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1. Location
Lanai is considered Hawaii’s most exclusive island. Besides the two resorts (Manele Bay Hotel and it sister property Lodge at Koele), the airport, and the centrally located little village (Lanai City, pop. 2,800), the rest of the island is practically deserted. There are no stoplights, traffic, or shopping centers. You can roam through open grasslands, forests, miles of beautiful ocean shoreline, and feel like you are on your own private island.
Manele Bay Hotel (also known as Four Seasons Lanai) can’t possibly have a more picturesque location. It sits on the edge of a beautiful golden-sand beach facing Hulopo’e Bay where spinner dolphins and humpback whales like to play. The other side of the resort is bordered by a picturesque golf course.
When you first step into the lobby, you will be greeted with a fragrant, fresh plumeria lei. When you have a chance to look around, you’ll notice the unique murals that portray scenes from Hawaiian history and old sea charts. Large oceanfront great room is a wonderful place to read a book and watch the whales.
The entire hotel is beautifully decorated with Asian artwork, magnificent wall paintings, intriguing statues and luxurious rugs. When you walk through the hallways, it’s like walking through an art gallery that displays Chinese warrior robes, vases, and carved ivory tusks.
Outside, you will feel so peaceful walking through the gardens. They are a true showcase of landscape design. From the jasmine trees in the Chinese Garden to the mondo grass in the Japanese Garden, each setting reflects the many cultural influences that define Hawaii.
2. Rooms
Your room at Manele Bay Hotel (also known as Four Seasons Lanai) will look very different from all other hotel rooms you’ve stayed in before. It is decorated in Asian/Hawaiian fusion style, with original artwork and a private lanai overlooking scenic gardens or the ocean. Every night, you’ll find your bed impeccably made up and a mint-laced chocolate and orchid flower placed on your pillow.
Large bathroom has 2 sinks, separate shower and tub, and wonderful marble floors. It is always stocked with fresh towels and all kinds of little goodies.
If you want the crème de la crème, splurge for an ocean view room (about $110 more per night) – honestly, it will be well worth the price difference. In the morning, there is nothing better than taking a glass of fresh-squeezed pineapple juice to your lanai and watching dozens of dolphins swimming in the bay. In the evening, you can watch the sun go down over the Pacific and listen to the waves breaking on the coastal cliffs.
Manele Bay Hotel has 249 rooms and suites. Each room has:
- 576 sq ft (Ocean Front rooms are 592 sq ft)
- Beds: 1 king or 2 doubles
- Air-conditioning and ceiling fan
- Private lanai
- Four-post bed with feather pillows
- Color cable TV with pay-per-view
- Nintendo (fee)
- Bathroom with soaking tub
- Cotton bathrobes and slippers
- Hair dryer
- Free in-room safe
- Iron and board
- Free morning newspaper delivery
3. Restaurants
1) Ihilani Restaurant
The best restaurant on Lanai offers not only the finest Mediterranean cuisine but also splendid view of the Hulopoe Bay from the open-air terrace.
Each course is unusual, beautiful, delicious. Local venison comes four ways (chop, loin, saddle, stew) and is paired with cranberries, pear and lilikoi sauces. And it’s hard to match a pheasant breast, farm-raised so it has hardly a touch of gaminess, topped with a generous slice of sautéed Hudson Valley foie gras.
Here are some of the best dishes – although you really can’t go wrong with anything you order here:
- Sweet potato soup with clams and corn
- Lobster salad
- Baked onaga with sea salt crust (it may be the best piece of fish you’ve ever tasted!)
- Mahi-mahi with onions, tomatoes and jasmine rice
- White shocolate sphere filled with white chocolate mousse and surrounded by lilikoi sauce
Open for dinner Tue-Sat 6:00pm – 9:30pm. Reservations are required.
2) Hulopo’e Court
This restaurant is named after Hulopo`e, the beautiful white sand beach in front of the hotel. The dining room design combines the grandeur of a Mediterranean villa with the charm of Lanai. We highly recommend breakfast buffet where you can sample delicious freshly picked island fruit.
Breakfast 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. daily
Dinner 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. daily
3) Pool Grille
This is a great place to get a tasty sandwich, juicy burger, refreshing salad, or cooked-to-order entree. Service is fast (or, shall we say, “wikiwiki”), and you can eat either inside or by the pool. Cocktails are served till sunset.
Open for lunch 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily
4) Hale Ahe Ahe
Hale Ahe Ahe, or “House of Gentle Breezes,” is an open-air lounge with stunning ocean views. Enjoy cocktails, festive tropical drinks and hors d’oeuvres in a warm and friendly ambiance. Live band plays from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. every night except Sunday and Monday.
Open 5:00 p.m. - 11 p.m. nightly
4. Things to do
- Hulopo’e Beach
The beach is a 5-minute walk from the pool. An intricate path will lead you past an ancient archaeological site down to the pristine white sand. There is nothing like slipping into the water and being suddenly surrounded by a school of playful dolphins.
Hulopo’e Bay is a marine preserve that hosts millions of brightly colored fish. Snorkeling is like a serene dream where vibrant blue and yellow fish flurry past you. Brilliant red lava cliffs and rock formations along the coastline provide a striking contrast to the blue-green waters.
