Inside the luxury French Riviera hotels where the White Lotus season 4 will take place
An international film festival isn’t the only thing heating up the French Riviera this summer. In fact, Cannes is keeping the red carpet rolled out for a little while after the Palme d’Or is awarded and the festival ends for a slightly unexpected star: the cast and crew of The White Lotus season 4. Anyone keeping up with the series already knows that the popular Côte d'Azur city and its film festival will double as the next backdrop for the hit HBO series’s next installment.
The season, which follows two rival film teams both competing in the festival, will start production in the days immediately following the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. To recreate their own version of the prestigious festival after the actual event’s close, the show will use Cannes’ famed Palais des Festivals steps, red carpet, and a few of the French Riviera’s historic and celebrity-favored hotels. Specifically, the show will film at the Airelles Château de la Messardière and Hôtel Martinez, per a statement from Warner Bros. Discovery. Though these Côte d'Azur institutions will be re-cast as White Lotus properties in the world of the show, their connection to the area, as well as the festival, runs deep.
Airelles Château de la Messardière as the White Lotus du Cap
Exterior of Château Hotel de la Messardière.
The two rival film teams in this upcoming White Lotus season each stay in different White Lotus properties. One opts for a property right in the heart of Cannes, while the other elects a chateau ensconced amid the rolling oceanside hills of the French Riviera, according to Variety. Airelles Château de la Messardière offers the stage for the latter, portraying the show’s White Lotus du Cap.
Located a little over an hour outside of Cannes, villas surround a main château dotted with four towers. Rolls-Royces chauffeured by the hotel shuttle guests—who could be paying anywhere between $3,000 and $8,000 a night for one of the Saint-Tropez property’s 86 rooms—around town and to the beach, and staff remains readily on call to address any need.
Poppy Delevingne inside Hôtel Martinez.
The property itself isn’t located especially close to Cannes, which might mean the show is conducting a bit of geography-bending for the purposes of the story. Still, like many hotels dotted along the Côte d'Azur, Château de La Messardière comes with a storied history. Cognac merchant Gabriel Dupuy d’Angeac built the estate in the 19th century as a wedding gift for his daughter. By the time the roaring ‘20s rolled around, the chateau turned into a hotel that specifically catered to the rich, glamorous, and famous, hosting lavish parties and members of French high society alike. The estate received a restoration and expansion in 1989, making it the luxurious hotel it is today.
Hôtel Martinez as the White Lotus Cannes
Hôtel Martinez is to Cannes Film Festival what The Mark Hotel is to the Met Gala. Located right in the heart of the Croisette and just a short walk from the Palais des Festivals, it’s one of the go-to spots for stars during the international film festival. It’ll stand in for the White Lotus Cannes, where the season’s second competing film will stay.
Inside Hôtel Martinez’s Palme d’Or restaurant.
Since its opening in 1929, the Art Deco hotel has become legendary. The property’s pristine white and rich blue velvet staircase has long been the set for many Cannes pre-red carpet or gala photoshoots. The Palme d'Or restaurant—named after the festival’s highest accolade—boasts dark wood and golden-hued interiors. The hotel’s bar also features rich velvet and Art Deco-inspired interiors that could serve as the setting for some of that high-stakes, famous White Lotus gossip.
