The New ‘White Lotus’ Location Will Cost You $20,000 Per Night
Fabio Lovino/HBO
https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/france/experiences/news/the-new-white-lotus-location-will-cost-you-20-000-per-night
The TV series will take you to the French Riviera this time.
Roll out the Rolls-Royce, because it’s happening. The popular HBO series The White Lotus is returning for another season, and this time, you’ll see the rich and famous frolicking in the French Riviera. The fourth season will be shot at the luxurious Château de La Messardière in Saint-Tropez, in the southwest region of France. If you’re bucket-listing all The White Lotus hotels, get ready to spend as much as $20,000 per night to stay in one of its suites.
Featuring 86 rooms and suites, the 19th-century palace is set within 32 acres of jasmine, pine, and cypress trees. It was originally a wedding gift from wealthy merchant Gabriel Dupuy d’Angeac to his daughter Louise Dupuy D’Angeac and has had multiple owners over the years. In 2019, it became part of the Airelles Collection—a hotel group owned by French businessman Stephane Courbit—and reopened in 2021.
The palace offers sea-view, pool-view, and garden-view accommodations, along with several restaurants and bars, a spa, and a kids’ club. Guests can enjoy outdoor cinema, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, and the hotel concierge can help with anything else.
If you have your eye on a room, the resort opens in April. A deluxe poolside room that weekend costs €1,488 ($1,733) per night for two, with breakfast. Meanwhile, the most expensive room listed on the website is the 2,900-square-foot residence with four bedrooms, living and dining areas, a fully equipped kitchen, private garden and pool, and a terrace. It costs €18,000 ($20,973) per night.
Or you could wait for the show’s release to check out the rooms and the vibe before entering your credit card details.
The White Lotus has typically filmed at Four Seasons properties for its first three seasons; however, in season four, the show is abandoning the luxury chain for Airelles.
So far, show has taken its viewers to Hawaii (Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea), Sicily (San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel), and Thailand (Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, with some scenes filmed at other hotels, like the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas). The dark comedy, set in paradise-like destinations, depicts the whims and fancies of the ultra-wealthy on their holidays—it often does not end well. People are hooked to the drama, but the series also delivers on stunning settings. Each season, characters stay at the fictional White Lotus hotel and experience white-glove service while their lives unravel.
Films and TV locations have always inspired travel, from Harry Potter and Game of Thrones to Sherlock Holmes and Emily in Paris. However, the aspirational nature of The White Lotus has triggered the so-called White Lotus effect, with travelers becoming captivated by these locations and planning their own vacations around these glamorous hotels. In fact, Four Seasons has designed a 20-day holiday at the resorts featured in the show (and more) that costs $188,000, should you need travel ideas—or a private jet.
According to Variety, filming begins at the end of April and will continue until October. The fourth season is also expected to feature Paris, and more locations will certainly go viral following the show’s release later this year or in early 2027.
Beach bodies: Hotel performance along the Gulf Coast goes beyond the sand
https://hotelsmag.com/news/built-for-the-beach-the-design-and-construction-strategies-driving-gulf-coast-hotels/
Story contributed by David Green, commercial division manager, and Matt Self, project director of construction firm Robins & Morton.
Call it the Florida Panhandle or the Emerald Coast, with lively entertainment districts, pristine white sands and clear waters, beaches throughout the region, and into the Alabama coast, regularly rank among the most popular coastal getaways in the U.S. Rising above the region’s natural beauty, however, is what keeps vacationers coming back: high-quality properties that deliver comfort, consistency and a true sense of place.
Although vacation often calls for exploration, travelers need a comfortable basecamp that offers convenience and a glimpse into what makes each destination special. With a variety of hospitality options in high-tourism areas, brands stand out through thoughtful construction and design choices while embracing a local ethos to make every stay an experience. That link between the physical product and demand is showing up in the data: J.D. Power’s 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study tied higher satisfaction to investments in guest-room décor/furnishings and bathroom updates and found overall satisfaction is 68 points higher among guests who use a hotel brand’s mobile app.
In each boutique and luxury property we’ve worked on, we’ve seen repeatable patterns across cycles, brand standards and coastal-market constraints, as well as how construction can further tourism in key markets when paired with a well-informed location and smart design.
Location, Branding and Amenities
For many property brands and developers, site selection hinges on a blend of availability and return on investment and in 2026, speed-to-market. Part of estimating return on investment lies in economic opportunities and unique experiences available in the area, such as celebrations and music festivals.
