White Lotus season 4: the French palaces where the cult series is being filmed

After Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, Mike White’s biting satire is setting up shop on the Riviera. For its fourth season, The White Lotus is settling in France, between the Côte d’Azur and Paris, and transforming three real palaces into the settings for its cruel comedy about the ultra-rich. A tour of the addresses that will make you dream, and boost bookings.

Season 4 takes place during the Cannes Film Festival

Confirmed by HBO, season 4 sets its plot over a week, during the Cannes Film Festival, amidst a new group of White Lotus guests and employees. Filming, which began in mid-April 2026, will continue until the end of October, between Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monaco and Paris, even though, according to the studio, the story never truly leaves the Côte d’Azur. On screen, we will see Vincent Cassel, Laura Dern and Ben Kingsley, among others, for an expected broadcast in 2027. As with every season, the real star remains the hotel. And this time, there are three.

Airelles Château de La Messardière, the “White Lotus of the Cap”

Perched on the heights of Saint-Tropez, Château de La Messardière unfolds over 13 hectares of parkland facing the bay, one of the largest estates on the peninsula. This 19th-century château, part of the Airelles Collection and distinguished as a Palace, boasts 86 rooms and suites, a 1,000 m² spa in partnership with Valmont, and several swimming pools, including a large semi-circular basin overlooking the sea. Its gastronomic scene is signed by the greatest names: the Japanese-Peruvian Matsuhisa by Nobu, the pastries by Cédric Grolet, and a beach club on the sands of Pampelonne. It is this hotel that embodies, on screen, the “White Lotus of the Cap”.

Hôtel Martinez, the “White Lotus Cannes”

On the Croisette, the Art Deco silhouette of the Hôtel Martinez has watched over Cannes since 1929. Acquired by Hyatt as part of The Unbound Collection, the palace has nearly 410 rooms and suites, including a 1,125 m² Penthouse suite topped by a 480 m² panoramic terrace, one of the largest in Europe. Its restaurant, La Palme d’Or, boasts a Michelin star under the direction of chef Jean Imbert, and its private beach faces the Mediterranean. An iconic hotel for the Festival for nearly a century, it was the natural choice for “White Lotus Cannes”.

Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, the Parisian stopover

In Paris, the series sets its cameras on the Left Bank. The Lutetia has watched over Saint-Germain-des-Prés since 1910, the only palace on the Left Bank of the Seine. Acquired by Mandarin Oriental in spring 2025, the hotel reopened in 2018 after a renovation of approximately 200 million euros entrusted to architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Behind its 184 rooms and suites lies a history of artists: Picasso, Joséphine Baker and James Joyce stayed there, a legacy continued today by the Bar Joséphine and the Brasserie Lutetia. Note: unlike Saint-Tropez and Cannes, the Lutetia serves as a Parisian backdrop without an attributed “White Lotus” name in the series.

The White Lotus effect: when a series sends bookings soaring

The phenomenon is now well-documented: it’s called set-jetting. After season 2, the San Domenico Palace in Taormina remained fully booked for six consecutive months, with reservations only reopening once the season had aired. According to Expedia, the first two seasons boosted travel demand to Hawaii and Sicily by 300% within 90 days of their broadcast; Four Seasons reported a 425% increase in website visits for season 1 in Maui. This means that Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Paris are preparing for the same tidal wave. The approach is nothing new: Netflix did the same with its series Oasis, filmed at the Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, in Tenerife.

It remains to be seen which of these three settings will become, in the minds of travellers, the French White Lotus. Verdict in 2027, but the waiting lists will undoubtedly not wait for the broadcast.