I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (2024)

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In April, I spent one night at San Domenico Palace, the hotel where season two of "The White Lotus" was filmed. In the series, guests arrive at the hotel's private beach via boat ahead of their vacation at "The White Lotus" in Sicily, Italy. In real life, there is no private beach at San Domenico Palace, and all beach scenes were filmed at other locations because the beaches in Taormina are too rocky. The exterior of the hotel is shown in multiple scenes, including during Tanya and Greg's photo shoot before their Vespa ride. The exterior appeared to be unchanged in real life, sharing many of the same features including the fountain and the plants. The reception desk is where the fictional hotel manager, Valentina, is often seen throughout the series as she reprimands staff and assists hotel guests. The reception looked startlingly familiar when I checked in, as there was the same marble reception desk, comfy red seats, and sparkling chandeliers. The characters often dined at the hotel's main restaurant, which overlooks the sea and has outdoor seating. I got to dine at the same restaurant for breakfast, and the scenery was even more spectacular in real life. In the series, Mia finally gets her chance to perform for an audience when Valentina allows her to play at the hotel's piano bar. When I explored the piano bar, a staff member informed me that the pianist was off sick but that hotel guests were welcome to play if they wished. In the series, hotel guests are often seen hanging out at the bar in the evening, wearing sparkly dresses, and with co*cktails in hand. But in real life, the piano bar is frequented by guests all day, as there's a breakfast buffet held there and at the restaurant in the morning. Mia, Lucia, and the other characters often spend time lounging by the hotel's infinity pool. When I visited in April, there were hardly any guests at the pool, which is likely due to the fact that the weather was a tad chilly. In the series, Mia and Lucia are often seen walking down the corridors of the hotel with shopping bags in hand. In real life, the corridors had an excellent view of the garden and the hotel's tower, the only part of the hotel that was damaged during World War II, a spokesperson told me during my visit. Harper and Ethan's room was next door to Daphne and Cameron's room, and they had a connectable door that allowed them to go back and forth rather than using the hallway outside. This is a real feature that the hotel has for guests to connect to sea-view terrace premium rooms and the royal suite. There's an outdoor lounge area in the hotel where Harper and Daphne spent time together. In real life, the lounge was cozy, with plenty of pillows and tables to place drinks. I also liked that there were umbrellas to allow guests to get some shade. The hotel is located in Taormina, a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily, where Tanya and Greg ride around on a Vespa. Taormina is the most beautiful town I've ever visited, and the fact that it's located on a hill means there are fantastic stretches of scenery wherever you go. Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily, is shown in the background of many scenes, including this shot of Harper and Ethan waiting at the airport in the season finale. Mount Etna could be viewed from the hotel, and I was able to capture some fantastic photos of it as I walked around the grounds. Isola Bella is a small island and nature reserve that Daphne and Ethan visited in the series. In real life, people can visit the island by foot depending on the tide, or alternatively by private tour. I only viewed it from afar, but noticed there were many visitors. Overall, I had a fantastic experience at San Domenico Palace, and the hotel was even more beautiful and glamorous than it appears on the show.

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Mikhaila Friel

2023-05-24T09:01:00Z

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (1)

I stayed at San Domenico Palace, the hotel in Sicily where "The White Lotus" was filmed.
The infinity pool, piano bar, and restaurants were some of the iconic locations I saw while there.
In my opinion, the hotel is even more beautiful and glamorous in real life.

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In April, I spent one night at San Domenico Palace, the hotel where season two of "The White Lotus" was filmed.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (2)

I spent one night at San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel in Taormina, Sicily, where the cast of "The White Lotus" lived and filmed during the second season of the hit show.

I stayed in a sea-view room with a terrace, which cost $2,248, or around €2,047, for one night and the price included breakfast.

Before my visit, I was most looking forward to seeing the iconic locations from the series, including the infinity pool, the piano bar, and the hotel's restaurants. Here's how the hotel compared in real life.