For example, Robins & Morton’s recently completed Embassy Suites by Hilton Gulf Shores Beach Resort project in Alabama sits on the beachside and directly adjacent to The Hangout, a restaurant and live entertainment venue. The Hangout famously hosts a summer music festival, formerly known as Hangout Fest and recently rebranded as Sand In My Boots. The city also boasts famous events such as its annual Shrimp Festival in the fall, which brings thousands of visitors to the area in need of a place to stay.
In addition to the vibrance of the beachfront experience, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Gulf Shores Beach Resort offers numerous amenities. For example, its retail space is currently occupied by a Starbucks and will soon be home to Sweet Cone Alabama, an ice cream shop. The resort also features Tide & Table, a restaurant with an indoor-outdoor bar and an ocean view; The Cove Bar, a poolside bar with cocktails and light bites; and Sound Wave, an outdoor venue for live entertainment with food and beverage options.
Branding and consistent guest experience also motivate travelers and drive bookings. For instance, Robins & Morton is currently building the latest property in the Compass Hotel by Margaritaville portfolio in Panama City Beach, Fla. The Compass Hotel’s guest experience and the Margaritaville brand will attract travelers to the area through its network of properties, reputation and amenities.
Immersive Guest Experience
For some brands and developers, the allure of a property is in its reflection of the community. Travelers looking for a more authentic local experience are drawn to historic properties or locales that incorporate nods to the area in both design and culinary flavor.
Robins & Morton completed a down-to-the-studs renovation of a former Best Western hotel, transforming it into the Hilton Tapestry – Beal House, a high-end boutique property in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The hotel’s namesake, Dr. James Hartley Beal, was a pharmacist, educator and early resident of Fort Walton Beach whose vision continues to influence the community today. To honor Dr. Beal and the city’s culture, OTO Development worked with Robins & Morton and Pond—a full-service interior design, architecture and engineering firm—to honor his legacy in the hotel design.
The design is visible from a guest’s first steps in the door, as they’re greeted by a mosaic seashell wall—a tribute to Dr. Beal’s avid seashell collecting hobby. Outside, the pool and bar area features murals painted by a Florida Panhandle-based artist. Adaptive reuse also requires a different level of preconstruction diligence—including unknown existing conditions; mechanical, electrical and plumbing constraints; and tighter phasing, so design intent and opening dates stay protected.
Although hotels tend to be havens for tourists, the former Best Western had become a gathering place for locals too, with many residents meeting there for cocktails and small bites. To preserve local rituals, OTO Development upgraded the hotel’s kitchen, restaurant and bar while maintaining its previous intimate ambiance, creating Remedy Coastal Kitchen and Bar.
In addition to its on-property features, the hotel is located less than a mile from major city attractions, including the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park and Okaloosa Island Boardwalk.
Engaging the Right Construction Partner
When embarking on new construction or renovation projects for tourism-driving properties, one of the most important decisions a brand or developer makes is its choice of construction partner. General contractors and construction managers are responsible for executing the intricate designs while maintaining the budget, schedule and quality of the finished property—the foundation for protecting an investment.
Choosing a partner with repeat hospitality experience and a transparent preconstruction process is essential. For example, coastal properties often require unique approaches for energy and water management infrastructure, indoor/outdoor pools and commercial kitchens. Additionally, they require resilient design components and compliance with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environment Protection Agency, including dune protection and turtle-friendly lighting. Pairing an understanding of the client’s budget and experience with these elements means asking the right questions, suggesting smart swaps for cost management, drawing upon lessons learned with the installation of high-end finishes and bringing vetted solutions to the table for requested changes. Equally important in 2026 is the procurement strategy for long-lead items such as elevators, kitchen equipment, switchgear and specialty glazing, which can make or break an opening tied to peak season.
While delivering a high-quality hotel or resort on time and within budget is the primary measure of success for a construction team, the reward is the property’s legacy. Knowing that the construction and design team’s efforts will become part of core memories, drive tourism and contribute to the economic success of the community is what makes building hospitality properties especially meaningful.
If You’re Feeling Kinky, Head to the Pacific Northwest
Rotozey/Shutterstock
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/pacific-northwest-kink-guide-dungeons-galas-consent
Come for the coffee and weed, stay for the rental dungeons, fetish galas, and an unapologetic credo of sex positivity.
Kink is more mainstream than ever—from Alexander Skarsgård as a leather daddy in Pillion to the rise of dark romance books, thanks to TikTok—more people are becoming curious about the world of BDSM and fetish. Though in the Pacific Northwest, it’s not a counterculture—and hasn’t been for a long time.
