Since 10 June 2026, the French national team has set up its quarters in the United States for the World Cup. And as is often the case, the choice of base camp speaks volumes about their ambitions: for this North American World Cup, Les Bleus have set their sights on one of Boston’s most exquisite luxury hotels, the Four Seasons, fully privatised for the duration of the competition. A guided tour of Les Bleus’ headquarters.
A Private Five-Star Hotel Facing the Public Garden
Discreet behind its brick façade, the Four Seasons Boston stands on Boylston Street, directly opposite the verdant avenues of the Public Garden and just a ten-minute drive from the airport. Of the hotel’s nine floors, the first eight have been entirely reserved for the French delegation, with only the top floor remaining open to guests. In total, 70 rooms, ranging from 28 to 158 m², have been secured, all featuring private lounges, set within a decor of understated elegance (wood, beige and grey tones, thick carpets) opening onto the park or the Back Bay skyline.
An Entire Floor Dedicated to Recovery
This is undoubtedly the detail that makes all the difference for elite athletes. The eighth floor has been designed as a true performance centre: it features a private swimming pool, cold plunge pools, and cryotherapy cabins. This allows players to combine matches with recovery sessions without ever leaving the hotel, benefiting from the comfort of a luxury hotel dedicated to athletic performance.
Dining for One Hundred Guests and Two Chefs in the Kitchen
On the first floor, a vast common room brings the group together around a table that can accommodate up to one hundred people. In the kitchen, hotel chef Patrice Martineau works hand in hand with Xavier Rousseau, the French national team’s chef, creating a menu designed for peak performance: pasta, rice, seafood, and seasonal farm produce. Only the Aujourd’hui Bar, the hotel’s bar open to the public, is off-limits to the delegation: Massachusetts law prohibits alcohol consumption before the age of 21, meaning young Warren Zaïre-Emery is not permitted entry.
Regarding dining, the hotel is undergoing a transition: The Bristol, long considered « Boston’s living room » with its tables facing the Public Garden, is set to be reborn under a new name. For the World Cup, however, the main action is taking place behind the scenes, centred around the private dining room and the delegation’s culinary team.
Training Sessions on the Bentley Campus
For the athletic component, the staff has chosen Bentley University’s campus, just a few kilometres away, which is equipped for twenty-four disciplines, from ice rinks to baseball, American football, and soccer fields. This entire setup, comprising the hotel headquarters and training base, creates a bubble wholly dedicated to concentration, under high security: systematic entry checks and restricted internal movement.
Our Perspective: When National Teams Indulge in Luxury Hotels
The choice of the Four Seasons confirms a fundamental trend. For major nations, the base camp is no longer just a hotel but a performance tool, where five-star luxury meets the science of recovery. Privatising an entire luxury hotel also offers a bubble of serenity, far from pressure and demands. It remains to be seen if the setting will bring luck to Didier Deschamps’ men. To follow the hotel’s news, visit the Four Seasons section.
A headquarters befitting their ambitions, then. The rest will be decided on the pitch.
