Season 3 of “The White Lotus” is set in a luxurious Thai wellness resort.
(Fabio Lovino / HBO)
11 relaxing ways to live like a White Lotus character in L.A. — sans the snakes and murder
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- You don’t need to check into a luxe resort with a disturbing amount of violent intrigue to get your wellness on.
- These 11 local businesses will do the trick instead.
If your go-to move for destressing is to get out of town, you’re in good (fictional) company. In Season 3 of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” hotel guests fly “half way around the world” — as loopy Southern matron Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey) puts it — for the ultimate restorative retreat. The resort’s Thailand location is a “wellness center” that offers guests spa services, fitness analyses, gluten-free food and even an assigned personal “health mentor.”
“Everyone in L.A. is talking about it,” says glitzy actress Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan).
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Whether all this wellness can lead to actual health and happiness will be a question creator Mike White explores over the course of the season. And, of course, this being the White Lotus, all the massages and yoga comes with a side of intrigue and possibly violence.
But even with all that, the show’s eponymous resort — and all the relaxing services it offers — remains deeply alluring. Lucky for us its offerings can be re-created right here in Los Angeles. Our city is home to luxe hotels such as the Four Seasons Westlake Village and lavish retreats like those hosted by the Ranch Malibu that will combine the latest in “biometric testing,” digital detox and all-encompassing serenity. But if you’re enticed by a particular treatment, you can find the best of wellness dotted throughout L.A., the city that’s known for it.
So if you want to “quiet your chattering monkey mind and find in the silence what is timeless,” as White Lotus meditation coach Amrita (Shalini Peiris) puts it right before gunshots ring out in episode one, here’s where to go.
Showing Places
(Rachel Kraus / For the Times)
Get your hamstrings walked on
Palms Spa
Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff needs to guzzle a Lorazepam before her massages since she finds them stressful, but the expertise of the masseuses at Thai Sabai will require no such pill-popping. Massage parlor owner Chanya Pukkalanun, who goes by Gaam, has been walking on people’s bodies to work out their knots and tension since she opened her business in 2003. You won’t find luxurious spa amenities on the premises — it’s in a medical office building in Westwood — but you will find affordable prices and Thai masseuses who put their whole bodies into melting away tight muscles. And yep, that includes using the bars on the ceiling to steady their balance as they walk on your hamstrings.
Price: $78 for a 60-minute massage
Price: $78 for a 60-minute massage
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Replace screen time with alfresco hillside theater time
Topanga Entertainment Venue
White Lotus Thailand guests are encouraged to “digital detox” during their stay. So in place of Instagram scrolling at the dinner table, they have no choice but to take in the singing and dancing of White Lotus staff for the evening’s entertainment. You can get a similar experience of phone-free community theater in the hills of Los Angeles. No one will take your phone from you at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, but it will be effectively useless, since there’s zero coverage at the iconic mountain amphitheater. Give your thumbs a break and enjoy some Shakespeare under the stars.
Price: Ticket prices vary, and some shows include “pay what you will” options
Price: Ticket prices vary, and some shows include “pay what you will” options
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(Rachel Kraus / For the Times)
Correct your posture
Spa
You might not have a domineering dad to passive-aggressively book you a posture analysis like Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola) does. But if you work at a computer or own a smartphone, you probably could still use a little help combating tech neck. Pico-Robertson’s Health Within offers holistic wellness experiences that combine Eastern and Western approaches, much like the posture analyst at the White Lotus who reveals what Lochlan’s crumpled posture says about his personal life. Health Within’s posture expert, chiropractor Alison Deliman, will assess posture markers like the evenness of your shoulders, ear-to-shoulder alignment, gait and more. Then she’ll provide an adjustment to help even things out right then and there, and prescribe exercises to help you resist the urge to slouch.
Price: $85 for a postural evaluation
Price: $85 for a postural evaluation
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(Rachel Kraus / For the Times)
Cleanse your energy with a Reiki healing session
Santa Monica Spa
Downtrodden girls tripper Laurie Duffy (Carrie Coon) describes her energy healing session with sexy Russian health mentor Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius) as strangely “intimate” considering he does not touch her.That’s because in Reiki energy healing, practitioners hold their hands above the body to encourage energy flow.