FetLife, one of the oldest and most popular social media platforms for the BDSM and fetish community, is headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. San Francisco has the historic Folsom Street Fair and a legacy of gay leather fetish, and in Oregon and Washington, you’ll find the land of sex-positive journalist Dan Savage (and his HUMP!), kink conferences with equitable scholarship programs, and a community of kinksters both online and IRL with a brick-and-mortar infrastructure to support healthy “play.”
Kink is thriving in the Upper Left Corner of this country, and if you’re a newbie, there’s no better place to visit.
According to Feeld, one of the leading dating apps for the kink community, Portland and Seattle earned a slew of superlatives last year. In the 2025 Feeld Raw report, Portland and Seattle are the top two cities in the world for several roles within power exchange dynamics, also known as dominant and submissive (D/s). Portland also has the most submissives and switches (those who fluctuate between dominant and submissive roles) in the world—and Seattle is right behind in second place for both.
Additionally, Portland has the most bottoms per capita. And Seattle has the most tops. (While these terms have historically—rather, stereotypically—been used in the gay community, sapphic and straight kinksters use them, too.)
A representative for Feeld provided Fodor’s with additional PNW data not included in the annual report, and, again, Oregon and Washington took top honors. Portland and Seattle were the No. 2 and No. 3 cities in the world that expressed “brat” as a desire. (Thanks to Charli XCX, the term is more popular than ever, but within kink, it’s a subcategory of feisty submissives.) Seattle and Portland were also No. 2 and No. 3 worldwide for the most open relationships, and were the top two cities with the highest couple-to-singles ratio. And Portland was Feeld’s No. 2 city worldwide for users who expressed role-play as a desire. As for number one? That distinction goes to the city of San Francisco.
A spokesperson for BeeDee, a leading dating app for the BDSM community, told Fodor’s that the PNW is one of the app’s busiest regions. Portland and Seattle are two of its largest hubs where the app sees the most traffic, but it’s also the IRL experiences and historic institutions in the PNW that continue to mark this region as the kink capital of the U.S.
While Portland’s Jupiter Hotel—like most boutique properties these days—has curated content on its website with foodie guides, adventure guides, and advertorial copy that creates a sense of place for guests, it also has a local kink guide, with insider spots that run the gamut, from naked karaoke to leather-and-lace masquerades. And this is not posted as a touristy gimmick, but with the same nonchalant attitude you’d ask housekeeping for extra towels.
“The Pacific Northwest has always attracted people who are willing to question norms and build their own communities, and Portland’s kink scene reflects that spirit,” a spokesperson for the Jupiter Hotel told Fodor’s. “There’s a strong emphasis on consent, education, openness, and mutual respect, which makes the city appealing not just to locals, but to travelers looking for a place where curiosity is welcomed rather than judged.”
Seattle Fetish Ball
Curiosity is at the heart of Seattle’s kink scene, too, especially with nonprofits Center for Sex Positive Culture (CSPC), which has been around since the 1990s, and Kink Center, which opened in May 2025 in the historically-queer Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The CSPC is considered by many as the “backbone of the community,” providing a “home base” with weekly programming, workshops, and play parties. It’s membership-only, though you can attend an orientation (which is an hour of lessons on everything, from sexual health and how arousal in the heat of the moment alters your brain chemistry and decision-making skills to an empowering exercise in consent and saying “no”) and purchase a temporary membership if you’re visiting and would like to attend a play party.
While the Kink Center hosts events, too, it’s a “third space” with an emphasis on socials—a.k.a. “munches”—which are ideal for newbies looking for community just as much as looking for kink itself. “While we are kink-based, not all of the events hosted at our venue are kink-focused,” said the director of marketing for Kink Center, who asked to be identified as Luna. “Events such as Kinky Craft Night and various support groups are hosted at our venue, which gives people low-pressure opportunities to connect with each other.”
“Seattle has always been a safe harbor for alternative and queer lifestyles,” said the executive director and co-founder of Kink Center, who asked to be identified as Raven. “It’s not a surprise that kink and fetish lifestyles thrive here and are a little more in the spotlight than in other cities. More and more queer business owners and openly-queer workers keep reinforcing this social contract and making it safer and safer for organizations like ours to succeed.”
Beyond play and educational entertainment, there’s a strong sense of pride throughout Seattle’s sex-positive community. And the Seattle Fetish Ball is one of the marquee events in town for being unapologetically kinky. Gabriel Milian, founder and producer of this “Gala for the Deviants,” wanted to create a place where “the focus is on radical self-expression.”
“For a long time, kinky spaces were often relegated to basements or strictly ‘play-focused’ environments,” said Milian. “Seattle Fetish Ball is about celebration and presentation. We enforce a strict dress code because we believe that when you dress with intention and purpose, the energy of the room shifts. It becomes a living art gallery of leather, latex, and avant-garde fashion.”