In the series, guests arrive at the hotel's private beach via boat ahead of their vacation at "The White Lotus" in Sicily, Italy.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (3)

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In real life, there is no private beach at San Domenico Palace, and all beach scenes were filmed at other locations because the beaches in Taormina are too rocky.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (4)

Source: Condé Nast Traveler

The exterior of the hotel is shown in multiple scenes, including during Tanya and Greg's photo shoot before their Vespa ride.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (5)

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The exterior appeared to be unchanged in real life, sharing many of the same features including the fountain and the plants.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (6)

The reception desk is where the fictional hotel manager, Valentina, is often seen throughout the series as she reprimands staff and assists hotel guests.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (7)

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The reception looked startlingly familiar when I checked in, as there was the same marble reception desk, comfy red seats, and sparkling chandeliers.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (8)

The characters often dined at the hotel's main restaurant, which overlooks the sea and has outdoor seating.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (9)

Advertisem*nt

I got to dine at the same restaurant for breakfast, and the scenery was even more spectacular in real life.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (10)

Read more: I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner during my stay at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily, and now I understand why the characters never dined elsewhere

In the series, Mia finally gets her chance to perform for an audience when Valentina allows her to play at the hotel's piano bar.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (11)

Advertisem*nt

When I explored the piano bar, a staff member informed me that the pianist was off sick but that hotel guests were welcome to play if they wished.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (12)

In the series, hotel guests are often seen hanging out at the bar in the evening, wearing sparkly dresses, and with co*cktails in hand.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (13)

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But in real life, the piano bar is frequented by guests all day, as there's a breakfast buffet held there and at the restaurant in the morning.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (14)

Mia, Lucia, and the other characters often spend time lounging by the hotel's infinity pool.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (15)

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When I visited in April, there were hardly any guests at the pool, which is likely due to the fact that the weather was a tad chilly.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (16)

In the series, Mia and Lucia are often seen walking down the corridors of the hotel with shopping bags in hand.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (17)

Advertisem*nt

In real life, the corridors had an excellent view of the garden and the hotel's tower, the only part of the hotel that was damaged during World War II, a spokesperson told me during my visit.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (18)

Harper and Ethan's room was next door to Daphne and Cameron's room, and they had a connectable door that allowed them to go back and forth rather than using the hallway outside.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (19)

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This is a real feature that the hotel has for guests to connect to sea-view terrace premium rooms and the royal suite.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (20)

Source: Four Seasons

There's an outdoor lounge area in the hotel where Harper and Daphne spent time together.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (21)

Advertisem*nt

In real life, the lounge was cozy, with plenty of pillows and tables to place drinks. I also liked that there were umbrellas to allow guests to get some shade.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (22)

The hotel is located in Taormina, a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily, where Tanya and Greg ride around on a Vespa.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (23)

Advertisem*nt

Taormina is the most beautiful town I've ever visited, and the fact that it's located on a hill means there are fantastic stretches of scenery wherever you go.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (24)

Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily, is shown in the background of many scenes, including this shot of Harper and Ethan waiting at the airport in the season finale.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (25)

Advertisem*nt

Mount Etna could be viewed from the hotel, and I was able to capture some fantastic photos of it as I walked around the grounds.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (26)

Isola Bella is a small island and nature reserve that Daphne and Ethan visited in the series.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (27)

Advertisem*nt

In real life, people can visit the island by foot depending on the tide, or alternatively by private tour. I only viewed it from afar, but noticed there were many visitors.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (28)

Advertisem*nt

Overall, I had a fantastic experience at San Domenico Palace, and the hotel was even more beautiful and glamorous than it appears on the show.

I stayed at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily where the hit series was filmed. Here's how it compares in real life. (29)

I thoroughly enjoyed lounging by the infinity pool, dining at the restaurants, and hanging out at the piano bar like my favorite characters in "The White Lotus."

In my opinion, the hotel and Taormina were even more beautiful and glamorous in real life.

And although I'd never have considered paying $2,248 for a hotel room if it had been a personal trip, I'd definitely recommend a visit to the hotel's restaurants and bar.

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