Three seasons in, The White Lotus viewers have come to expect two things: an unidentified dead body in the opening scene and a new luxury resort setting. While the HBO show’s fictional White Lotus hotel chain is a work of creator/director Mike White’s imagination, the series is shot at very real Four Seasons properties around the globe.
Since the Emmy Award-winning drama premiered in 2021, there’s been a rise in set-jetting, where fans of shows and movies vacation to specific places to walk in the same places that their favorite characters did. In the case of The White Lotus, that means amazing escapes such as Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Italy’s Four-Star San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel and Thailand’s Four-Star Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.
While Forbes Travel Guide readers shared their wish list of hotels for the program’s fourth season, all clues point to France being the exciting new backdrop. As fans and hotel buffs wait for storylines to unfold, the current mystery centers around which Four Seasons property might score the starring role. We have a clear leading suspect in the French Riviera, but there could be some plot twists.
Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel
The Five-Star hotel is the likeliest luxury property to receive top billing next season. The serenity of this secluded Côte d’Azur retreat provides a tranquil foil for The White Lotus’ explosive drama.
A yacht, like the one Cap-Ferrat has available for guests, is always a compelling plot point. The sun-splashed seawater infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean is a scene-stealing shot. The 17 acres of terraced landscaping practically beg for a chase sequence. And with Monaco nearby, there are even more glamorous location possibilities.
However, it is the hotel’s access to water that makes it a strong contender. What would Season One have been like without those poignant glimpses of the Pacific surf? Would we even remember Season Two without its ominous soundtrack of crashing waves? Creator White consistently returns to two central themes — wealth and water — that happen to be essential to Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat’s mystique.
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
While the series has traditionally been set in more tucked-away locations, the allure of a city as vibrant as Paris is undeniable. Imagine the kind of spectacles that could unfold in the shadowy corners of the Champs-Élysées, Avenue Montaigne or Avenue Georges V.
Of course, White Lotus viewers have tagged along for field trips in prior seasons, such as Harper and Daphne’s girls’ getaway to Villa Tasca in Palermo, Sicily, in Season Two, or Rick’s clandestine reconnaissance mission to Bangkok the following season. With that in mind, what better place for some off-resort canoodling than the City of Romance itself? The Old World opulence of Paris and the legendary Five-Star hotel would have viewers swooning.
Four Seasons Hotel Megève
The Four Seasons’ other French property, in the ski destination of Megève in the French Alps, is the dark horse in this race, but fans of The White Lotus have come to expect surprises. The show’s past three seasons have all taken place in sunny locations, a sharp contrast with the often-dark motives of the central characters. Still, this 55-room ski-in, ski-out resort’s dramatic Alpine scenery would add a new edge with wintry spots for murderous mischief.
Of course, the resort is also open during the summer, offering cinematic adventures such as hot-air ballooning, rock climbing and clay pigeon shooting in warmer months.
