The manager of the real 'White Lotus' hotel in Sicily shared the strangest requests he has received from guests
Lorenzo Maraviglia is the manager of San Domenico Palace, where "The White Lotus" was filmed.
Maraviglia told Insider that he sometimes receives unconventional requests from guests.
One guest asked for a piano in their room, while another requested a private helicopter.
Anyone who has watched "The White Lotus" knows that the fictional hotel chain attracts a certain type of guest: wealthy and well-traveled, or at least, personal assistants to those who are.
The second season of the hit show was filmed at San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel, in Taormina, Sicily, where the starting rate for an overnight stay ranges from €1,900 to €2,500, or around $2,080 to $2,750. The five-star resort has an infinity pool, a spa, and a luxury jewelry store where some items are priced in the millions.
Lorenzo Maraviglia, manager of the hotel, spoke to Insider about some of the most strange and unconventional requests he has received from guests who visit in real life.
Maraviglia told Insider that a guest recently asked to have a piano placed in his room so that his wife could play, even though there is a piano bar in the hotel.
"We managed to bring a piano inside the room, and she was an incredible player. Not only was her husband enjoying it, but the music was going everywhere in the hotel," Maraviglia said.
The manager added that he once arranged a helicopter to fly a guest to the nearby island of Panarea, which is the smallest of the Aeolian Islands off the north coast of Sicily.
"We have situations that are a little unconventional, for example, last year we had a guest who wanted to have lunch on Panarea. We managed to have a helicopter take him there, wait for him to finish lunch, and bring him back to the hotel," he said.
"We are pretty well equipped for all types of requests, and we try to be accommodating with what is possible. Of course, we can't move the moon, but if we could move the moon we would do that as well," he added.
Maraviglia went on to speak about how the success of "The White Lotus" has affected the hotel, saying that it managed to achieve some of its five-year goals after just two years due to the increase in popularity.
"What I keep on hearing all the time is, 'We saw it on TV and we knew it was beautiful, but we didn't expect it to be so beautiful,'" he said, referencing the natural landscape that surrounds the hotel.
Taormina is a hilltop town that overlooks the sea and Mount Etna, an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily.
"Another aspect that people don't feel on the show is the energy you get. Taormina has an incredible energy… the nightlife, the bars, the restaurants, and the theaters," he added.
Read the original article on Insider
