The White Lotus Season 4 heads to France: Saint-Tropez 19th-century castle to play a key role

Glossy series will be set largely against the epic 19th-century estate near Saint-Trope

Last updated:
Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor
3 MIN READ
Château de la Messardière, Saint Tropez
Château de la Messardière, Saint Tropez
Airelles Saint-Tropez

Dubai: Get your French ready—The White Lotus is heading to the French Riviera for its fourth season. Mike White’s acclaimed series will film at the Château de la Messardière, a historic 19th-century estate near Saint-Tropez, along with additional locations around the region and in Paris, Variety reports.

The Château, a five-star Airelles property and a Vogue-listed South of France gem, was originally built as a lavish wedding gift from a wealthy cognac merchant to his daughter. With its hilltop perch overlooking Saint-Tropez Bay, Ramatuelle’s vineyards, and Pampelonne Beach, it has long been a magnet for celebrities and jet-setters seeking the perfect mix of privacy and glamour.

Guests at the Château can enjoy a fleet of chauffeured Rolls-Royces to explore the area, or simply unwind in the lush gardens, on the tennis courts, or by the expansive central pool. With all that space, there’s plenty of room for the drama, romance, and intrigue that The White Lotus is known for.

While plot details remain under wraps, insiders hint that the story may touch on the Cannes Film Festival.

AJ Michalka and Alexander Ludwig have joined the cast, and fans are hoping for the return of a beloved familiar face, similar to Jennifer Coolidge’s surprise comeback in season two and Natasha Rothwell’s in season three.

Season four will bring some changes behind the scenes as well. Mike White revealed he wanted to shift away from the familiar “waves crashing against rocks” aesthetic, and composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer will not be returning due to creative differences.

One certainty remains: not everyone will make it out alive. “There’s always room for more murders in the White Lotus hotels,” White teased.

No release date has been confirmed yet, but late 2026 or early 2027 seems likely. Until then, let’s take a look back at the show’s stunning filming locations from previous seasons.

Season One: Maui, Hawaii


The series premiered at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea during the height of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. The cast quarantined on-site while the production team transformed the resort to fit the show’s story. The property spans 15 acres with ocean views, three pools, three restaurants, a spa, and 383 guest rooms.

Season Two: Sicily


Season two transported viewers to the hilltop town of Taormina, Sicily, at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace. This historic hotel, once a 14th-century convent, overlooks the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna in the distance. With its clifftop infinity pool, formal gardens, and elegant sea-view rooms, the setting added Mediterranean grandeur to the series. Freed from COVID restrictions, the cast and crew explored nearby towns, vineyards, and beaches, enriching the season’s immersive backdrop.

Season Three: Koh Samui, Thailand


Thailand provided the lush, tropical setting for season three. The Four Seasons Koh Samui occupies a private peninsula where hillside villas come with private pools and sweeping views of the Gulf of Thailand. The production also shot scenes at other locations across the country, including Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, giving the season a more dynamic sense of place compared to the single-location shoots of the first two seasons.

Manjusha Radhakrishnan
Manjusha RadhakrishnanEntertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor
Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema. Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman. From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.

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