The third annual Seattle Fetish Ball is set for March 28. However, if you’re not ready to see and be seen in your bondage wear, you can always rent private time at The Crow’s Nest Escape, a highly themed and immersive BDSM and fetish play studio, outfitted with all the furniture, toys, and gear to explore a cornucopia of scenes and role play.
And, yes, Portland has a playroom, too, at Sub Rosa. The boutique dungeon even has kink coaches, giving a whole new meaning to the “skillcation” trend.
The Effort to Create the First-Ever National List of Endangered Latinx Landmarks
Shutterstock/Fotogro
https://www.fodors.com/news/history/endangered-latinx-landmarks-face-erasure-as-federal-preservation-cuts-loom
With Latinx sites making up less than 1% of the National Register, a new campaign highlights 13 endangered landmarks threatened by development, neglect, and funding cuts.
Latinx contributions to society are in peril without conservation efforts. In May, President Trump proposed a $158-million cut to the federal Historic Preservation Fund. Despite Latinx communities representing nearly 20% of the U.S. population, fewer than 1% of sites on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) reflect Latinx history. The NRHP is an official list administered by the National Park Service of historic buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts in need of conservation due to their contribution to U.S. architecture, archaeology, culture, or engineering.
“While many landmarks are preserved, Latinx history is often overlooked and undervalued in the national conversation. Latinx historic places are erased in the name of development and fast-paced growth,” says Sehila Mota Casper, executive director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC). “We’re at a critical moment where we must act quickly to save these landmarks before they’re lost forever.”
There has never been a national inventory or effort to preserve Latinx landmarks. Due to a lack of conservation, Latinx landmarks are disappearing across the country. The Endangered Latinx Landmarks campaign by LHC is the first national effort to identify, name, and advocate for these sites. The sites are organized into six threat categories—demolition, gentrification, displacement, climate disasters, abandonment, and physical deterioration.
Due to a lack of conservation, Latino landmarks are disappearing across the country. For instance, Circus Disco, which opened in 1975 in Los Angeles, California, was an LGBTQ+ and Latino cultural venue but was demolished in 2016 for mixed-use development. Univision Studios Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, was built in 1961 and was one of the earliest Spanish-language media productions. It was demolished in 2013. The Palladium Ballroom in New York City was known as the “Home of the Mambo” and was demolished in 1966.
To help resolve this challenge, LHC launched the Endangered Latinx Landmarks campaign to create the first-ever national inventory of at-risk historic sites that capture the broader contributions of these communities to society. “By identifying and advocating for these endangered landmarks, we can galvanize support from local communities, elected officials, preservation organizations, and philanthropists to help save them,” says Casper.
The inaugural list features 13 sites across 10 states, reflecting the depth of Latino history throughout the country. The landmarks face urgent threats because most haven’t received public funding. The idea for this list emerged from a critical need to address the lack of recognition for threatened and endangered Latinx historical sites.
LHC received 26 nominations of threatened and endangered sites in the U.S. and Puerto Rico from community members nationwide who highlighted each site’s significance, outlined the specific threats it faces, and proposed preservation solutions to ensure its protection for future generations. The nonprofit collaborated with a committee of experts on Latino heritage, including preservationists, historians, and community activists, to select the 13 on the list. “We focused on sites that are under imminent threat and represent the breadth and geographic diversity of the Latinx experience,” Casper says.
From a historic carriage house to an LGBTQ+ bar, the sites showcase the diaspora that defines Latinx identity. “Latinxs are narrated as newcomers stealing someone else’s birthright. Maintaining landmarks gives lie to these stereotypes: some landmarks speak to Latinxs who didn’t cross the border because the border crossed them, other landmarks highlight histories of us who positively transformed new communities through our presence, but all landmarks show how we’re part of and not foreign to this land,” says Carlos Alonso Nugent, a historian at Columbia University focusing on the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. “Like many-sided prisms, Latinx heritage sites refract all the stories of the Americas—stories of colonization and resistance, enslavement and freedom, migration and homecoming.”
Each site reflects Latino cultural contributions across the U.S., such as Barrio Chihuahuita, the oldest neighborhood in El Paso, Texas, known as “Ellis Island of the West” as it’s been a vital passageway for Mexican immigrants for generations. The debut list also includes the Grand Performance Mural, which was painted in 1984 and depicts portraits of cultural figures, including Ray Patlán, a Latinx muralist known for art that addressed issues of labor, social justice, and Central American stories. In New Mexico, the list highlights Plaza del Cerro in Chimay, which was founded around 1730 and is the best remaining example of a Spanish Colonial plaza in the Southwest.