The beach staff will quickly set up lounge chairs and umbrella for you. You can get unlimited towels and snorkeling equipment at the cabana by the beach (all absolutely free of charge – a very nice touch!), and order take-out lunch to be delivered to you. Occasionally, a waiter will go around offering complimentary ice water or cold lemonade.
If you walk past the beach and huge tidal pool, you will see Pu’u Pehe (“Sweetheart Rock”) that stands alone in the surf and spray. This triangular rock is 80 feet high and measures 70 feet in diameter. According to an old legend, there once lived a beautiful maiden Pehe, so beautiful that her husband kept her hidden in a sea cave. They lived together happily until one day, when Pehe was alone in the cave, a storm surf surged into the cave drowning her. The husband buried her atop Pu’u Pehe, and then, in his grief, leapt off the rock to his death.
- Spa
This small spa at the Four Seasons Lanai offers an impressive variety of massages (aromatherapy, sports, stone therapy), facials, wraps, and scrubs (don’t miss the signature Ali’I banana coconut scrub).
It also has a fitness center (open 6am-8pm) with cardiovascular equipment, free weights, and a multi-station gym. You can take an aquatics class, or go on a guided hike.
- Golf
The Challenge at Manele is not only one the most challenging course in Hawaii, but also one of the most scenic. Every hole of this 18-hole par-72 course has a gorgeous view of the ocean, neighbor islands Maui and Molokai, and in winter months, humpback whales playing off the shore. The course rolls through lava outcroppings, archaeological sites, , kiawe groves, and ilima trees.
The uniqueness of the course is clear from the local rules, such as: "No retrieving golf balls from the 150-foot cliffs on the ocean holes 12, 13, or 17," and "All whales, axis deer, and other wild animals are considered immovable obstructions. The Par 3, Number 12 "signature hole" plays from a cliff 150 feet above the crashing surf, requiring a demanding 200-yard tee shot across the ocean. There are many other challenges like deep gorges and plunging ravines, and the five-tee concept.
The Challenge at Manele has been voted #1 among “Top 10 Hawaiian Resorts” by Golf Digest and one of “Top 50 Golf Resorts In North America & Carribean" by Conde Nast Traveler
- Four-Wheel Driving
Four-wheeling is a way of life on Lanai because there are only 30 miles of paved roads. Plenty of rugged trails lead to deserted beaches, abandoned villages, and valleys filled with wild game. No other island offers off-road adventures like this one!
- Hiking
Rightfully most famous trail on the island, 7-mile Munro Trail traverses Lana'ihale, the highest point on the island at 3,370 feet. This hidden trail takes you from dryland forest to wetland forest to the summit area. You will pass through miles of abandoned pineapple fields from Lanai’s former plantation days, and follow the mountain ridge along the row of towering Cook pines.
After about three miles into The Munro Trail, you will reach what is known as the Maunalei Gulch ("mountain lei"). It got this name due to the lei-like almost garland appearance of clouds that typically hover around this mountainous area. If you feel like exploring further, you can follow one of many hiking trails that lead off Munro Trail.
- Children's Program
Manele Bay Hotel's year-round program for children 5-13 y.o. has some great activities that your child will remember for a long time. Each day he or she can participate in a new adventure such as:
- Explore the exciting tide pools along Hulopo‘e Bay. Use hand-made bamboo fishing poles to offer the exotic sea creatures a nibble.
- Join us in creative art activities. Draw, sponge paint, and paint colorful sea creatures.
- Trek through the lush and mysterious Manele Bay Hotel gardens in search of koi fish ponds, creeping crawlers, stone paths and waterfalls. Experiment with watercolors and clay in this beautiful tropical environment.
- Catch the aloha spirit though traditional Hawaiian games. Collect fragrant flowers and make an exotic lei.
- Learn how the Hawaiian Islands were formed as you build your own volcano and island habitat at Hulopo‘e beach.
- Have a tennis lesson with our Peter Burwah International pro or participate in tennis games.
Special evening program is offered each Tue and Fri:
- Ignite your competitive spirit in relay events at the torchlit luau grounds
- Under a starlit sky, observe and learn about constellations and astrology
- Enjoy a night of singing and Karaoke Contest
- Learn about geckos as you catch and release them into their gecko habitat
- End the night with your favorite movie and popcorn
- Lanai City
The hotel has a free shuttle that can take you to and from Lanai City any time during the day. Even though it’s called “city,” it is just a small charming village (pop. 2,800) where you can show for souvenirs or groceries, and see how the locals live.
Other facilities are:
- Swimming pool and Jacuzzi
- Fitness center
- 6 hard-surface tennis courts with ocean view
- Tennis clinics and private lessons available
- Horseback riding (fee)
- 4-wheel driving (fee)
- Catamaran sailing (fee)
- Superb hiking
- Complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby
- Game room
- Dry cleaning (fee)
- Film development (fee)
- Complimentary shoe shine
- Free shuttle to Lodge at Koele or Lanai City
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Lobby at Manele Bay Hotel (2 pictures):
Grounds:
Garden view room:
Ocean view room:
Pool (2 pictures):
Pool Grille:
Ihilani Restaurant:
The Challenge at Manele:
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Save $102-$260 per night when you book our wholesale rate, plus get a 5th night free.