Where was The White Lotus filmed? The Hotel Location in Sicily & Hawaii
Posted by Ra Moon
The HBO hit series about the peculiar guests and employees at a luxury hotel has become a franchise, returning for the second season with a new location.
Created by Mike White, The White Lotus hotel was filmed in wonderful resorts in Italy and Hawaii.
Created by Mike White, The White Lotus hotel was filmed in wonderful resorts in Italy and Hawaii.
Only two actors reprise their roles connecting both seasons, Jennifer Coolidge (who starred recently in The Watcher) as filthy-rich Tanya McQuoid and her boyfriend (now her husband) Jon Gries as Greg.
The outstanding main cast in the first season was completed by Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Zahn, Alexandra Daddario, and Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney. Tom Hollander, Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Aubrey Plaza, and Theo James joined the show in the second one.
Welcome to our spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of The White Lotus.
Season 2: Where was The White Lotus filmed?
The opening scene on the beach with Daphne (played by Meghann Fahy) was filmed in Cefalù, one of the most beautiful towns in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
Located on the northern coast of Sicily, about 200 miles away from the real location of the hotel, Cefalù is dominated by a monumental rock with the massive Norman-style cathedral rising over the old town, il Duomo.
One week earlier, the White Lotus boat was sailing the bay off Taormina, on the east coast of the island.
Following Valentina's orders, the staff welcomes the guests in a dock built for the shoot in Naxos bay, with Taormina in the background.
Set on top of a dramatic cliff with views of the Etna volcano, Taormina has been a resort town, on the radar of European tourists, since the 19th century.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
The White Lotus Hotel in Sicily
After driving the windy road to Taormina, the guests check in at San Domenico Palace, a branch of the international luxury hotel company Four Seasons, doubling as The White Lotus Resort and Spa in Sicily.
The hotel has two wings, one with the garden, a former convent with a cloister from the 14th century, and the Grand Hotel wing, built in 1896.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
The resort also features a gorgeous terrace, a fitness center, a beauty area, and an outdoor pool.
The cheapest double room starts at around US$1,000, with the most delightful suite costing US$6,000.
The fine dining Principe Cerami restaurant, where many scenes with the guest were filmed, is attached to the hotel.
Image HBO - Map
Tanya and Greg are staying in the hotel's most glamorous room, the Royal Suite.
Situated on the top floor, this 1,507 square feet room (140m) has a large terrace with a pool, boasting scenic views of the Greek theatre and the sea.
Perched on a rocky promontory, high above the Ionian Sea, the Greek theatre is Taormina's most iconic monument.
Built in the third century BC, the spectators of the ancient Hellenistic theatre have a stunning view of Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
The restaurant where Albie, Portia, and later on Tanya and Greg go in the second episode, "Italian Dream", is the Ristorante Baronessa in Corso Umberto I.
This location is situated near the Clock Tower in the central IX Aprile Square, which appears several times, including in the scene where Ethan goes for a morning run.
Image courtesy of HBO - Maps: Restaurant - Square
In the third episode, "Bull Elephants", the Di Grassos take Portia to the Castello Degli Schiavi (Castle of the Slaves), located near a town called Fiumefreddo di Sicilia.
This 18th-century estate, nicknamed Villa Corleone, became worldwide famous after it was featured in the first two The Godfather movies.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
Meanwhile, Harper and Daphne, rent a magnificent palazzo in Noto. However, the girl's getaway is actually in Palermo, on the other side of the island.
Built in the 18th century, Villa Tasca is a neoclassical house with fabulous frescoes, a swimming pool, and an extensive park.
Owned by an aristocratic Sicilian family, the villa can also be rented for weddings and events.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
Noto is also a splendid destination on the island, famous for its Sicilian Baroque architecture.
After a devastating earthquake leveled much of the medieval town in 1693, palaces, churches, and the cathedral with its monumental staircase were rebuilt following this exuberant style.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
The beach club in the fourth episode, "In the Sandbox", is the Unahotels restaurant, Le Grand Bleu, at Capotaormina cape.
The Isola Bella story about the Swedish family is invented. This tiny nature reserve and tourist attraction was purchased by the Region of Sicily from an English gardener in 1990.
Image courtesy of HBO - Maps: Beach club / Island
Quentin's villa in Palermo is the dazzling Jacques Garcia's Villa Elena, the French interior designer's private residence near Noto.
Garcia restored and redesigned the spectacular salons of this former 17th-century baroque monastery using noble materials and techniques.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
Opened in 1897, the Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo is one of the largest opera houses in Europe.
The scene where Jack and Portia do a runner from the rice ball restaurant was filmed nearby, in the Dal Pompiere pizzeria on Via Bara All'Olivella.
Image courtesy of HBO - Maps: Opera house / Restaurant
In episode six, "Abductions", the Di Grassos visit Testa dell'Acqua, a real village inhabited by 235 souls near Noto.
The scenes with Portia and Jack were filmed on the pier and in the old town of Cefalú.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
Season 1: The White Lotus Hawaii
Filmed under the lockdown conditions, the first season was entirely recorded in a single location, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea Beach.
The cast and crew took over this jaw-dropping hotel, located on the second-largest island in Hawaii.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
The resort includes three different restaurants, several swimming pools, tennis courts, and a spa and wellness center.
The price range of the spacious and luxurious rooms goes from the smallest 600 square feet (56 m²) at USD$2.250, to the massive presidential three-bedroom suite of 7,200 square feet (669 m²) for USD$34,000.
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Ra Moon
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