Four Weeks at The Four Seasons White Lotus Hotel in Koh Samui, 2022 & 2025

Over the past three years I've been lucky enough to spend just over one month in total at The Four Seasons in Koh Samui....AKA...The White Lotus Hotel Season 3. Thinking of staying there yourself? Read on for everything you need to know, what to wear and how the hotel has changed since White Lotus notoriety.

The Hotel

Upon arriving at Koh Samui airport we were greeted by the 4S team and shown to the car, ready with air con, snacks and water. When checking in, we were taken to reception which has the most insane view overlooking the entire property and went through the admin bits. As the trip was over the holidays, we had pre paid in full, so there was minimal admin for us and speedily we were taken to our villa. Each guest/couple has their own private villa - there is no hotel base with rooms in it like a typical hotel, and there are larger and multi-bedroom villas available for larger groups. The villas are gorgeous - they all overlook the ocean and beach and have their own private pool with sun loungers and a day bed also. The villa has everything you need including an enormous bath, large standing shower, double sinks, plenty of wardrobe space, a desk, smart TV and an enormous bed complete with mosquito net. You can walk around the grounds however everything is very spaced out so usually you would call a buggy to collect and take you to the beach/pool/restaurant etc. There are fab activities you can arrange; we did a private muay thai class, private tasting menu, couples massage, private jungle tour (off-site) on top of an old land rover, shooting range (off-site), visiting an elephant conservation (off site) and private yoga class and there is also a gym on site that we used once (had planned for more - lol!). They also had things like cocktail tastings & cooking classes which we didnt do.

Vs our three week stay in 2022 for our honeymoon, the only thing that we noticed had changed was that the smart TV worked when connecting to netflix. Everything else was exacrtly the same on the eye which was perfect as it really is gorgeous. The hotel does have a new general manager who seemed much more 'on it' than the previous (who we bumped into at breakfast in Tuscany in his new role) and lives on site with his family. He introduced himself upon arrival and we saw him multiple times a day roaming the site. There was a little shift in vibe post White Lotus filming, perhaps a little more organised, which cant be a bad thing. The staff here are wonderful and we recognised many from our 2022 stay.

The Food

Undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights of this hotel is the food. It is phenomenal! And they really went all out for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/Boxing Day. From a barbeque on the beach to champagne brunch and one of the best buffets ive ever seen - we ate like kings!!! There is a mediterranean restaurant on the beach open for lunch and dinner, a casual pool and beach menu, a more formal Thai restaurant for dinner and a stunning breakfast in the same space as the formal Thai for dinner. Everything food wise is FAULTESS! If you want comfort food they can absolutely do that but the weather is so hot that we found ourselves leaning towards leaner food; grilled fish and meat, fresh veg, Thai dishes like Tom Yum Goong and sorbets for desert. They also offer themed nights - we went to a Middle Eastern night & Thai night complete with dancing and live music.

What to wear?

It is HOT here so lightweight fabrics are ideal - lots of swimwear, linens, kaftans, sandals etc. I packed lots of Missoni as it is super breathable and easy to wear on the beach. Bright colors just feel right in Thailand so I didnt take any darker colors with me and it really is a casual place - of course you can dress up if you want but quite honestly, nobody does and I lived in beach clothing the entire time. I didnt wear heels once and I wore makeup once - it really is a great place to just relax and be comfortable.

Koh Samui Travel Tips

• Jet lag hits me HARD in Thailand - despite going every year I always need two days to acclimatise. I would suggest not making demanding plans for the day you land nor the day after. My husband doesn't get it as bad as I do, but still worse than anywhere else

• Fly business or first if you can - it is a loooong flight and being comfortable makes sleeping much easier, which means a quicker recovery upon landing. We tend to fly with emirates but have also flown with Eva Air who were good and I preferred to BA.

• Bug spray!!! SPF!!!

• No visa needed and the airport is super safe - Bangkok if flying into here first feels super safe as a city

• Bangkok Air is a great airline to get to Koh Samui with - super friendly, safe and comfortable

• Connecting flights to Koh Samui - your luggage gets thrown around beyond belief - we have had two suitcases arrive with broken wheels

• The town centre has alot of bars and restaurants if wanted, but getting around would be by hotel car as it is too far away to walk. Other hotels nearby are also too far to walk so would suggest getting hotel cars. We went for dinner at The W hotel and the Belmond hotel - would not recommend either!