It's summit for all White Lotus lovers

Megeve in the French Alps would have been the ideal location for a new series, says MILO BOYD, who found the slopes, spa and dining suitably glam and dazzling

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M De Megeve Hotel

The White Lotus is returning for a fourth season, this time to the Chateau de La Messardiere - a literal palace-turned-hotel that sits in 32 lush acres of jasmine, cypress trees and parasol pines in France's Saint-Tropez.

While there is no doubt the show will continue to dazzle, thrill and surprise on the Mediterranean, its genius creator, Mike White, has missed an opportunity. There is a resort 300 miles north that offers a far richer tapestry of the historical glamour and new money intrigue that is foundational to the HBO smash. And it provides an excuse to drop a yodelling theme tune. That place is Megeve and the specific hotel, the M De Megeve.

The small ski resort is tucked 1,400m up the French Alps, in the shadow of Mont Blanc. Although the village of 3,000 might be less well known than Tignes or Val d'Isere, it is beloved by the mega-rich and French aristocracy. In fact, Megeve's very monied roots date back to the late 1910s when Noemie de Rothschild - tired of bumping into German arms dealers in Switzerland's Saint Moritz - decided to put the tiny rural settlement on the map.

In the 100 years since, dozens of ski lifts have popped up across 400km of interconnected pistes, several Michelin-starred chefs have settled into Alpine life there and high-end hotels rivalling those shown off in The White Lotus have welcomed in the global elite.

In January, I snuck in alongside the international great and good for a weekend at M De Megeve, a five-star joint that is a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World club. It is a spellbinding place.