The White Lotus Cast’s Surprising Salaries Revealed
It pays to be in the White Lotus.
The HBO series has their characters unwinding (and raising incestuous havoc) in the most stunning resorts around the world. That shared comfort carries over to the actors’ real-life salaries, where one of the show’s producers David Bernard revealed the cast—which currently includes Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jason Isaacs, Blackpink’s Lisa and Natasha Rothwell—gets equal pay.
“Everyone is treated the same on White Lotus,” David detailed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on April 2. “They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you’re getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons.”
According to THR, who also cited multiple sources, the show’s regular actors make “roughly $40,000 an episode.”
David noted this salary is “not negotiable,” and the team used their billing system—which they created to help fund the show’s first season in 2021—to make this price point. THR reports that season one’s stop in Hawaii cost “$4 million an episode,” while its current third season’s budget in Thailand raised between “$6 million and $7 million.”
And so far, this surprising fixed rate has worked for the popular series. The show’s casting director, Meredith Tucker, explained this approach has leveled the playing field.
“It makes it so much easier,” she continued. “You tell people this is what it is. And some won’t do it — and honestly, you can’t hold it against people who need to make a living. Our series regulars are pretty much doing this for scale.”
Elsewhere in the interview, White Lotus creator Mike White shared that Thailand wasn’t his dream location pick for season three. In fact, he had his eye on another spot in Asia.
“Originally, I wanted to shoot in Japan,” the 54-year-old director added. “I was in Thailand when my dad and I got eliminated from The Amazing Race — two weeks in an elimination station with all these other bitter reality contestants, I was just like, “I don’t ever want to come back here.”
But despite his apprehension, Mike noted HBO pushed for the country because they “had good tax incentives,” and the team visited Thailand shortly after.
Keep reading to fall in love with the show’s previous filming locations…
Many of the scenes for The White Lotus season three were filmed at the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand.
As HBO revealed, the hotel provided the setting for the Ratliff Family Villa (where the characters played by Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sam Nivola and Sarah Catherine Hook stayed); the Ladies’ Villa for Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon); as well as the room for Walton Goggins' Rick and Aimee Lee Wood's Chelsea.
In addition, the network said the pool, beach, common areas, paths, water hammocks, gym, boxing ring, Spirit House and lunch and breakfast restaurants were all filmed at the resort.Opened in 2007, the hotel offers 60 villas and 11 private residence rentals—with all guest villas sitting hillside and containing private infinity pools as well as views of the Gulf of Thailand. As for the design, the Four Seasons states it's "based on traditional southern Thai architecture, with thatched roofts, indoor/outdoor spaces and colours of the sea."
Sam Rockwell's monologue from episode five? Turns out, that was filmed at The Bamboo Bar in the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.Established in 1953, the bar is described by the hotel as a "celebrated Bangkok institution, drawing jazz enthusiasts from around the world." In fact, it touts itself as the city's first-ever jazz venue.As for the hotel itself—with its current structure dating back to 1876—it's set alongside the Chao Phraya River and features 331 rooms, including 60 suites. Guests can also travel across the river by private teakwood shuttle boat to find the hotel's fitness and wellness center as well as its spa, which boasts itself as the first luxurious hotel spa in Thailand. And if visitors are hungry, they can dine at one of its 12 restaurants and bars.
According to the hotel, the general starting rate is $750+ per night.
Wanna vacation like Natasha Rothwell's character Belinda (you know, without all the White Lotus drama)? Well, you can stay in the villa used for her room at the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket.Aptly named the "Lotus Villa," the space is 2,001 square feet and features a private pool, sundeck, outdoor sunken tub and lagoon views. But if you're looking for something else, there are 83 pool villas, 30 pavilions and 70 suites guests can choose from.The resort—which is situated on the northern tip of Phuket—also served as the setting for the White Lotus' Wellness Sanctuary and Spa. And yes, you can visit the hotel’s actual spa in real-life, where it offers treatments like massages, facials, crystal chakra balancing, body therapies and nail services.
In terms of cost, the hotel notes a deluxe Mai Khao suite can range from 13,000 to 38,200 Thai baht per night (around $385 to $1,130) while the price of a pool villa can go from 30,000 to 65,000 THB per night (near $$885 to $1,925), both depending on the time of year and not including service charges and taxes.
In episode three, Parker Posey's Victoria has a dream in which she's standing in front of a white house on a beach. While she says the house is the Ratliffs' home in North Carolina, it's actually a restaurant at the Cape Panwa Hotel called Panwa House in Phuket.Described by the hotel as a "magnificent Sino-Portuguese mansion,” the dining establishment serves a range of Thai dishes and offers a menu that's "inspired by the warm evening atmosphere of the sea."The cost to dine? According to the hotel, it's generally between 210 and 450 THB (approximately $6 to $13) for a la carte items and more than $1,500 THB (around $45) for a chef's set menu with multiple courses (plus tax).
And if you make it an overnight, accomodations at the Cape Panwa Hotel start at about 3,500 THB (a little more than $100) and go up to approximately 53,000 THB (roughly $1,570), depending on the room type and season.
When Belinda and Fabian (Christian Friedel) have that discussion about Jon Gries' Greg (or Gary as he goes by this season), they're actually standing in the lobby of the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort.
In fact, HBO revealed the resort also served as the backdrop for the White Lotus' jewelry store (where Chelsea witnessed a robbery), security station, hotel driveway and employee parking lot, where Mook (Blackpink's Lisa) and Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) had some of their scenes.
The Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort features 106 rooms and suites that overlook its gardens, pools and beaches, with rooms starting at $250+ per night. There's also a spa stretching more than 3,000 square meters among lotus ponds and gardens, as well as a beach club, kids club, array of bars and restaurants and activities, including yoga, Pilates, and kayaking.
While fans have a lot of questions about Greg/Gary in season three, where he and Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) lived on The White Lotus isn't one of them.The HBO show filmed his luxurious abode at Villa Amaravida in Phuket. Spanning across 4,000 square meters, the house features eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms."The villa’s overall motif is inspired by Scandinavian architecture incorporated with Thai’s traditional roots," the villa's website reads. "Out front, the Thai-gabled roof gives it away while the interiors scream minimalism with its clean lines and marble and wooden details."
Inside, guests will also find a cinema room, game room, gym, spa room, sauna, squash court and wine cellar. Outside, they'll locate a basketball court, tennis court, playground, beach, three pools, two jacuzzis and a rooftop bar.
And while visitors can visit nearby restaurants or whip up a meal in the kitchen, they can also enjoy having a private chef prepare their meals.But if you want to stay here, it will cost you a pretty penny—between $5,698 and $13,650 per night, according to the rates listed on the website.
According to HBO, Village 12 at Samujana in Koh Samui was also used to depict Greg/Gary and Chloe's house up on the hills.In real life, the villa consists of seven bedrooms (five of which contain jacuzzis), 11 bathrooms and three lounges. There is also a private gym, cinema room, games room, basketball court, outdoor trampoline and both a saltwater pool and a kids' pool.For food, guests can order in-villa dining, cook up a meal in the kitchen or book a private chef. There is also a range of wellness and sports activities offered on the property, including yoga, in-villa massages and sailing on the resort's 13-meter catamaran.
According to Samujana, the price for Villa 12 starts at $4,020 per night.
For the beachside BBQ and fire show in episode three, HBO said it turned to the Am Samui Resort Taling Ngam.
According to the hotel's website, it has 32 rooms that offer either views of the beach or garden. There is also a restaurant, lounge bar, pool and activities offered like horseback riding.
As for where guests of the White Lotus ate, the scenes at the dinner restaurant were shot at Rosewood Phuket's eatery Ta Khai.Ta Khai, which the hotel notes means "fishing net" in Thai, offers a range of Southern Thai cuisine, with a set menu starting at 1,820 THB (about $65 when you factor in tax).And if you want to stay at the hotel, there are 71 villas and pavilions.
During the lowest season, prices for the lowest level pavilions start at 22,000 THB (around $650) per night and 44,000 THB (roughly $1,300) per night for the lowest level villas (plus tax).
And if you're thirsting to know more about the White Lotus' hotel bar featured in episode one, that would be The Singing Bird Lounge at the Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort.Described by the resort as a "treehouse-style bar nestled within the branches of a 120-year-old tree," the lounge gives guests the opportunity to sip on beverages named after local birds and take in the ocean views.
Settled in the north of Chaweng Beach, the Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort also provides a variety of rooms and suites starting at $300+ per night—with some offering garden views and others providing access to their own or communal pools.
Ever wonder what it would be like to stay on a private island? Well, one of the filming locations offers that very opportunity.The Cape Fahn Hotel is located on two private islands off the eastern coast of Koh Samui. HBO revealed the property provided some of the exterior for a Buddhist monastery scene, and the location can also be spotted in a shot of a boat circling the hotel's private islands.Guests looking to visit the Cape Fahn Hotel can choose to stay in a range of villas or an ocean cottage, each with its own private pool. And if they want even more privacy, they can book a villa on a secluded islet.
According to the hotel, rates start from around 13,860 THB per night (around $410) and go up to 107,100 THB per night (near $3,175) depending on the room type and seasons.
The White Lotus can say "grazie" to the San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel for serving as the main setting for season two, which featured Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Michael Imperioli, Haley Lu Richardson, Sabrina Impacciatore and more.Offering 68 rooms and 43 suites, this Four Seasons Hotel is, according to its website, "composed of the Ancient Convent Wing built on the site of a 14th-century convent, and the Grand Hotel Wing, a Liberty-style structure added in 1896."The property features a 69-foot infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, spa, gym, restaurants, bars, Italian gardens and a display of artifacts dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. And whether you want to do a helicopter tour or a pasta-making class, there are a bunch of activities travelers can book.
According to the hotel, the starting price for a room during the low season is 1,500 Euros (around $1,630) per night while the cost during the high season is 2,500 Euros per night (roughly $2,720)—plus tax.
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Its Elite Suite (which was called the "Palm Suite" on the show) and its Lokelani Presidential Suite (a.k.a. "The Pineapple Suite") were among the many spaces featured on The White Lotus—though the hotel notes production redecorated the suites for the series. The resort's adult pool and even one of the hotel's former resort managers also appeared on the show.
Sitting on 15 oceanfront acres, the hotel consists of 307 rooms and 76 suites that offer views of the water, gardens and mountains. On the property, guests can find three saltwater pools, two tennis courts, a spa, beach access, fitness facilities and several restaurants and bars.Just make sure to pack your wallet. According to the hotel, the starting rate is $1,025 per night. And if you want to stay in one of the two presidential suites, those start at $29,000 per night.
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