A sexy fling with a swole expat is not typically part of an energy healing session, but receiving Reiki does feel like you’re getting deeply blessed and cared for by your practitioner. Reiki healer Akiko Hoshihara will assess the balance of your energy centers, or chakras, and use crystals as well as Reiki hand motions to help restore balance. Your body parts will unexpectedly heat up despite not being touched, and the experience of lying there as a person works on your body and mind in ways much more subtle than a massage feels restorative.
Price: $200 for one hour of Reiki
A sexy fling with a swole expat is not typically part of an energy healing session, but receiving Reiki does feel like you’re getting deeply blessed and cared for by your practitioner. Reiki healer Akiko Hoshihara will assess the balance of your energy centers, or chakras, and use crystals as well as Reiki hand motions to help restore balance. Your body parts will unexpectedly heat up despite not being touched, and the experience of lying there as a person works on your body and mind in ways much more subtle than a massage feels restorative.
Price: $200 for one hour of Reiki
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(Deborah Vankin / Los Angeles Times )
Quiet the mind with meditation
Beverly Crest Meditation Center
The local nonprofit meditation center Insight L.A. offers an accessible lineup of both in-person and online meditation classes as well as daylong and overnight retreats. Most classes are donation-based, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Insight L.A. has a Santa Monica location and also holds overnight retreats through a partnership with Big Bear Retreat Center. Its Benedict Canyon location near Beverly Hills is a remote and serene hillside escape within the heart of the city.
Hopefully your visit won’t be because your well-meaning partner is forcing you into a stress-reduction meditation session as Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) does for the dark, mysterious and very stressed-out Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins).
Price: Donation-based.
Insight L.A. has a Santa Monica location and also holds overnight retreats through a partnership with Big Bear Retreat Center. Its Benedict Canyon location near Beverly Hills is a remote and serene hillside escape within the heart of the city.
Hopefully your visit won’t be because your well-meaning partner is forcing you into a stress-reduction meditation session as Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) does for the dark, mysterious and very stressed-out Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins).
Price: Donation-based.
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(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Get clued into your biometric data
El Segundo Health & Fitness Club
“Biometric testing” is all the rage in the wellness scene, so naturally White Lotus guests begin their vacations by getting poked and prodded for full-body evaluations. The test results inspire some not-so-friendly competition among old friends Laurie, Jaclyn and Kate Bohr (Leslie Bibb). Even if opting into a physical doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, many companies do measure things like your VO2 max and body composition, and will even give you an estimate of your “biological age,” to promote longevity. Love.Life in El Segundo rolls the tests and the services to help you improve your “healthspan” into one full-service location, with a gym, spa and doctor’s office that will all provide workout and health plans based on optimizing your biomarkers, as they say.
Anyone with the out-of-pocket cash to cover it can get Love.Life’s “Signature Assessment” of 120+ biomarkers, which includes consultations with a doctor and a nutritionist. But you’ll need a $50,000 annual membership to get the whole enchilada of tests, treatment and fitness.
Price: $6,000 for a Signature Assessment
Anyone with the out-of-pocket cash to cover it can get Love.Life’s “Signature Assessment” of 120+ biomarkers, which includes consultations with a doctor and a nutritionist. But you’ll need a $50,000 annual membership to get the whole enchilada of tests, treatment and fitness.
Price: $6,000 for a Signature Assessment
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(Hammer & Nails)
Men: Sign up for pampering here
West Hollywood Spa
In addition to helping Rick do inner work with meditation, Chelsea suggests he work on the outside with a “gentleman’s facial.” Yes, this is a real thing! The “men’s grooming” business Hammer & Nails began providing men with mani-pedis in 2013 at its original West Hollywood location and has expanded into a national franchise over the last decade. Men, you don’t need to be surrounded by leather furnishings, whiskey and cedar wood to pamper yourselves. But if those are the “manly” signifiers you need to feel comfortable in a self-care environment, Hammer & Nail’s cigar club-esque salon and spa has you covered.
Price: $60 for a 30-minute Classic Face Treatment
Price: $60 for a 30-minute Classic Face Treatment
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(Beverly Hot Springs)
Slough off the stress with a body scrub
East Hollywood Day Spa
Taking care of Rick is hard work. Chelsea gets to wash that man right out of her hair with spa services at the White Lotus, including waxing and a skin-sloughing body scrub.
