White Lotus fans know that in the HBO series, in addition to the protagonists portraying deep-pocketed tourists, the hotel where the action takes place each time is a major player. Idyllic and paradisiacal, they host guests whose financial means are used to covering up their guilty secrets, weaknesses and irritating aspects even in the finest resort with dozens of employees catering to their every need. But all is revealed against the spectacular backdrop, the hotel chosen each time, a choice central to the plot.

Complete luxury within the screen
The first season is set at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea. The setting is simply stunning, beaches, waves that mesmerize with their sound, volcanic landscapes, lush tropical vegetation. The hotel is bright, spotlessly clean -employees welcome people with garlands of flowers. Everything seems perfect for the perfect holiday. But the beauty of the landscape contrasts sharply with the turmoil beneath: personal loss, betrayal, guilt, class animosity and an incredible deception by a rich woman who will offer false hope to an employee to get it back so, so obviously.

Five-Star Luxury on Screen

The first season unfolds at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea. The setting is simply stunning: beaches, waves that mesmerize with their sound, volcanic landscapes, lush tropical vegetation. The hotel itself is bright and spotless, with staff welcoming guests with flower garlands. Everything seems perfect for the ultimate holiday. Yet the beauty of the landscape stands in sharp contrast to the turmoil beneath the surface: personal loss, betrayal, guilt, class hostility, and the cruel deception of a wealthy woman who offers false hope to an employee—only to snatch it away as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The Dream Hotels of The White Lotus
One of the dreamlike backdrops of the series is the San Domenico Palace, a unique hotel overlooking Mount Etna and the bay of Taormina, Sicily.

The collaboration with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts continued into the second season, this time in enchanting Taormina. The San Domenico Palace, a beautifully restored historic hotel built atop cliffs with views of Mount Etna, provided the perfect stage. Ancient architecture, the cultural heritage of the region, gardens, and local churches all form a setting full of weight and substance—standing in sharp contrast to the shallow nature of its wealthy guests. After all, the series is a biting commentary on modern manners, the amorality of capitalism, and the psyche of those with money and power.

Season Three: Koh Samui, Thailand
The most recent season introduced viewers to the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui—an exotic resort that takes your breath away. Built on a lush green hillside with sweeping views of the Gulf of Thailand, the resort combines stunning natural beauty with traditional architecture: thatched roofs, teak wood, private infinity pools, coconut palms, and, of course, monkeys. Filmed watching curiously from above—or even laughing at human behavior—the monkeys serve as silent commentators. Creator Mike White has said he sees hotels as theatrical stages: places where people both hide and reveal their true selves. They are, essentially, gilded, beautiful cages.

Season Four: Heading to France
The new season of The White Lotus has been confirmed, and early reports reveal it will take place in France, though no hotel has been officially chosen yet. Leading contenders include Four Seasons properties: the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera, the Hôtel George V in Paris, and the Four Seasons Hotel Megève in the French Alps—with the latter currently the frontrunner.

HBO has announced that filming will begin in 2026. Mike White has hinted that he wishes to move away from the “crashing waves and rocky coastlines” of earlier seasons, making the Alps an attractive option. Should Megève be chosen, the series would for the first time unfold in winter, within an alpine atmosphere: marble fireplaces blazing, mountain vistas, and guilty secrets simmering under the snow. The hotel itself is decorated in French tradition, with white interiors harmonizing with the snowy views from its chalet windows.

Megève as a location lends itself to layered storytelling. It is one of the most elegant retreats for ski lovers, boasting a charming village center filled with alpine allure: a beautiful church at its heart, shops brimming with cashmere and exquisite homeware, and not a car in sight. Here we can imagine flirtations with ski instructors, jealous rivalries, million-euro shopping trips—and the claustrophobia of a place from which escape is not so easy.

Looking Ahead
Whether set in Megève or elsewhere, one thing is certain: the upcoming season of The White Lotus will once again prove that not all that glitters is gold. Behind the most luxurious doors lies human nature—swelling with money and ego until, inevitably, it bursts.