Minor Hotels is enjoying a surge in web traffic and bookings at three of its Anantara properties in Thailand following their global prominence on Season 3 of hit HBO series, The White Lotus.
Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort, Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket were the principal filming locations for the third season of the popular comedy-drama, which premiered on February 16, alongside Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, which is also owned by Minor Hotels.
According to Minor Hotels Group Director of Public Relations and Communications, Mark Thompson, traffic to the Anantara resorts’ websites has risen 104% year-over-year (y-y) for the month of February, with the three properties also reporting a 41% y-y rise in direct online bookings made in the same period.
Notable spikes in booking conversion were recorded on February 17 and February 24 – corresponding with the airing of the show’s first two episodes, Thompson revealed, with room night booking production for the retail segment growing 53% and over 180% in those two weeks respectively, compared to the previous year.
Furthermore, week-over-week data shows a 100% increase in search traffic on the Anantara internet booking engine for the three properties compared to the same weeks last year, highlighting the power of television and film on travellers’ decision making.
The impact is not only being felt at the three Anantara properties featured in the series, with Minor Hotels reporting web traffic for all its luxury properties in Thailand have witnessed growth in global web traffic, up nearly 40% y-y in February, mostly from key source markets including the UK, US, India, Germany, and France.
“We’re thrilled to see travellers around the world inspired by the stunning settings in The White Lotus,” said Minor International Group CEO, Dillip Rajakarier.
“We own and operate more than 30 hotels, resorts and residences in Thailand, and we expect this will not only boost interest in Thailand globally but also enhance its positioning as an international luxury leisure and wellness destination.”
In a bid to leverage guest demand for screen-inspired escapes, Anantara is offering a Lotus Awakening Escape package which includes experiences at the three Anantara resorts featured on The White Lotus and unique activities inspired by the series, that are true to Thailand.
Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii and Sicily saw similar success as filming locations for The White Lotus Season 1 and Season 2 respectively.