Beverly Hot Springs is one of L.A.’s original Korean spas and, while it has seen better days, it remains a beloved retreat complete with a tropical waterfall on entry and a faux grotto whirlpool (on the women’s side). What keeps loyal fans coming back is the alkaline water, once bottled and sold as “Wonder Water,” free of chlorine and said to make the skin feel silky and soft. The large list of specialized treatments is another draw.
The women’s spa is compact, making the strict two-hour time limit sensible. However, since the point of being at a spa is relaxation, this is still a bit of a killjoy. We do enjoy the lounge chair setup for reading, chatting, resting or zoning out, something not often seen in a bathing area. According to those in the know, the men’s side is more spacious and plush.
The spa is unique because it’s the only one fed by a natural hot spring in the Los Angeles area. Indigenous people once used the warm waters that would later fill the spa. In 1910, a group digging for oil near Beverly Boulevard and Western Avenue noticed the thermal Artesian well. The Beverly Hot Springs Spa facility as we know it today opened as a thermal spa in 1984. Loyal fans came to its aid over the summer when a developer was slated to cap the waters. That plan was canceled in August.
Price: Entry is $45 on weekdays, $50 on the weekends and holidays. Treatments start at $105.
Beverly Hot Springs is one of L.A.’s original Korean spas and, while it has seen better days, it remains a beloved retreat complete with a tropical waterfall on entry and a faux grotto whirlpool (on the women’s side). What keeps loyal fans coming back is the alkaline water, once bottled and sold as “Wonder Water,” free of chlorine and said to make the skin feel silky and soft. The large list of specialized treatments is another draw.
The women’s spa is compact, making the strict two-hour time limit sensible. However, since the point of being at a spa is relaxation, this is still a bit of a killjoy. We do enjoy the lounge chair setup for reading, chatting, resting or zoning out, something not often seen in a bathing area. According to those in the know, the men’s side is more spacious and plush.
The spa is unique because it’s the only one fed by a natural hot spring in the Los Angeles area. Indigenous people once used the warm waters that would later fill the spa. In 1910, a group digging for oil near Beverly Boulevard and Western Avenue noticed the thermal Artesian well. The Beverly Hot Springs Spa facility as we know it today opened as a thermal spa in 1984. Loyal fans came to its aid over the summer when a developer was slated to cap the waters. That plan was canceled in August.
Price: Entry is $45 on weekdays, $50 on the weekends and holidays. Treatments start at $105.
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(Cafe Gratitude)
'Eat clean' (and delicious)
Larchmont Vegan $$
Angelenos won’t be aghast at menus with allergen-free offerings like Rick is when he is met with “gluten-free rice balls” for dinner at the White Lotus hotel restaurant. In certain hip and/or ritzy neighbhoods in L.A., it’s hard to find a restaurant or grocery store that doesn’t cater to dietary restrictions, “clean eating” and specialty diets. But not all “GF, DF, V” menu sections are created equal. So for a meal that does more than offer gluten-free substitutions, turn to California vegan restaurant chain Cafe Gratitude. The earnest names of the dishes — such as the I Am Caring, loaded nachos or I Am Liberated pesto kelp noodles — sometimes overshadow the fact that those pesto kelp noodles and other offerings are actually delicious, while also being vegan and often gluten-free.
Plus, Cafe Gratitude employs a resident dietitian, since serving “nutrient-dense food” is at the heart of its mission. Even Rick could find something to boost his grumpy mood (if only the craft beer or organic wine).
Plus, Cafe Gratitude employs a resident dietitian, since serving “nutrient-dense food” is at the heart of its mission. Even Rick could find something to boost his grumpy mood (if only the craft beer or organic wine).
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(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Say “ohm” with outdoor yoga
Marina del Rey Yoga
Whether you’re ogling like the girls trippers, being ogled like Piper Ratliff (Sarah Catherine Hook) or just looking within, yoga can be a great way to change perspective.
If you want a one-of-a-kind yoga experience that will really test your balance, check out YogAqua, a stand-up paddleboard yoga studio founded by Sarah Tiefenthaler in 2011. Classes are open to all levels, and begin with a brief paddleboarding lesson while you explore the placid lagoon of Mother’s Beach (in other words, no waves here). You’ll then drop an anchor for your Vinyasa flow. I’d never been paddleboarding before, let alone tried SUP yoga, and I found it easier than I expected — and really fun. Corpse pose was particularly enjoyable as I let my hands flop into the cold water, the warm sun hitting my face.