Many of these places are threatened by ongoing gentrification and deferred maintenance. “The goal is to highlight these sites as powerful markers of the Latinx community’s enduring resilience in the U.S. We’re refusing to let these important places fade from public memory,” Casper says.
In 1990, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Mural was painted in Chicago, Illinois, outside of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which has been serving predominantly Mexican families since 1923; it was the first house of worship in Chicago to offer services in Spanish. The church lost more parishioners in the Vietnam War than any parish in the country.
The public art honors the 12 fallen soldiers, including brothers Alfred Urdiales, Jr., and Charles Urdiales, Jr., with individual portraits. “War is decided and run by people who never see the frontlines. When the U.S. government called on its countrymen to serve, 12 Mexican-American men not only answered the call, but gave their lives for it. This is a rare piece of history that preserves the memory of that moment,” says Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu, a Mexico City-born writer who is now based in Chicago.
Environmental exposure over the decades has severely damaged the mural that memorializes the contributions of Latinx veterans and serves as a community space for remembrance. The street art needs to be restored after the wall it’s painted on is tuckpointed, an improvement that’s estimated to cost $100,000.
Also on the list in Tucson, Arizona, is a culinary cornerstone of Barrio Anita — theAnita Street Market. It’s beloved for its family recipes, including award-winning burritos, red chili sauce, and handmade flour tortillas. The tortilla shop opened in the 1980s by Grace and Mario Soto, who remain the owners today. Serious structural issues, including roof leaks and a broken HVAC system, place the site at risk.
“Anita Street Market represents many of the beloved food spaces that are vital to Latinx neighborhoods. Like food, they nourish both spiritually and physically,” says Estella González, a Tucson-based Latina author. “Barrio Anita is a Mexicano barrio—preservation of historical communities before they’re uprooted and completely excised from cultural memory is essential.”
Meanwhile, about 25 miles east of Austin, Texas, the Elgin Mexican Cemetery, renowned for its handmade markers adorned with traditional Mexican folk motifs, is at risk due to decades of neglect, exacerbated by natural disasters and climate change, including flooding. The historic burial ground, which dates to 1904, an era of racial segregation, contains more than 100 graves, many of which are unmarked. Mexican-American veterans from World War I and presumably from the Spanish-American War are laid to rest here.
Local community members do their best to preserve the cemetery, but broader support is needed to protect this heritage site, warranting it a spot on the list. “It was hidden by brush and tree limbs that had broken some markers. Half of the crosses were covered by overgrown poison ivy vines. Then, one descendant hacked and pruned the vegetation away. The irises began to flower again,” says local Deb Wahrmund.
Then there’s California, which is home to so many of the country’s Latino landmarks. Since 1963, the historic gay bar, The Silver Platter, has been a safe haven for cultural expression and activism for immigrant, queer, and trans Latinx communities in Los Angeles. “The Silver Platter is where I felt our community’s power and joy shine through hardship,” says Maria Roman, vice president of the TransLatin@ Coalition. “It was a sanctuary for migrant trans women who faced criminalization, poverty, and violence outside its doors. It offered a sense of belonging, where our language, culture, and identities were not only visible, but celebrated.”
Now, the gay bar is in danger of being demolished because the Los Angeles City Planning Department approved a development project to turn the site into new apartments. “Preserving The Silver Platter isn’t just about saving a building; it’s about honoring the lives, legacies, and memories of those who passed through its doors. Protecting it is an act against erasure,” Roman says.
LHC’s 2025 Endangered Latinx Landmarks list also includes Las Barracas, an agricultural labor house for Mexican migrant farmworkers in Longmont, Colorado; Unity Mural is one of Washington, D.C.’s oldest street murals as it was painted in 1982 by youth from the Latin American Youth Center and El Centro de Arte with motifs that reflects Latinx cultural heritage; San Felipe de Neri Carriage House, a deteriorating adobe structure on the National Register of Historic Places in Albuquerque, New Mexico; El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus in Ruidosa, Texas, a historic adobe church built by local Mexican laborers dating back to 1915; The MACSA Youth Center, built in 1995 in East San José for Latinx youth in San José, California; and Murales de la Calle 24 in San Francisco, California’s Mission District which is known for its rich Latinx heritage.
The Endangered Latinx Landmarks campaign is more than just a list of places; it’s a testament to the ongoing contributions of Latino people in this country. “These sites prove that Latinxs have both deep roots and far-reaching impacts, and that just as we’ve shaped this country’s past, we’ll continue to shape its future,” says Nugent.
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