If you follow GWS on Instagram or Instagram Stories (I have our trip saved in Highlights as well) you know that last month Jason + I went to the Four Seasons Lanai to celebrate 10 years of marriage!! We actually visited Lanai 5 years ago for our 5 year anniversary (it’s just such a mellow, relaxing spot!!) but the Four Seasons did some pretty major updates about 2 years ago, so we were excited to see what changed and experience the new property. This was also our first trip (we spent 3 nights here) with just the two of us since we had kids so we were definitely looking forward to relaxing by the pool, long dinners and getting up early to take advantage of sunrise yoga (all things you can’t do when traveling with young kids!). While we LOVE traveling with our 2 little ones, it was SO nice to take a few days and just spend time with the two of us. Very much needed. Big thanks to my parents for watching our girls while we enjoyed this trip! :)
If you are looking for a honeymoon or anniversary trip where you can get away from it all for a few days (Lanai is a very small island) but still have access to amazing food, great service and the amazing Hawaii weather, Lanai just might be the perfect trip for you! Keep reading if this sounds like your vibe!
Getting There
We flew on Alaska Air from LAX to Honolulu then took a short 30 min flight on Hawaiian Air from Honolulu to Lanai. There are only 3 hotels on Lanai. The Four Seasons Lanai, Hotel Lanai (a small hotel right in town) and the Four Season Koele (currently closed for renovations). If you are looking for a 5 star resort right on the beach, the Four Seasons Lanai is the place for you. : ) I love that the resort picks you up at the airport, so no need to rent a car or wait for an uber. hotel, so no need to rent a car here.
The Room
The rooms are P-R-E-T-T-Y amazing! Even though we didn’t spend much time in the room, we definitely appreciated all the attention to details here. Our room had a living room area, bedroom and giant bathroom – along with a large balcony where we could see the ocean (see below). The tv in the living room and bedroom was HUGE! Another plus, LOVE that they had a dyson hair dryer! It’s a small thing, but a nice hair dryer at a hotel is SO GREAT!!
The Food
Jason + I are big foodies and the food is SO GOOD here! Let’s start with my fave meal of the day – breakfast. One of the best breakfast buffets here! I loved that you could order a few thing off the menu as well as select from the buffet which included lots of fruit, acai bowls, overnight oats, pastries, fresh juices, Hawaiian coffee and kombucha on tap! Definitely try the Lana’i Eggs Benedict here – SO GOOD!!
Lunch. We had 2 lunches during our stay here. One day we just ordered food at the pool (so easy and love they have lots of healthy options!) and the other day we went to Malibu Farm. Yep, the same Malibu Farm that is in Malibu (which I LOVE!) so I was excited about this. I highly recommend the fish tacos, the skirt steak sandwich and of course the pokeviche!
Dinner. We had 3 dinners here. There are a few restaurants options for dinner here: ONE FORTY, The Sports Bar and Nobu. All were so good. The first night we ate at ONE FORTY. We were pretty tired from the travel day but it was so relaxing and really good food and cocktails. We had Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata, Parmesan Risotto, Waygu Skirt Steak and Baked Mahi Mahi. All was SO GOOD. Pair that with some delicious cocktails and that amazing view and a perfect start to our trip!
The second night we went to Nobu. We had been here 5 years ago and it was seriously one of the best meals we ever had. This time it was really good – not as amazing. I think our server last time made it that much more for us, but was still REALLY good. I mean, Nobu is one of the best restaurants in the world! The sushi is always so good here and this time we also had the rock shrimp tempura which was SO GOOD!
Our last night we took advantage of one of the amazing things they offer here – a private dinner under the stars! I had a call with the chef about a week before we arrived and shared some things we liked and didn’t like and from that quick 10 min call he put together a seriously amazing meal! You have a table outside (under the stars!) and with a view of the ocean. It made for the perfect last night of our trip. :)
To get an idea of what they can put together for you, this is what we had….Venison Kilawen, Ahi Hamachi Sashimi with Avocado and Yuzu Soy, Shrimp with Grilled Pineapple, Grilled Uku with Grapefruit Risotto, Waygu Beef and Keahile Lobster and then for dessert Dulcey Sphere with Caramelized Pineapple and Peanut Butter Ice Cream. And each course was paired with a delicious wine!
The Resort
We really just wanted to relax while here and definitely took advantage of that! This is the perfect place to relax and really get away from it for a few days. We enjoyed long leisurely breakfasts (and each day took advantage of the sunrise yoga). The second day we hiked to Sweetheart Rock (see below) before breakfast. One thing I LOVE about Hawaii is it’s SO easy to get up early here (with the time difference!). So we loved getting up early, working out a bit before it got too hot, then enjoying a long breakfast and after being at breakfast for over an hour, it was still barely 9 o’clock! LOVE THAT!
After breakfast we would head down to the pool. I loved getting a chance to read a bit and enjoy the different pools. The resort is laid out in a way so it never feels crowded – even though the resort was totally full when we were there! Cocktails by the pool were great – plus with Four Seasons they always take care of you at the pool with smoothie shots, frappacino shots and pineapple treats. Yum!
Every day from 4-6 they have a fun activity at the Sports Bar with their bartender – you can learn how to make a new cocktail – plus then enjoy it! :) We did this each night before dinner. It was a fun way to meet other rad people there as well as a fun start to the night.
We had planned to do a snorkeling sail the one day but I had a cold prior to this trip and the flight clogged my ears so bad that my doc recommended I not do snorkeling, but we had been looking forward to that and would be fun to do…next time for sure!!
Thanks so much for having us Four Seasons Lanai! We can’t wait to return again in 5 years :)
