit bookcases), and amenities like cocktail kits in the minibar and electronically controlled blackout shades for when you’re ready for some uninterrupted slumber.

Restaurant options range from upscale Thai fare at the waterfront Ta Khai restaurant to grilled seafood and raw bar staples like oysters at The Shack near the pool deck. The Italian Red Sauce restaurant actually had me scratching my head because Phuket isn’t exactly where I expected to find such delicious pizza and veal Milanese.

Breakfast is also served at Red Sauce with an expansive buffet featuring more Western fare while an a la carte menu offers a mix of Thai dishes (double-boiled pork ribs and mushroom soup and Phuket dumplings were favorites) and Western options like eggs and smoothies. Mai is a poolside lounge and cocktail bar open all day, but it was particularly fun to kick back at night for after-dinner martinis and soak in paradise.

The pool area features a mix of wading areas for children and deeper stretches to get in a few laps. Walk across the pool on a boardwalk, and you’ll reach a sandy stretch of Emerald Bay. You can rent paddleboards and kayaks to explore the bay, or you can kick back with a book on a sun lounger — there are plenty to choose from on the sand or back closer to the pool.

Service here is highly attentive and not just by way of the twice-daily full housekeeping. You won’t walk too far before a buggy driver will inevitably stop to ask if you need a lift. Staff members by the pool are quick to offer to bring over an extra umbrella to hide from the sunshine or a fresh fruit popsicle to enjoy. The Asaya spa team works in overdrive to make sure appointments are available to indulge in a little pampering. (I’m still dreaming of my Detox Ritual facial … and wish there had been time for more treatments.)

It was all extremely friendly and helpful and never felt overbearing — my favorite was the caring staff reminder each morning over breakfast at Red Sauce to wear more sunscreen. Yes, by this point in my travels, I may have looked like a red lobster at Red Sauce. Oops.

All in all, Rosewood Phuket is likely the biggest direct competitor to Four Seasons Koh Samui in terms of experience and pricing — with perhaps a bit more seclusion thanks to its steering clear of the Hollywood eye. For now, anyway.

Off-peak rates at the Rosewood Phuket start at $810 per night before rising to $1,123 per night during peak travel months over the winter.