High above the terracotta rooftops and turquoise sweep of the Baie de Saint‑Tropez, a 19th‑century castle is preparing for its close‑up.
Château de la Messardière a long symbol of Riviera romance and aristocratic whimsy will serve as the primary filming location for Season 4 of The White Lotus, bringing HBO’s glossy satire to one of France’s most storied hilltops.
If previous seasons leaned on tropical escapism, this one is rooted in old‑world grandeur. The Messardière is no ordinary luxury hotel: it’s a 32‑acre estate of cypress‑lined pathways, sculpted gardens, and panoramic terraces that seem to float above the Mediterranean. Originally built in the late 1800s by a wealthy brandy merchant as a wedding gift for his young bride, the château has lived many lives, as aprivate residence, artists’ retreat and a discreet Riviera hideaway before its most recent transformation under the Airelles Collection. A meticulous, multimillion‑euro restoration has returned the property to its Belle Époque splendour, pairing frescoed ceilings and wrought‑iron balconies with contemporary French elegance.
Guests arrive to a world that feels suspended in time. Suites spill out onto private terraces; the infinity pool mirrors the sky; and the estate’s signature pastel‑yellow façade glows at sunset like a lantern above the bay. The hotel’s five restaurants — including a Provençal fine‑dining room and a breezy terrace overlooking Pampelonne, draw a mix of yacht‑hoppers, fashion insiders, and low‑key billionaires who prefer their luxury with a whisper rather than a shout. Even the journey to the beach is elevated: guests are ferried down the hill in Rolls‑Royce house cars to Jardin Tropezina, the hotel’s chic private beach club.
It’s easy to see why the production chose it. The Messardière offers a cinematic blend of intimacy and scale: cloistered courtyards for conspiratorial conversations, sweeping staircases for dramatic entrances, and endless Riviera light that flatters even the most chaotic storyline. Its vantage point high enough to feel secluded, close enough to the action and mirrors the duality that defines Saint‑Tropez itself: a village of fishermen and film stars, rustic markets and Champagne‑sprayed beach parties.
Filming will unfold across the estate and the wider region, but the château is the season’s anchor, its character woven into the show’s DNA. The property’s history, its aristocratic quirks, and its unmistakable Riviera glamour give the new season a texture distinct from Hawaii, Sicily, or Thailand. This is a world shaped by legacy rather than novelty, by inherited wealth rather than sudden fortune, a shift that promises a fresh flavour in the world of The White Lotus.