Where Will 'The White Lotus' Season 4 Take Place? Our Editors Have Predictions.

In the spirit of pure speculation backed by travel professional insight, four Matador editors put their heads together to guess where Season 4 will take place based on travel trends and the show’s cultural touch points. Half of the group has finished watching the latest season, while the other half has yet to start (though it’s safe to say that we’re all deeply familiar with all that goes on in the world of The White Lotus, spoilers be damned). For what it’s worth, we did correctly predict the location for season 3, after season 2 finished. In fact, it was our top pick.

Our panel included:

• Suzie Dundas, commissioning editor
• Nickolaus Hines, managing editor (has not watched Season 3)
• Katie Gavin, lifestyle editor
• Tim Wenger, transactional content editor (has not watched Season 3)

More White Lotus Season 3 coverage:

• The Costs to Vacation Like a ‘White Lotus’ Guest at the Real-Life Resort in Thailand
• You Can Actually Stay at These 5 Hotels Featured in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
• 6 Affordable Wellness Retreats in Thailand for a ‘White Lotus’ Experience
• You Can Rent the Real Luxury Yacht From ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
• This Estate in White Lotus Season 3 Is Available on Airbnb
• Book the Thai Beach Resort Where The White Lotus Was Filmed Before It Sells Out

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. As a Slack conversation, proper punctuation and grammar varies.

Suzie: So, let’s dive in. Season 3 ended on a heavy note. Obviously, the show needs to keep one-upping itself every season.

Nick: That’s interesting about one upping itself. It has felt like the plots are getting thicker and thicker, and I have to wonder how much further they can take it — and, more specifically, what location allows for that.

Suzie: Yep, and at some point, the “eat the rich” mentality is going to wear thin, even in a climate where people are pretty fed up with income inequality. But they did say for sure that season 4 is coming, so they’re going to ride the gravy train for at least one more season.

Let’s start with everyone’s initial thoughts for season 4 if they stay with the Four Seasons brand. My first reaction was “somewhere cold in Europe” like Iceland, but since there’s no Four Seasons there, I then thought maybe Four Seasons Explorer Palau (a luxury yacht) or maybe one of the Four Seasons in Istanbul. Though Four Season Serengeti in Tanzania feels like it could provide tons of drama…

Nick: Noting that the show has teased they’re doing season 4 scouting primarily in Europe, and cast members have mentioned Mike White hates the cold. So as much as a ski-themed season sounds great, that’s probably out of the question.

Katie: France would be a good shout for that. And city could also be fun. They dipped into Bangkok this season, and I loved that contrast between the islands and the chaos of the city. The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris could work. The hotel staff could take more of a central role in this because, let’s be honest, in Paris, the waitstaff are more judgmental than your therapist. Filming might be tricky, though. It might need to be shot in early spring or fall. Imagine shooting general street scenes or at landmarks like the Louvre in the summer.

Nick: Yeah, I think they’ll stick with Four Seasons. Definitely no shortage of options in Europe (or around the world, really).

Katie: My vote is Africa. You’d have the wildness of the animals and the unchecked privilege of the clientele. They can go on game drives and complain that the Champagne isn’t chilled enough. The Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is practically begging to be used. Imagine the drone shots of guests sipping cocktails while watching elephants in the evening.

Suzie: They need a hotel where the location itself can almost be a character right? Hard to find something more dramatic than prides of lions.

Nick: I wouldn’t hate a season around the midnight sun. But they’d have to go away from the brand for that, like to The Retreat at Blue Lagoon in Iceland. To me, Thailand felt like an obvious choice…jungle vibes and mystery and playing off of things that a Western audience would find “exotic” seems very “White Lotus.”

Katie: To me, it felt too aesthetically close to Hawai’i, and that’s why I don’t think they’d do somewhere like Bali. But for overwater bungalows, white sand, my shout is Four Seasons Bora Bora.

Suzie: This is why I thought the Four Seasons luxury yacht liveaboard in Palau may be an interesting choice, but perhaps it’s too similar to past seasons that have had a lot of boat scenes.

Tim: So my prediction stems back to season 1, when it was revealed that the character that Jennifer Coolidge was dating lived in Grand Junction, and then in Season 2, she offered to move to Aspen to be close to him. I know it looks like Europe is leading the charge, but I predict Aspen to be controversial.

Katie: Ooh, I like that.

Suzie: Interesting theory… I wonder if they’d be open to filming in the US. It’s definitely a culture people understand — rich Aspen millionaires. The Four Seasons also has ski resort hotels in Whistler, BC, and Megève, France.

Tim: People in Aspen are just as ridiculous as people in all these other ritzy places, if not more so.

Katie: I don’t know if they will bring any characters back from this season. Couldn’t guess who…Belinda again, maybe?

Suzie: Maybe they’ll bring back a Ratliff, newly broke, as an employee.

Nick: That would be a fun plot twist.

Katie: If they brought Belinda back, I’d want it to be Australia, cause she hates snakes and bugs. In terms of the scenery, it would be awesome. Pelorus Private Island on the Great Barrier Reef would be epic. You can take a helicopter to get there. It’s ticking all the boxes: infinity pools overlooking dramatic cliffs, private villas with outdoor showers…The characters could do a bush workshop where they learn survival skills. Maybe they could use a funnel-web spider in the murder plot.

