Staying at a ‘White Lotus’ Hotel Has Its Price—but Guests Don’t Seem to Mind

But since The White Lotus films inside functioning luxury hotels rather than closed sets, what does that mean for paying guests?

These properties continue to operate throughout production, welcoming visitors who pay thousands of euros per night while simultaneously accommodating a major television shoot. That approach comes with a cost—and not only the one attached to the hotel stay.

Filming at a luxury resort means guests are not necessarily getting unrestricted access to the property they booked.

For The White Lotus season 3 in Thailand, production remained on location for roughly seven months, turning parts of the resort into an active filming environment while normal hotel operations continued.

Now, as filming gets underway in Saint-Tropez, guests staying at Château de la Messardière may find themselves sharing common spaces with cast and crew, and perhaps catching a glimpse of Laura Dern or creator Mike White. Some sections of the property have also become temporarily inaccessible.

At average nightly rates hovering around $5,000, the question becomes: Does exclusivity still feel exclusive when your hotel doubles as a television set? For some travelers, the answer appears to be still yes.

At Château de la Messardière, the property features three outdoor pools in addition to an indoor pool. To preserve the guest experience as much as possible, production reportedly required only one outdoor pool to be closed, leaving the others fully operational.

In a recent interview with CNN, guest Kat Jamieson described the experience positively despite the production activity. “We didn’t mind at all,” Jamieson said. “It was just fun to be able to observe such a unique show that we’ve been watching for years. It was so fun to be in the mix and observe.”

Jamieson said filming was visible from her terrace and described the production team as discreet and respectful. “We could see the entire filming taking place and Laura Dern in her pool scene from our private patio.”

Not every guest had the same experience. Irish couple Gabby Seputyte and Ben Hauer had originally planned to stay at Château de la Messardière in late April. “Our booking got canceled,” Hauer said, adding that no exact reason was provided, although they suspected weather and production scheduling played a role.

The couple was offered either a stay at the sister property, Airelles Pan Deï Palais, or an upgraded stay later in May. They chose the latter—and were even enthusiastic. “I’ve been a fan of White Lotus for a long time,” Seputyte said.

A closed pool or rescheduled vacation may seem inconvenient, especially at this price point. But for some travelers, becoming accidental extras in one of television’s most talked-about productions may turn into a story worth more than uninterrupted access to the resort.

And there may be another upside.

Rooms at the Taormina property featured in season two already started around $2,200 per night before appearing on screen. Demand surged after the show aired as travelers sought out “the real White Lotus,” creating what many in hospitality now call the White Lotus effect, the transformation of filming locations into destinations in their own right.

Hauer may have summed it up best: “I’m glad I booked this hotel before it was even announced, because it’s probably going to be impossible to get a booking now.”

That raises one final question: Is staying at a White Lotus hotel before the White Lotus effect takes hold the ultimate luxury of all?