Cue the eerie sound of the charango: it’s almost time for season four of The White Lotus (well, kind of). Casting for the show is underway and filming is slated to kick off at the end of April, so while we’ve still got quite a wait until the hit HBO drama will grace our screens again, we at least know – after much speculation – where it’s going to be set.
Settled on 32 lush acres of jasmine, cypress trees and parasol pines is the stately Château de La Messardière, a literal palace-turned-hotel in Saint-Tropez. It’s part of the five-star Airelles Collection, and has officially been announced as the main filming location for the next season of The White Lotus. So, it turns out it won’t be filmed at a Four Seasons, after all.
‘Gatsby-esque parties’: History of Château de La Messardière
According to the Airelles website, the château has a storied past, a history that will no doubt come into play in the show’s fourth season.
The place was built in the nineteenth century as a rather extravagant wedding gift from a wealthy cognac merchant to his daughter, who then transformed it into a high-end hotel in the early twentieth century. By the Roaring Twenties, Parisian nobility would frequent the hotel for ‘Gatsby-esque parties’.
A 1989 renovation transformed the hotel from near ruin, and in the ’90s it became a hub for Saint-Tropez high life once again.
Château de La Messardière today
The lavish property has just 86 rooms and suites, which are furnished with quintessentially refined Riviera style: think intricate wallpaper, marble bathrooms, rustic tiled floors, coastal light wood and of course, sea views.
Amenities include the glimmering Airelles Spa by Valmont, an indoor pool and private beach access.
RECOMMENDED: What it’s like to stay at The White Lotus hotel in Sicily
If season three’s acclaimed ‘friendship monologue’ is anything to go by, the hotel’s restaurants will likely be play host to some pivotal moments in the upcoming series, and there are a handful on-site: Le Table de la Messardière offers lounge-worthy buffet-style dining, Matsuhisa is a mish-mash of Japanese and Peruvian food courtesy of Chef Nobu and Palladio champions elegant Italian classics.
Where else will The White Lotus season 4 be filmed?
According to Variety, a hotel in Paris and other properties on the French Riviera will also be used for filming. Oh, and it’s thought that part of the plot will revolve around the Cannes Film Festival, though that’s all very much under wraps.
Read more about the Château de La Messardière.
Did you see that a huge collection of rarely seen Matisse paintings has been donated to this European museum?
Plus: The best European travel destinations for 2026, according to editors.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.
