T+L Readers Love This Unique Resort Set on One among Hawaii’s Most Secluded Islands

For me, the 4 Seasons Resort Lanai conjures up recollections of lounging within the jacuzzi with whales breaching within the distance, selfmade popsicles in hand, and contemporary seafood eaten off a tray desk in my lounge chair. In different phrases, full-on trip mode. That stated, it’s straightforward to see why I used to be downright giddy to expertise this resort once more in June.

Quite than taking the passenger ferry from Maui, the place I’ve lived for the previous 4 years, I flew in on an eight-passenger jet by way of Lanai Air from Honolulu, as — a pleasant perk — flights are included in your keep. With entry to the posh lounge and no TSA strains, I felt like a VIP earlier than even reaching the resort.

A pleasant resort driver met me on the airport and drove me alongside windy roads lined with Cook dinner Pines (assume: extra-tall Christmas tree). After turning down Freeway 440 South, Manele Bay got here into view together with the 35-acre 4 Seasons Resort Lanai and its botanical gardens.

“There’s a sanctuary-esque kind of really feel that you simply get right here,” says Juan Leonis, resort supervisor. “We get this remark quite a bit when individuals do come right here; it’s that they’re actually capable of disconnect, that they’re actually capable of breathe and loosen up as this isn’t located on one of many larger islands or, the extra populated islands.”

About 140 sq. miles, Lanai is house to about 3,000 residents, one faculty, and plenty of magnificence. There are not any highrises, no chain eating places, and no stoplights. Vacationers who go to Lanai accomplish that for its rugged landscapes and quiet coastlines. You rating the identical dreamy views as the opposite Hawaiian islands, minus the crowds.

One factor I get pleasure from concerning the 4 Seasons is the give attention to customer support. Almost all of the employees members know your title and your dietary preferences, and workers frequently attempt to add particular touches to your journey.

“We had a pair that was married right here 10 years in the past, and our sous chef, Nick, as a substitute of simply saying, ‘Oh, what would you want for the night time?’ the crew truly recreated their dishes from their marriage ceremony,” says Leonis.

Learn on for Journey + Leisure’s full overview of this tremendous luxe resort.

The Rooms

The Manele Bay Lodge opened in 1991 and have become the 4 Seasons Lanai Resort in 2005. Quick ahead to at present, and it’s house to 213 visitor rooms and suites (ocean or backyard views) with the right combo of Japanese and Polynesian influences. Suppose zebra-wood edging and teak partitions, mahogany flooring, and wool rugs.

Rooms embrace Nespresso machines, Champagne stemware, and electrical kettles. The loos are tremendous spacious and classy with slate flooring, teak paneled partitions, double-wide rain showers, tubs and Aina tub facilities that includes regionally sourced kukui nut oil. Oh, and my favourite: Toto bathrooms that robotically open and shut — and remote-controlled lights and shades. The fridges have native beers, coconut water, and Hawaiian goodies from Manoa.

I stayed in a normal partial-ocean view room (beginning price of $1,450) on a sloping hillside with views of the Pacific. My stroll to the foyer was filled with tropical gardens, outside sculptures, and waterways stocked with koi fish.

Reserving the two-bedroom Alii Royal Suite (beginning at $26,000 per night time) secures probably the most bragging rights and comes with a personal cabana in your total keep, a devoted ambassador on name, and a Tesla 3 or Jeep rental for island galavanting.

Meals and Drink

Meals is a spotlight at any 4 Seasons resort. My first cease was lunch at Malibu Farm the place I stored my eyes on the prize (aka the Pacific Ocean) and ate contemporary mahi, an area beet salad, and a smoothie. The following day, I  ordered the identical meal from my poolside cabana and topped it off with a housemade ice cream sandwich.