Two things to note: Because of the additional paddleboarding instruction, these classes run 90 minutes. (They take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check out YogAqua’s schedule here.) It’s also on the pricier end. That said, YogAqua will provide you with all the gear you need.
For parking, head to Parking Lot 9, where you’ll also see the YogAqua truck and meet your class. There’s a pay station as you enter the parking lot; the cost is $1 per hour.
Single class: $49
New student offer: $35 (single class)
If you want a one-of-a-kind yoga experience that will really test your balance, check out YogAqua, a stand-up paddleboard yoga studio founded by Sarah Tiefenthaler in 2011. Classes are open to all levels, and begin with a brief paddleboarding lesson while you explore the placid lagoon of Mother’s Beach (in other words, no waves here). You’ll then drop an anchor for your Vinyasa flow. I’d never been paddleboarding before, let alone tried SUP yoga, and I found it easier than I expected — and really fun. Corpse pose was particularly enjoyable as I let my hands flop into the cold water, the warm sun hitting my face.
Two things to note: Because of the additional paddleboarding instruction, these classes run 90 minutes. (They take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check out YogAqua’s schedule here.) It’s also on the pricier end. That said, YogAqua will provide you with all the gear you need.
For parking, head to Parking Lot 9, where you’ll also see the YogAqua truck and meet your class. There’s a pay station as you enter the parking lot; the cost is $1 per hour.
Single class: $49
New student offer: $35 (single class)
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(Alexander Norton)
Escape the noise in a sensory deprivation tank
Santa Monica Wellness Center
When your family contains “a lot of big personalities” like Lochlan’s does, getting away from it all in a sensory deprivation tank sounds pretty appealing. And the youngest Ratliff isn’t the only one who gets to appreciate the healing powers of water. Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell) is cradled by sexy spa manager Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) during a Watsu water massage. You can experience both here in L.A. at IntoMeSea.
IntoMeSea calls itself a quantum wellness center. Upon entering, guests relax in the prefloat lounge with ice water or tea. Virtual reality headsets are on hand for a VR-guided meditation that will lead participants to the bottom of the sea so as to relax them prior to floating. But if that’s not your thing, there’s also a room with soaring ceilings, multiple skylights and a hand-painted labyrinth on the floor in which to meditate.
Float tanks — a.k.a. sensory deprivation tanks — are often small, dark and claustrophobic-feeling, which can defeat the purpose if you’re there to relax. At IntoMeSea, each of its three tanks is in its own private suite. One includes a eucalyptus aromatherapy steam room; the other two, a “fire and ice” setup for cold plunging and infrared sauna-going. They all include showers and dressing areas.
The tanks themselves are almost blindingly clean and roomy, with 7-foot-high ceilings. They contain 22 bags — about 1,200 pounds — of Epson salt each (more salt per gallon of water than the Dead Sea). Buttons inside the tank allow you to adjust the lighting, the sound and the intensity of the twinkling stars on the ceiling. The spa also provides earplugs and tubes of petroleum jelly, the latter to keep salt out of the eyes.
Price: $88 for a one-hour float with 30 additional minutes for steam room and suite time.
IntoMeSea calls itself a quantum wellness center. Upon entering, guests relax in the prefloat lounge with ice water or tea. Virtual reality headsets are on hand for a VR-guided meditation that will lead participants to the bottom of the sea so as to relax them prior to floating. But if that’s not your thing, there’s also a room with soaring ceilings, multiple skylights and a hand-painted labyrinth on the floor in which to meditate.
Float tanks — a.k.a. sensory deprivation tanks — are often small, dark and claustrophobic-feeling, which can defeat the purpose if you’re there to relax. At IntoMeSea, each of its three tanks is in its own private suite. One includes a eucalyptus aromatherapy steam room; the other two, a “fire and ice” setup for cold plunging and infrared sauna-going. They all include showers and dressing areas.
The tanks themselves are almost blindingly clean and roomy, with 7-foot-high ceilings. They contain 22 bags — about 1,200 pounds — of Epson salt each (more salt per gallon of water than the Dead Sea). Buttons inside the tank allow you to adjust the lighting, the sound and the intensity of the twinkling stars on the ceiling. The spa also provides earplugs and tubes of petroleum jelly, the latter to keep salt out of the eyes.
Price: $88 for a one-hour float with 30 additional minutes for steam room and suite time.
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