Patrick Schwarzenegger could probably use a vacation, between the whirlwind of press and attention from starring in The White Lotus, one of 2025’s hottest TV shows, and spending the previous year actually filming it on location in Koh Samui, Thailand. When not on set, his explorations included “Phuket, the Phi Phi islands, and ‘the beach,’ which is one of the biggest tourist stops, but it’s so beautiful,” the actor says, referring with the latter to the iconic Maya Bay stretch of sand made famous by the film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Plus, “Siem Reap is super close and easy to get to,” he adds

The actor hasn’t taken a break in recent weeks as the show wrapped up, either, as he recently debuted an ad campaign with Four Seasons, which has stood in as The White Lotus hotel chain in all three seasons of the show so far. Days after the show’s shocking finale, Condé Nast Traveler snagged a few minutes with Schwarzenegger to discuss the family vacation spot he can’t wait to return to, how to tackle Siem Reap’s most famous site, and what destinations he’s considering for his honeymoon with his fiancée, model Abby Champion.

What he looks for in a hotel:

I love a good gym. A gym is what makes and breaks a hotel from being good to great for me. If it’s, like, a beach kind of hotel, it depends on what the beach is like, and if it’s more of a city place, then it’s about the location and how easy it is to walk around. Once you’re there, it’s the food, service, and hospitality.

The place he could go to a million times and never tire of it:

We go to Idaho for skiing in the winter. I love the beach, but I’m not someone that can just sit on on a lounge chair all day long and read a book. I need to be stimulated and do things, and that’s why I go up to Idaho. It’s a mix of lake life, golf, and tennis, and taking walks outside in the woods. You feel like you’re away from work and away from Los Angeles, but it’s still activity-based.

The best vacation of his life to date:

One of my first vacations that I took with my fiancée was to Italy, which was just an amazing step in our relationship—going on a vacation and spending time together like that. We went along the coast, Capri and Positano, Amalfi and Ischia. It was beautiful.

His advice for visiting Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, which he saw on a break from filming White Lotus:

First off, go early. Everyone had recommended to go at sunrise so that’s what I did, and it was well worth it. It’s beautiful at sunrise, but also it’s a dramatically lower temperature than it will be during the day. [The sun] reflects on the stones and they absorb the heat, so it gets even hotter at Angkor Wat. There are great photographers there who can take some cool photos of you and your group. And bring water and comfy shoes.