It’s time to break out the passport again. HBO’s Emmy-winning hit series The White Lotus is preparing to check in at a brand-new destination for Season 4, and this time, the production has reportedly set its sights on France. According to a report from Variety, the network has been scouting high-end properties in both Paris and along the French Riviera, marking the show’s first European venture into a metropolitan backdrop.
While HBO has not publicly confirmed the news, the early details suggest notable changes ahead for the critically acclaimed anthology. For its previous three seasons, the series partnered with the Four Seasons brand, filming at its resorts in Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand. However, sources indicate the production will not be renewing that marketing arrangement, opening the door to a broader range of luxury hotels and potentially shifting the overall aesthetic of the show.
Among the venues reportedly being considered are the iconic Ritz Paris and Le Lutetia, a five-star property within the Mandarin Oriental group. Creator Mike White also visited Hotel Negresco in Nice earlier this year, a clue that fuels speculation of more Riviera glamour in the upcoming storyline.
The decision to lean into France is intriguing, especially after White’s earlier comments hesitating to choose a world-famous capital. Following the Season 3 finale, he told The Hollywood Reporter that returning to a familiar tourism hub “felt like a cop-out” and emphasized the cultural impact the show can bring to lesser-spotlighted destinations. But in HBO’s official after-show, White hinted at a shift away from the beach-vacation blueprint that defined earlier seasons, saying he wanted to “get a little bit out of the crashing waves on rocks vernacular” — though he added there’s always room for “more murders at the White Lotus hotels.”
HBO executives appear to have been planning the next location for months. Network drama chief Francesca Orsi revealed in February that scouting would begin in the spring and hinted strongly that Europe was the most likely landing spot. With France now at the center of the rumor mill, fans are speculating whether the shift toward city-based storytelling will alter the show’s tone — and its trademark satirical bite.
Since its 2021 debut, The White Lotus has captivated audiences with lavish settings, sharp social commentary, and a signature mystery structure: every season opens with the discovery of at least one dead body, leaving viewers to untangle the clues as wealthy guests unravel over the course of a weeklong stay. Season 1 filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii, while Season 2 moved to the San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily. The latest chapter, set in Thailand, was shot across multiple high-end properties, including Four Seasons Koh Samui, Anantara Bophut, and Rosewood Phuket.
Despite the jet-set luxury, the series has become known less for glamorous travel escapism and more for exposing the insecurities, moral failures, and cultural blind spots of the ultra-privileged. With France on deck — a country where class, art, tourism, and wealth collide constantly — the satire practically writes itself.
Production is expected to begin next year, and casting announcements are likely to trickle out in the months ahead. Fans of the anthology format know to expect a blend of returning favorites and new faces, along with the show’s trademark tension simmering just below the polished surface.
If the rumors hold, viewers may soon find themselves immersed in the opulent corridors of Parisian hotels, against backdrops ranging from riverside promenades to Mediterranean coastlines filled with old-money secrets. One thing’s clear: wherever the White Lotus brand goes, drama — and tragedy — inevitably follows.
Stay tuned. The next check-in is already looking deliciously dangerous.