There is one essential detail about the fourth season of The White Lotus, the hit series centered on a luxury hotel chain that skyrocketed in popularity after its first season: its filming location. This time, the show is set on the Côte d'Azur, moving between Cannes, Monaco, and Saint-Tropez. For those eager to plan ahead and capture the Riviera vibe, two actual filming locations are Airelles Château de la Messardière near St Tropez and the Hotel Martinez in Cannes. However, Cannes outside the film festival can be less appealing, so here are two luxury hotels in Monte Carlo and St Tropez that only need a couple of corpses for the full White Lotus effect.
Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo
The Hotel Metropole embodies the Belle Époque tradition of Monte Carlo hotels, just a short walk from Casino Square, home to the grand casino. The hotel manager, Klaus Kabelitz, notes there are two casinos, but only one is worth visiting. While Monte Carlo has lost some of its 1950s glamour or the era of Princess Grace, it retains notable elements: the Grand Prix on its streets, the splendid Belle Époque casino with marble pillars, crystal chandeliers, and murals of barely dressed nymphs. The punters, however, lack style, reminiscent of the Piccadilly Trocadero. The yachts in the bay are floating multi-million investments, each more vulgar than the last, and the tax exiles offer fascinating people-watching.
The Metropole is fabulously luxurious, with an Italianate exterior featuring statues over the entrance, masks in the wall, and panels of jasmine and rose sprays. It feels very White Lotus. The Italian restaurant, Zia, serves excellent deconstructed dishes beside a dazzling pool with an unsettling mural by Karl Lagerfeld reworking the myth of Odysseus. There, I spotted a couple who outshone all others: an aging prince and his wife, resembling Sophia Loren in her later years. Later, at Les Ambassadeurs, presided over by Michelin-starred Christophe Cussac, I had perhaps the best dinner of my life, including squab with lettuce and lobster ravioli, followed by a dessert trolley with everything imaginable. Our elderly friends were entertaining guests with the civility of a departing generation. At the end, the lady gave my daughter chocolates and macarons, declaring, "I live here! I have to! At my age it is hard to leave my home. Here I am NOBODY!" She drank more from her glass, a story in itself.
Hotel Byblos, Saint-Tropez
The Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez channels The White Lotus differently, with a 1970s Bohemian vibe. It features Provençal ceramics, Picasso-inspired murals, mosaics, an outdoor bar, and colorful bedrooms. Mick Jagger held his wedding reception here after his first marriage, staying in the presidential suite. The whole place feels like a village for the beautiful people, conceived as a perfect palace for Brigitte Bardot, who attended its 1967 launch. It is impossibly extravagant in a laid-back way. The nightclub, Les Caves du Roy, is famous; you can buy a jeroboam of Perrier Jouet for €9,000 or a methuselah for €25,000. At the Skybar, cocktails start at €50 each. There is also an excellent Sisley spa. During the season, buses take guests to the hotel's private beach with lovely sand, loungers, and an outdoor restaurant serving fresh fish. With beautiful people and attentive staff, it could hardly be bettered as a site for a few murders.
Junior Suites at Hotel Byblos from £1,025, byblos.com; Prestige Junior Suites at Hotel Metropole from £1,125, metropole.com
