Why The White Lotus belongs in Istanbul, a ‘megawatt stunner’ of a city

Istanbul is layered, intoxicating, and endlessly cinematic (Picture: Getty Images)

Sun-drenched women in sunglasses that eclipse their faces. Hairy-chested men lighting cigars over breakfast, plucking honeycomb while sipping Turkish tea. An old-school glamour that feels like stepping into a Slim Aarons photograph.

The Four Seasons Bosphorus in Istanbul is not just one of the best Four Seasons in the world, it’s a stage set waiting for its close-up.

Perched on the European bank of the Bosphorus, with Asia just a stone’s throw across the water, the hotel exudes a heady mix of elegance, impeccable service, and raw sex appeal.

One cocktail in the Assouline Bar, watching linen-shirted men sail past on yachts with margaritas and bossa nova beats, and it clicked: I was in The White Lotus.

I half expected Mike White’s voice to call ‘Cut!’ from behind me as attendants whisked champagne trays to cabanas and a caftan conjured the ghost of Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya.

And what a set it would be.

The Four Seasons Bosphorus in Istanbul is a stage set waiting for its close-up (Picture: Luke Baker)

Istanbul is one of the few cities in the world with not one, but two Four Seasons hotels, each with its own alluring identity.

Imagine a cross-city, cross-continental season: one moment gazing across the Bosphorus, the next wandering under Byzantine domes in the Old Town.

The Bosphorus property alone has it all, terraces and lantern-lit gardens perfect for whispered alliances, a mustard-and-red pool deck level with the sea, suites with soaring ceilings and mirrored bathrooms, and restaurants where power plays unfold over mezze, oysters and baklava.

My top pick? YALI Lounge, best at sunset with a martini in hand. But beyond the gates, the city is the ultimate supporting character.

Istanbul is layered, intoxicating, and endlessly cinematic. The dawn call to prayer drifts across rooftops. Steam curls in the hammam as sharp words cut through the mist. At the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, blue Iznik tiles shimmer in soft light. (Top tip: as you leave, turn back at the last gate for the perfect Insta shot.)

The money shot (Picture: Luke Baker)

In the Basilica Cistern, shadows ripple on the water and Medusa lurks in stone columns. Inside the Hagia Sophia, a marvel of 537 AD, Catholic mosaics peek through plaster like half-forgotten secrets. Each site feels like a Hollywood scene.

But drama doesn’t just live in monuments, it’s also in the city’s contrasts: east and west, ancient and modern, chaos and luxury.

A ferry ride to Kadıköy delivers the perfect change of pace: buzzing bars, trinket shops, and markets piled high with pomegranates. Nearby Karaköy, with its cobbled lanes and speakeasy cocktail bars, makes for the ideal late-night stumble.

For dinner, you don’t even need to leave the Four Seasons bubble.

At the Bosphorus property, Aqua delivers long, languid Mediterranean feasts on the terrace, while the YALI Lounge is ideal for sundown sushi, and Ocakbaşı serves Anatolian classics with a contemporary twist and a front-row view of the strait.

Across town at the Sultanahmet location, Avlu restaurant is tucked away in the hotel’s garden courtyard, a romantic setting for refined Turkish and international dishes with yellow walls and crawling vines. 

And don’t skip the hammam.

The hotel provided the most wonderful experience, with a therapist descended from generations of experts. Other options include Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı, restored by Turkey’s most famous architect Sinan, is where steam, marble, and ritual combine for an experience that’s equal parts soothing and surreal.

It’s easy to picture a White Lotus character cracking under the weight of their scandals here, a whispered argument echoing beneath the domes.

Then there’s the weather, which has its own flair for theatrics.

Istanbul is decadent and full of megawatt glamour (Picture: Luke Baker)

Summers are golden and searing, the kind of heat that leaves everyone glowing. Winds can whip suddenly across the Bosphorus, perfect for dramatic mid-argument hairography. And when the rain comes, it comes fast and hard, creating the perfect backdrop for betrayals carried out under the cover of umbrellas and chaos.

The beauty of Istanbul, though, is its ability to serve both drama and intimacy.

Wander the Grand Bazaar and you’ll find yourself in a labyrinth of stalls selling everything from handwoven carpets to evil-eye amulets. Escape to Princes’ Islands – just a short ferry ride away – and trade the city noise for horse-drawn carriages, pine forests, and languid lunches by the water.

These are the kinds of side plots The White Lotus thrives on: a character slipping away from the group, stumbling into something they shouldn’t.

Intrigue at every turn (Picture: Luke Baker)

And yet, for all its grandeur, Istanbul also knows how to charm quietly.

Watching the sun set from the Four Seasons, with mosques glowing in the distance; sipping tea served in tulip-shaped glasses by the water; losing yourself in the labyrinthine backstreets where cats curl lazily in doorways.

It’s these quieter, more human moments that balance the decadence, and they’d provide exactly the kind of tonal contrast the show does so well.

HBO has already greenlit Season 4 of The White Lotus, with production slated for 2026.

Norway was floated, but has been dispelled as there’s no Four Seasons there and Mike White reportedly hates the cold.

Istanbul, by contrast, has decadence, intrigue, and megawatt glamour.

Mike, I’m ready for my close-up (Picture: Luke Baker)

The Bosphorus is already a stage: imagine a stormy night on the terrace, rain streaking down silken gowns as a guest slips away unnoticed; a brunch interrupted by a yacht drifting too close, its passengers watching just a little too intently; a confession spilling out in a marble suite overlooking the strait.

If Hawaii was scandalous, Sicily sensual, and Thailand sultry, then Istanbul would be magnetic.

It doesn’t just fit the ethos of The White Lotus. It practically writes the script.

Alexander O’Loughlin was a guest of Four Seasons Bosphorus Istanbul. Standard rooms from £780 (€900) in summer, and £650 (€750) in winter.

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