The luxury hotels in Thailand are still experiencing a surge in interest at HBO’s The White Lotus.
Minor International revealed a 104% increase in website traffic for the three Anantara properties that served as filming locations: Anantara Lonako Samui Resort, Anantara Bohutko Samui Resort and Anantara Maica Oohuket Villa.
This increase in online engagement was converted directly to a 41% increase in direct online bookings in February from the previous year.
Booking conversion spikes were observed shortly after the premiere of the first two episodes, growing room night bookings of 53% and 180%, respectively.
“While it is difficult to isolate the exact revenue impact, brand engagement is clearly boosted and it has driven a 30-40% increase in ADR (average daily rate) on featured properties as travelers are looking for stunning locations from the show.”
“We don’t promote the series directly, but we’ve gained buzz through targeted digital campaigns that helped to drive bookings, particularly around the dates of major episode releases,” he said.
Similarly, Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental has experienced a significant rise of interest.
“We’ve seen an increase in second quarter website visits and bookings compared to the same period last year,” the company said.
Mandarin Oriental is cautious that all of this growth is directly attributed to the show, but further increases are expected after the airing of related episodes in the future.
The brand is launching a “Lotus deployment” experience designed to soak guests in the atmosphere of the show. The package includes series-inspired amenities and cultural excursions. It shows that hotel brands are strategically leveraging the show’s popularity.
All Thailand benefits
White Lotus has created a ripple effect that extends beyond the characteristics of its features to benefit Thailand’s wider hospitality sector.
Beyond the featured properties, minor hotels report growth of almost 40% in web traffic across all Thai luxury materials, with interest growing from major markets such as the US, UK, India, Germany and France.
Both InterContinental Phuket Resort and Trisara Resort Phuket have witnessed a surge in interest and demonstrate the series’ ability to boost the nation-wide.
“We’ve seen an 18% increase in inquiries and reservations from the US market since the announcement in June 2024 that Thailand will host the next adventure in the series,” said Anahat Arora, Director of Sales and Marketing at Intercontinental Phuket Resort.
This highlights the immediate impact of the location announcement alone, indicating an increasing desire among travelers to experience Thailand.
“Following the announcement of White Lotus Season 3, direct bookings from the US have increased by 25% compared to the same period last year,” said Punjama Raam Swan, vice president of sales and marketing for Montara Hospitality Group, which operates Trisara.
“In addition, there is an increasing demand for personalized, experience-driven stays. Guests are requesting curated itinerary that includes exclusive dining experiences and immersive cultural activities, just as shown in the series.”
This significant increase in direct bookings introduces the series’ ability to translate into concrete business results for luxury resorts.
The experiences at both resorts highlight how White Lotus markets individual properties and rearranges Thailand as the best and luxurious destination.
Advice for marketers
To maintain momentum and capitalize on this growing demand, Jacqueline Burke, EMEA creative director at Getty Images, warned that hotels must move from showcasing luxury to offering authentic experiences.
“A study from Getty Images’ VisualGps shows that Thailand’s most popular visuals used in travel operations in the UK show young women on boats and jobs,” Bourke says. “This leaps towards the stereotype that it is a popular destination among gap year digital nomads and tourists, and not necessarily a luxury destination.”
“To diversify visual marketing representatives, travel agencies should consider including people of different ages, ethnicities, body types and abilities, and utilize a much broader consumer base, including those painted in Thailand for the white lotus.”
Thailand is hoping for a tourist boom from season 3 of “White Lotus”
Thailand has benefited from the foreign films set in the country for years, and a similar boom of interest is predicted following the new season of “The White Lotus.”
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