Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort

My wife and I just spent 4 nights at Sensei Lanai in the Hawaiian Islands. We had a wonderful stay overall and would certainly return to this property in the future. When we travel we always try our best to seek out quiet, secluded destinations in interesting natural settings and this island and property certainly hit the mark. We made sure to include a balance of activities and relaxation and also made sure that we spent plenty of time on and near the water while being to retreat to the peace and quiet of Sensei up in the mountains. Lanai itself really is special with just the two Four Seasons resorts, one small town with a few shops and restaurants, a cat sanctuary, and otherwise just secluded beaches and untouched areas of lush vegetation and red dirt. For the best of both worlds in the future we would consider doing a split stay between the beach resort and Sensei, however given that we only had 4 nights in total on the island, we maximized our time by staying at Sensei, but doing multiple dinners at the beach resort, going out on a boat for the snorkel cruise, and exploring the island on our own in one of the jeeps to visit some of the more secluded beaches. While the beach resort is nice, we did value the peace and quiet as well as the lush gardens and pool that Sensei had to offer. We were very happy with our choice of coming to Lanai because we were looking for a combination of activities and relaxation and Sensei had exactly what we needed for this particular trip. Check in/Arrival Arriving to Lanai was a seamless process. After landing at HNL and exiting the terminal we were quickly greeted by a Lanai Air representative. From there we grabbed our bags and were transported privately in an SUV to the Lanai Air hangar which was just 5 minutes from the main airport. The Lanai Air lounge was great to relax in for about 30 minutes, they had snacks, drinks, and plenty of seating. The weather during our flight on our way to Lanai was unfortunately a bit cloudy which limited our visibility from above, but once we got closer to landing we were able to have some excellent views of the island from the air. Once the plane landed, we gathered our bags and we were immediately greeted by a representative from Four Seasons. We boarded a shared shuttle that took about 15 minutes from the airport. Upon arriving at Sensei we were checked in and given a tour of the grounds and oriented ourselves to where everything was located, namely the pool, the spa hales, onsen garden, exercise pavilion, restaurant, and bar. The main lobby area is quite impressive with tons of paintings and sculptures, high ceilings, and plenty of sitting areas with two fireplaces to sit around as well. Room We were booked into a standard king room (#322) that was solid, Four Seasons standard in many aspects, but nothing spectacular. Room was decorated with light tones had a king bed with comfortable Four Seasons bedding that I’ve found at every other North American Four Season I’

My husband and I have stayed at some of the most beautiful resorts around the world and I must say this is at the top of my list as far as favorites. We will be back without a doubt! The artwork exhibited both inside and outside throughout the property is absolutely stunning ... our Koehle Deluxe Room was very comfortable, we participated in the daily meditation and yoga activities which were led by very knowledgeable practitioners and we enjoyed every meal - the food was superb. We are planning our return in 2022!

I would give this hotel 10 stars if I could. It's rare when resort pictures look like real life, but here the real life is even better than the pictures. This place is pure zen. It's such a unique place and everything feels tucked away and private, there are so many hidden paths that lead to quiet seating areas (or hot tubs). The spa hales are like nothing I've ever experienced, if you book a treatment you then are allowed to spend time in your own private hale with a hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, etc. The shuttle between this property and the one on the beach was a bonus if you want beach time. Additionally, I'm vegan, and many of the options at Nobu were vegan or could be made vegan -- it was never an issue and the staff and chef were always accommodating. Every single staff member that I encountered once or many times was friendly, helpful, competent, and so genuinely lovely to interact with. Other adults-only resorts are completely geared toward young newlyweds but this place seemed to attract a variety of people and the staff never made me feel less-than as a solo traveler which I greatly appreciated. If you're looking for a place with lots of nightlife or noise this is not it, be prepared for tranquility (and lots of happy birds chirping), I cannot wait to come back!