The White Lotus Season 4 | What To Expect From The Hotels & Locations
Photo: Hyatt
Every season of The White Lotus tells two stories at once: the one playing out between the characters, and the one the hotel itself is quietly narrating in the background. From Maui to Sicily to Koh Samui, the choice of location has never been incidental — the resort shapes the season’s mood, its themes, and even the kinds of dysfunction on display. So with The White Lotus Season 4 now officially in production on the French Riviera, looking at the hotels for the new season, and previous hotels and filming locations from Seasons 1, 2 & 3, can help to figure out what to expect.
See how I brought my take on Mediterranean style to this project.
THE white lotus season 4
What We Know So Far About Season 4
HBO confirmed in mid-April 2026 that filming had officially begun on The White Lotus Season 4 in the south of France, and the details are a sharp departure from what fans might expect. The season will take place during the Cannes Film Festival, following a new group of White Lotus guests and employees over the course of one week against the backdrop of the world’s most famous celebration of cinema.
THE white lotus season 4
The Cast
The cast includes Vincent Cassel, Steve Coogan, Kumail Nanjiani, Sandra Bernhard, Chris Messina, Heather Graham, Rosie Perez, Max Greenfield, Chloe Bennet, and a roster of French actors, including Corentin Fila, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Laura Smet.
Photo: Airelles
THE white lotus season 4
Where Will Season 4 Be Filmed?
This is where things get particularly interesting — and where the show’s history of location choices becomes a useful lens for predicting what Season 4 will look and feel like.
HBO has confirmed two filming locations: the Airelles Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez, which will serve as the “White Lotus du Cap,” and the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, which will appear as the “White Lotus Cannes.” That’s two distinct White Lotus properties within the show – a first for the series – and a significant evolution in how the show uses its settings. But this isn’t the first time two hotels have been used in a single season.
Photo: Four Seasons
Season 3: Thailand & Multiple Hotels
Fans who watched Season 3 closely may have noticed that the fictional White Lotus Thailand didn’t look entirely consistent from scene to scene — and that’s because it wasn’t a single hotel. The production used the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui as the primary filming location, featuring the pool villas, main swimming pool, fitness areas, and the rooms occupied by the major characters. But the resort’s lobby, entrance driveway, security station, and jewelry store were all filmed at the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort, a different property on the island’s northern shore designed by Bill Bensley. Filming also took place at Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas on a different island altogether (Phuket), where the explosive final scenes of the season took place
The result was seamless on screen, with viewers experiencing one cohesive resort, but behind the scenes, the production team was pulling from at least half a dozen luxury properties to create the illusion. This was a significant departure from Seasons 1 and 2, each of which relied on a single Four Seasons property as its primary location.
Watch me break down the filming locations for White Lotus Season 3
Photo: Four Seasons
Season 1: Hawaii
The first season was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, a sprawling property on Wailea Beach where suites can run up to $9,000 per night. Production took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which actually worked in the show’s favor — the cast and crew lived at the hotel during the entire shoot, creating a pressure-cooker atmosphere that reportedly bled into the performances. The production designer had extensive time to customize the rooms and artwork, creating the subtly unsettling atmosphere.
Photo: Four Seasons
Season 2: Italy
Season 2 moved to the San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily — a former 14th-century Dominican convent perched on a cliff above the Ionian Sea, with views of Mount Etna and an ancient Greek amphitheater. It joined the Four Seasons portfolio in 2021, just in time for filming. The property’s centuries of history, its religious origins, and its dramatic clifftop setting perfectly complemented a season consumed by desire, betrayal, and moral reckoning.
In both cases, a single Four Seasons hotel essentially was the White Lotus. The property’s architecture, its grounds, its relationship to the surrounding landscape — all of it served the story.
THE white lotus season 4
What The Hotels Tell Us About Season 4
The two-hotel structure will mirror the season’s central tension.
Expect the “White Lotus du Cap” (the Château) to house characters seeking retreat, privacy, or escape from public life, while the “White Lotus Cannes” (the Martinez) will be home to those chasing fame, deals, and the festival’s spotlight. Characters may move between the two properties, and which hotel someone chooses (or gets stuck at) will say everything about who they are.
The setting will be less tropical, more psychological.
Every previous season drew visual energy from its natural environment, be it the ocean, volcanoes, or jungle. The French Riviera offers a different palette: manicured gardens, limestone facades, crowded terraces, the claustrophobic glamour of festival week. Show creator Mike White’s comment about departing from the “crashing waves” aesthetic suggests that interiors will matter more this season (lobbies, suites, restaurant terraces, hotel hallways), and the tension will be more social than existential.
Moving away from Four Season properties will impact the story.
For three seasons, the Four Seasons brand was the show’s silent partner (and real-world bookings at featured properties surged after each premiere). The shift to Airelles and Hyatt properties isn’t just logistical; it signals that Season 4 is about a different kind of luxury. Four Seasons represents polished, global consistency. The Château and the Martinez represent something older and more European, places where the building has a personality that predates and will outlast any guest.
The Bottom Line
If the hotels are any indication, The White Lotus Season 4 is shaping up to be the most ambitious and inventive season yet. The dual-property setup, the departure from the Four Seasons ecosystem, the festival setting, and the explicitly psychological themes all point to a season that’s less about paradise and more about performance, including what people do when the whole world might be watching, and what they do when they think it isn’t. And I can’t wait for this season to premiere!