Come dinnertime, Nobu Lanai gives up Japanese dishes ready with Peruvian substances. Dine on sushi and lobster, or attempt the 15-course Teppanyaki dinner expertise. For breakfast, One Forty blueberry ricotta pancakes and lychee waffles are robust to beat. My waitress was even prepared to recreate a smoothie I had at 4 Seasons Hualalai and didn’t bat an eye fixed once I realized I wanted to alter to a to-go order because it was almost time to catch the ferry to move house to Maui. For fast salads, espresso, selfmade gelato, and sammies, cease by The Break.

Actions and Experiences

You possibly can simply keep cocooned within the resort for days on finish because of courses (from musubi-making classes to ukulele workshops); a health heart with ocean views; an adults-only pool and family-friendly lagoon pool; and the 18-hole golf course. However there’s a lot to see once you enterprise out.

“Whether or not it is the taking pictures vary, the ranch, or the boats down on the harbor, all of them are managed by 4 Seasons,” says Leonis. “So we’re capable of management the expertise.”

The primary morning, I hiked to Sweetheart Rock (Puu Pehe). It was a five-minute stroll from my room to Hulopo‘e Seashore and 10 minutes uphill to the large rock protruding from the ocean ground.

Thalassophiles like me totally respect the resort’s high-speed luxe boat that takes divers and snorkelers to the prettiest spots, together with Cathedrals, a collection of undersea caverns. On a great day, 100-plus ft of visibility is normal.

Because of an enormous give attention to tradition on the resort, visitors be taught concerning the resort’s cultural artifacts, attend herbal-healing workshops, and take a deep dive into wayfinding on the on-site Lanai Observatory. The 2-story dome has a retractable roof and a telescope that weighs in at round 3,000 kilos.

“If we do not share the data, the data will get misplaced,” says Samson Kaleialohi Aki, a cultural advisor on the resort. “So we go the data and go the tales alongside.”

The Spa

On the Hawanawana Spa, therapies vary from sound remedy to ti leaf reduction wraps to full-body honey experiences. I opted for the signature facial incorporating Kerstin Florian merchandise, a papaya and pineapple enzyme peel, and a mud masks.

Proceed the blissful state with retail remedy within the spa retailer, the place you’ll discover Osea lotions, Kensko eye masks, and Malie physique wash. Retail retailers within the foyer have Christian Lacroix journals, Artesano Panama hats, Hunza G swimsuits, Bembien tote baggage, and Prada sun shades.

Household-friendly Choices

Youngsters for All Seasons — for visitors 5 to 12 years outdated — is complimentary. For youthful kiddos, non-public nanny service is on the market. From tide-pool journeys to make-your-own-food nights, kids won’t ever be bored.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The resort has 9 ADA-compliant rooms, some with roll-in showers, decrease cupboards, and closets. All eating places have elevator entry, there’s a wheelchair ramp to the seaside, and the pool has an ADA-compliant raise. Service animals are welcome.

Poolside, visitors have complimentary Mission Reef sunscreen, which is reef-safe; reusable Ocean Bottles can be found with water-refill stations all through; and the natural landscaping is spectacular.

Location

A few 20-minute drive from the one-runway Lanai Airport, the resort is perched on a cliff above Manele Bay.

In the event you’re coming from Maui, take the Expeditions Maui-Lanai Passenger Ferry ($26.50 a method). As you journey via the ‘Au’au Channel, be looking out for dolphins, sea turtles, and whales (throughout whale season from December to March). Lanai is roughly 10 miles west of Maui, so the boat trip is barely an hour and quarter-hour. From Honolulu, it’s a 25-minute flight by way of Hawaiian Airways, Mokulele Airways or Lanai Air.

You possibly can simply go and not using a automobile throughout your keep, however if you happen to’d wish to discover by yourself, e book a Jeep on website.

The way to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Flights from Honolulu on Lanai Air are included in your keep. Lodge loyalty packages embrace 4 Seasons Most well-liked Companions, American Categorical, Virtuoso, Chase, and Internova.