Our Luxury Lānaʻi Getaway

Nicknamed "Pineapple Isle" given its history as a pineapple plantation, Lānaʻi is the sixth-largest Hawaiian island, covering just 140 square miles. This unspoiled paradise has 47 miles of coastline, but the only easily accessible beach is at Hulopoʻe Bay on the south coast. There are only 30 miles of paved roads, and not a single traffic light on the island, making a 4x4 rental part of the experience if you want to get off-property! There are three core regions of the island: South Lānaʻi, Central Lānaʻi, and North Lānaʻi. More on that shortly!

The Four Seasons experience kicks off with included semi-private chartered flights on Lānaʻi Air. Our group of six took up the majority of the eight-seater Pilatus PC-12, shared with one other couple headed to Sensei. At HNL, we met our driver, who handled all of our baggage and whisked us around the airport to the private Lānaʻi Air Terminal in a luxury Mercedes Sprinter. We were escorted to check in and weigh our baggage before heading upstairs to wait in the well-appointed lounge, where we were served water and treats from The Honolulu Cookie Company and given refreshing chilled towels. A short 15 minutes later, an agent came up to collect us and we were off! Boarding took five minutes, including a two-minute van ride to the plane on the tarmac. After a short safety briefing, our 25-minute flight was underway.

Lanai Gardens

Upon arriving at the Lānaʻi air strip, we deplaned and were escorted inside, where agents collected our baggage while we quickly jumped into another van and were on our way. Our wonderful driver, Flora, pointed out highlights along the short—roughly 20 minutes—drive to the resort. As soon as she parked, the door opened and the choreographed check-in process commenced. We exited the van and were greeted with traditional Kukui nut leis, and Flora took us to complete check-in, where we received details on our Fora Preferred perks and our room keys. Each couple were escorted to their respective rooms, where luggage followed almost immediately.

The rooms were beautifully decorated in warm and dark wood tones, and the bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower had beautiful fixtures, as well as an unexpected Toto Washlet toilet. An amenity of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries was placed next to welcome notes and complimentary Lānaʻi Yeti bottles to promote sustainability, paired with refill stations across the property. The room had abundant closet space, and the resort offered complimentary laundry service—score!

Ocean-front room

Welcome amenities

The resort and rooms also had:

• Blackout shades

• Comfortable beds

• Luxurious bath products

• Amazing water pressure from the rain shower head

• Direct access to a public beach where you can borrow snorkel gear and swim out over a nearby reef right from the hotel

• Multiple hiking options, from a short 30 minutes to Sweetheart Rock to a cliffside hour-plus option that lands you at the golf course

• Outstanding pool service (get the strawberry or coconut cocktails) that also offered complimentary tasties passed throughout the day

• Pods of dolphins jumping around in the bay right off the beach/pools

• A simple but nice spa with separate men’s and women’s areas with steam and dry saunas and showers—though no communal (or large) relaxation area

• A well-equipped gym; however, this was overlooking some current construction that is set to wrap up by late November 2025—this also includes a full new front entry and landscaping along the driveway as well as a remodel of one of the restaurants

• Rescue parrots and koi fish ponds (grab some fish food from the front desk)

• Wonderful golf and great food at the clubhouse—according to our friends (non-golfer here)

Koi pond

South Lānaʻi is where we spent the majority of our time, as it’s the location of the breathtaking Four Seasons Resort Lānaʻi. I mock my designer friends (and my husband) for their over-use of the word “stunning”... but there is nothing else I can come up with to describe this place. The views from our Ocean Front Rooms paired with the crashing waves—magical.

Central Lānaʻi is home to Lānaʻi City, as well as Sensei Lānaʻi, a Four Seasons Resort. Stationed on the higher elevation plateau of the island, the temperatures are cooler and there is always a higher chance of rain compared to the Beach Resort.

Ocean-front balcony

Don’t miss the chance to take one of the shuttles into town to visit Lanai City Bar and Grill, which has a great patio and phenomenal food—and yes, I’m talking about the smash burger.

Guests at the Beach Resort do NOT have access to the Sensei property other than the lobby and restaurants, but that does give two more options to eat if you’re staying for more than a few days.

We did not do any of the offsite activities, but they are all pretty much near Sensei—about a 25-minute drive from the Beach Resort.

I 100 percent recommend splitting time between the two resorts, even if it's just two nights at Sensei to access the spa and some of the unique parts of the property like the onsen garden.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Hawai'i page.