Vacationers at “The White Lotus” hotel — HBO’s hit series — like to live large.
The backdrop for season three includes luxury villas and bougie wellness spas on the exotic beaches of Thailand. However, the last two episodes have featured scenes in a probably more expensive filming location: on a superyacht called Spacecat.
In the series, the 117-foot vessel is owned or chartered by the character Gary — played by actor Jon Gries — and has hosted an extravagant party and a wild night so far. Watching the episodes these past two Sundays, it’s been hard not to drool over the pool, bar, and other luxurious amenities aboard Spacecat.
In real life, it’d cost at least six figures to procure it from yacht brokerage Northrop & Johnson. With four cabins and nine crew members offering a “beach club” experience, Spacecat starts at $160,000 for one week.
The hefty price tag hasn’t stopped “The White Lotus” viewers from being curious about the luxury catamaran thanks to its affluent on-screen passengers.
Within the first three days of the first episode Spacecat appeared in, clicks on its listing on the website were up 37,000%, a Northrop & Johnson spokesperson told Business Insider.
However, the yacht’s broker said no one has booked the vessel so far.
Spacecat is available for charter from Phuket, Thailand, about 200 miles from Koh Samui where “The White Lotus” was filmed. Much like the vibes of the fictional White Lotus hotel, Northrop & Johnson advertises a “zen-like” and “family-friendly” environment aboard its vessel.
The chef on board offers French and British cuisine with a twist of Asian and Middle Eastern flavors, according to the listing. For recreational activities, Northrop & Johnson lists wakeboarding, Jet Skis, and E-foil surfboards, a popular five-figure water toy that billionaire Mark Zuckerberg has been spotted enjoying.
Spacecat was launched in 2022, and it was designed by designer Espen Øino in collaboration with Silver Yachts.
The latest season of “The White Lotus” was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui and the Anantara Mai Khao Villas Phuket. Prior seasons were also filmed at Four Seasons resorts in Maui and Italy.
Publicity from the show gave each resort a boost in interest or bookings, as viewers got a glimpse of the luxury villas and suites that cost thousands per night. Season three isn’t over yet, but Thailand is already feeling the effect.
“The Director of Thailand’s Tourism Authority has said they expect about 20% rise in tourism as a result of the show,” a Four Seasons Koh Samui spokesperson told BI in February. They didn’t specify a time period.
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