Suzie: Katie, yes! I just got back from Lizard Island in Australia….same thing. You literally cannot get there unless you’re on a private plane. So “White Lotus.”

Nick: As much as Europe seems to be the direction of predictions, and as much as I would love a season centered more on what a French staff thinks about these guests, Mexico would be a fun one.

Katie: There are enough Four Seasons there to make Mexico work.

Tim: For Mexico, it would have to be Riviera Maya. All the types of people the White Lotus likes to make into characters go there.

Katie: Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita.

Nick: Does a beach have to be a feature?

Katie: No, that’s why I thought Paris or another city might be a bit different.

Suzie: In the last three seasons, beaches and boating have played a role in a lot of scenes, which could mean they’ll go away from that for season 4.

Tim: I also think Rio de Janeiro could make an interesting back drop.

Nick: Mexico City or Rio, with guests being isolated from the beautiful chaos in a stunning resort…that would make for good contrasts.

Tim: Yeah, or San Miguel de Allende.

Katie: Right, kind of the same deal as Thai islands vs. Bangkok. I’m glad they shot in Bangkok this season as I think it offers the viewer a wider/better understanding of the culture, rather just being beach.

Suzie: Yeah, Mexico just has so many story lines, especially with Americans coming down in droves and being oblivious to societal issues and the impacts of their travel.

Katie: My issue with Europe is — and I’m making a huge sweeping statement here — the coast is quite similar. If they did the south of France quickly after Sicily, I don’t know if it would work.

Suzie: Katie, agreed, and I kind of don’t think Europe has enough drama for season 4. I know it sounds like they’re looking at warm places in Europe, but I just wonder if going somewhere else in Europe is going to feel too much like season 2 in Italy, especially for some travelers who may see “Europe” as one culture. Maybe one of the two Istanbul four seasons hotels would be unique enough? Either Four Season at the Bosphorus, or Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet?

Katie: The only coastline I think looks different would be Croatia. Istanbul is a strong contender.

Nick: Istanbul may be a hard one to get filmed at the moment with the political situation….once again bringing up the question of how much real-world events may shape the show. Then again, the gap between seasons is getting longer, so who knows what the situation will be once filming kicks off?

What if they did one of the Four Seasons resorts in Egypt? The Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria could definitely bring the drama.

Suzie: Woah, I love that. Think that’s too much of a political risk right now? They couldn’t set that one in a fake, politics-free world without getting torn apart by viewers. Though they did make Leslie Bibb’s character a Trumper this season. No pun intended, but you cant film in Egypt and burry your head in the sand on what’s around you.

Nick: “Sticking your head in the sand about the world” would be a cheeky plot move that fits the general theme.

Suzie: Touché. Well, if they break with the Four Seasons, where do you think? Glamping is so trendy, I wonder if they would go somewhere like Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island– $2k a night fly-in glamping resort — and have like a bunch of spoiled bachelorette types? Some bear encounters, perhaps? That said, some of the safari lodges I’ve stayed at are the most over-the-top hotels in the world.

Nick: A bachelor or bachelorette party (or the meeting of those two parties) would be such a good one to play off of. I can’t help but think about the impact that the show has on the actual location, too, though. What place would benefit, what would be hurt by that? Obviously, Thailand getting more strict on tourist visas is not entirely the fault of White Lotus, but all that attention played a part probably?

Katie: As I said, I’d say private island in Aus. “Where the only things more venomous than the local wildlife are the hotel guests.”

Nick: That’s a great tagline. I want it to be Australia now just for that tagline.

Katie: I was thinking on my run about Highlands Scotland and I really wouldn’t want them to film here. We got enough from Outlander.

Suzie: Good point. I wonder what the locations think about being the hosts. The Hawai’i season probably brought a lot of attention to the issues between native Hawaiians and visitors, but I know Italy is suffering under the weight of overtourism and may be sick of tourists by now.

Nick: It’s interesting how watching people be bad tourists makes people want to go to the same place that those bad tourists are.

Katie: Let’s be honest, I don’t think this question is a consideration. It might be now after three seasons, but they picked places already struggling with over tourism.

Nick: That’s a good point…almost like they’re choosing places where they know there are bad tourists and overtourism already.

Suzie: ..so you cant blame the show for adding to it, perhaps.

Katie: It would be harsh and pure speculation to say they don’t care, but I think there would be other practical things that would trump a concern over over tourism.

Suzie: This season did feel a little removed from the location..like Katie pointed out, there wasn’t a huge plot line for the staff, at least compared to past seasons. Season 1 did it better. Season 2 too, I guess, at least with locals in general.

Katie: Missed that so much. I want to know the drama behind the scenes. There has to be that interplay between staff and guest. That’s also the reason why they may choose a place that already has high tourist traffic…because the staff are so over it that the cracks are starting to show.

Nick: Taking this all into account, how do we feel about making our predictions. How about everyone gives their top two choices?

Katie: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania.

Nick: What I want to see: White Lotus Egypt. What I think it likely: Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat in France.

Katie: For the second I’m changing my mind now. I’d love to see dramatic cliffs and stormy seas somewhere hauntingly beautiful in the US. But Mexico might be a good shout.

Suzie: I think if he stays in Europe, an Istanbul Four Seasons hotel (or Megève, though that’d be skiing). Outside of Europe, I’d also love to see Four Seasons Tanzania.

Tim: Sticking with Aspen.