2020 Update: Four Seasons Lanai reopens on November 20, 2020
This Four Seasons Lanai Review is part of a Hawaii trip report and site inspection trip, including Delta One LAX-Honolulu, Hawaiian Air First Class, and stays at luxury resorts on Oahu and Maui.
Lanai is a tiny island just a short flight from Honolulu, and home to just a little over 3000 inhabitants. Known by locals as the “pineapple island” from its years of growing Dole pineapples, it became known in 1994 as the location of the highly secretive wedding of Bill and Melinda Gates. Bill Gates took the precaution of booking all the rooms in the Manele Bay Hotel (this was prior to it being managed by Four Seasons) and even booked all the helicopters on Maui, so that no one was able to watch the wedding from the skies.
More recently, in 2012, Larry Ellison of Oracle bought the Four Seasons Lanai, as well as 98% of Lanai for about $300 million (the other 2% is owned by the State of Hawaii) and the Four Seasons Lanai underwent a ~$75 million renovation before reopening in 2016.
Four Seasons Lanai Location and Check-In
Since there are no flights directly to Lanai from the U.S. mainland, you'll most likely travel to Lanai from Honolulu, where you'll have access to the Four Seasons Lanai Lounge at Honolulu Airport. It's only about a 20 minute flight from Honolulu, either on a regularly scheduled Hawaiian Airlines flight or on Lanai Air, a charter service that at time of writing costs $250 per person one way, or $1500 for an exclusive charter for up to 6 guests. The Lanai Air rate includes a private transfer to the Four Seasons resort, which is located about a 20-25 minute drive from the airport. 2020 update: Book by 12/15/20 to enjoy complimentary roundtrip Lanai Air flights for arrival by June 30, 2021. See Four Seasons Lanai: Complimentary Lanai Air and 5th Night Free.
Alternatively, if you're coming from Maui, you can take the Expeditions ferry, which takes about 45 minutes from Lahaina, Maui. The ferry is just a short 5 minute drive from the Four Seasons Lanai.
After arriving, we were welcomed with orchid leis and delicious pineapple welcome drinks, before completing our check-in at the front desk.
TravelSort Clients enjoy Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits at Four Seasons Lanai, and there's also a 5th night complimentary offer valid until December 15, 2020 and from January 5-December 15, 2021.
- Daily full American breakfast for two people per bedroom, served through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)
- Dining credit of USD100 once during stay
- Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in (excluding signature suites, villas, and private residences)
- Complimentary basic Internet in all guest rooms; complimentary premium Internet in all suites
Four Seasons Lanai Rooms and Suites
We were originally booked in a Garden View Room, but were generously double upgraded to an Ocean View Room on the ground floor, #5105. We had an ocean view from the private lanai:
Keep in mind that if you want a really good ocean view, you should reserve a Prime Oceanfront Room:
Rooms, including our Ocean View Room, are 663-734 square feet (61-68 square meters), spacious enough to accommodate our son's complimentary extra bed in addition to the King bed, without it feeling cramped.
As always, we found the Four Seasons bed, which can be customized with your choice of three types of mattress pads (Signature, Signature Plush, and Signature Firm) incredibly comfortable.
Thanks to the 2016 renovation, the bathrooms are very up to date, with double sinks, one of them with an embedded mirror TV.
There's a Toto Japanese high tech toilet (see the below video), as well as a large glass enclosed rain shower and separate soaking tub.
I especially enjoyed the fantastic plumeria-wild ginger bath products.
A lovely complimentary amenity was this fresh Lanai pineapple with mint–some of the sweetest I've ever tasted.
There was also a tasty smores-like welcome cookie for our son:
Here's our Four Seasons Lanai YouTube Video Review:
Fitness Center, Swimming Pools, Beach
Four Seasons Lanai has a large central pool that is family friendly, as well as a smaller adults-only pool that has a waterfall at one end, as well as a jacuzzi hot tub–great for soaking sore muscles from travel (or even from horseback riding).
The resort's fitness center, located just off the lobby, has great ocean views from the treadmills.
Just a short walk from the resort is Hulopoe Beach. While it's public, as are all beaches in Hawaii, Four Seasons has loungers with umbrellas, as well as a kiosk where resort guests can borrow snorkel gear on a complimentary basis.
The Verdict
Lanai is a small island, so it's perfect for guests who want to enjoy a romantic couple's getaway, such as a honeymoon or anniversary celebration, and don't need or want many outside dining or shopping options. It also works well for active couples or families who want to enjoy snorkeling, whale watching (in winter), sunset cruises, horseback riding, tennis, golf, archery, or simply relaxing at the beach or poolside.
Thanks to its extensive renovation in 2016, Four Seasons Lanai has some of my favorite rooms and suites in Hawaii, with high quality, tasteful finishings, and a touch of Japan in the form of Nobu Lanai, not to mention the wood ofuro soaking baths in some of the suites, and the Toto toilets in all rooms and suites.
Highly recommended.
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