Four Seasons Lana’i and Sensei Lana’i, Hawaii

In short… Two extraordinary, secluded, yet very different properties on the beautiful and largely undeveloped island of Lana’i.

The surroundings… Just a quick 30-minute flight from Honolulu—or a scenic 1-hour ferry from Maui—Lana’i feels worlds away from the rest of Hawai’i. At just 140 square miles, the island remains largely undeveloped. We arrived from the Big Island via Lana’i Air, whose small, eight-passenger planes leave from a private terminal in Honolulu and feel closer to flying private than commercial. 

When landing in Lana’i, the scenery completely changes. Compared to the Big Island, where the volcanic rock is black, the iron-rich volcanic rock here gives the landscape a red hue. The topography is incredibly vast, with hills and mountains that roll up to Lana’i city, and the ridgelines are lined with Cook pine trees—planted over a century ago after it was discovered  that they capture roughly 200 gallons of water a day from the air, replenishing the island’s aquifer. The effect is part jungle, part alpine forest.

Our first night on Lana’i was spent at the Four Seasons beachfront property on the island’s southern shore, surrounded by palms and tropical gardens—a contrast to the red rocks we passed leaving the airport. But driving into the mountains and into Lana’i City—pop ~3,000; don’t be fooled—on our second day to reach Sensei, the atmosphere changes again: temperatures drop, mist rolls in, and the Cook pines return. The gardens at Sensei are vast, with tall palm trees, huge banyan trees, and monkey pod trees—and a historic 150-year-old Norfolk Island Pine at the entrance—so you really feel that mix of tropical and alpine.

The backstory… Lana’i was once known as “The Pineapple Isle.” From 1923-1992, the Dole Company was the primary landowner and operated the world’s largest pineapple plantation at the time. In 1985, the land was sold to David H. Murdock, and in 2012, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison purchased nearly the whole island. His vision has been to transform Lana’i into a model of sustainability—the Lana’i Cultural Heritage Center has lots more on the island here!

The Four Seasons Lana’i opened in 1991 as the Manele Bay Hotel, was taken over by the Four Seasons in 2005, and reopened after a complete renovation in 2016. Meanwhile, Sensei originally opened in 1990 as The Lodge at Koele, also came under Four Seasons management in 2005, and was closed for four years before reopening in 2019 as an adults-only wellness resort developed by Ellison in partnership with longevity expert Dr. David Agus.

Besides the two properties and Lana’i City, the island is pretty much just forest, which feels like a rarity given Hawaii’s rampant development. Lana’i City itself feels frozen in time, with only a few small shops, the cutest laundrette, a movie theater, bowling alley, and a great local supermarket (don’t miss the poke there). In light of the island’s conservation mission, on weekends it’s common to see locals in hunting camo heading out after the island’s overabundant axis deer, which can be hunted all year round. Overall, it’s pretty hard to believe you’re in the US. People clearly trust each other, wave hello when they drive past, and there’s a contagious sense of community between locals and repeat visitors.

The vibe… While both properties share a strong sense of chill and calm, they have completely different vibes, which is why I would recommend visiting both during your stay.  

Four Seasons Lana’i is the only beachfront hotel on the island, so you have the entire white-sand beach to yourself, with amazing Gilligan’s Island-like castaway vibes. It’s a primarily open-air property, with lots of warm wood and high ceilings and a pool overlooking the beach. There are a few restaurants on property (more on them below), but you really wouldn’t know it, as the layout of the property keeps everything in its own space, and never feels crowded.

At Sensei, I’ve never felt so zen in my life. It’s so vast that you really don’t run into other guests except at meals, and even at the pool you feel like you have the place to yourself. You can spend hours wandering in the gardens, exploring the incredible art and vegetation, or moving between spa, lagoon pool, and onsen garden, enjoying the best reset of your life. You can spend the entire day in your robe and not feel bad about it.

The rooms… At Four Seasons Lana’i the rooms are big, with lots of brown tones, dark wood, and local Hawaiian craft touches. I absolutely loved this room, which faced the most incredible garden. There was plenty of closet space, an amazing bathroom with a bathtub, and a TV as big as a small-town movie-theater screen. The earthy interiors contrasted nicely with the greenery outside and overall it was a super cozy and comfortable room.

Sensei Lana’i is a complete tonal shift: the rooms are white and light grey, fresh and minimalist, which matches the wellness framing of the property and a nice juxtaposition to the jungle outside. Photography of the island replaces traditional Hawaiian motifs—in our room we had a cute portrait of a local axis deer—and the whole thing feels like a reset button: quiet, clean and very comfortable.

The food & drink… Our first night at the beachfront property, we had a delicious Italian meal at Osteria Mozza. (You might question Italian food in Hawaii, but this was seriously amazing.) They make all of their pasta in-house and have a woodfire pizza oven, so it felt incredibly legit. There is also a Nobu, which we didn’t try. Both restaurants overlook the sea and are partially open air, which was so nice. Their lunch pool menu is done by Malibu Farm, and they have a small shop called The Break for smaller snacks and coffees. Their bar program is also great, and I had a delicious variation on a Mai Tai made with chartreuse on my first evening. The breakfast is served in Osteria Mozza’s dining room and is incredible. I ordered a hojicha latte (roasted matcha) and two eggs with local venison sausage and green onion home fries (these are huge, definitely a sharing portion).

The dining options are more limited at Sensei Lana’i, but the main dining room is Nobu by Sensei, so no complaints there. The food here was fresh and incredible, featuring a mixture of Nobu classics—I did indeed have the yellowtail jalapeno and miso black cod two nights in a row—and different dishes made especially for the property. Their cocktail list here is also good, and the Ko’ele 7 Spice is a must-try if you’re into sweet-and-spicy cocktails. Nobu by Sensei has a lighter lunch menu poolside, and more casual dining options in the Koele Garden Bar. Breakfast is served every day in the Nobu by Sensei pavilion, which is genuinely one of the most beautiful dining rooms I’ve ever experienced. It’s filled with light during the day, thanks to its glass ceiling and sliding doors. The pavilion is surrounded by a beautiful koi fish lagoon, which is great entertainment when sitting on the deck outside at breakfast.

At night, the whole structure glows amidst the surrounding garden greenery. Despite being a Nobu, the vibe is unpretentious and welcoming, and it does indeed become your canteen during your stay. Being a creature of habit, I had the Japanese breakfast each morning of my stay. Since it’s a wellness focused property, meals skew light and healthy, which is a nice change even if you’re not here for a cleanse or full wellness journey.

The wellness… Four Seasons Lana’i has its own Hawanawana Spa, offering a menu of facials and massages. However, guests can also book treatments at the spa at Four Seasons Sensei, which really is the island’s true wellness destination, designed by Dr. David Agus, a medical oncologist and longevity expert. Sensei’s wellness program is incredibly comprehensive: private treatments, complimentary classes and guided experiences, and pools to keep you well occupied throughout your stay. The lagoon-style pool was one of the most beautiful I’ve seen, blending in with the surrounding garden like a natural body of water. You can organize your entire wellness experience with the Sensei guides in the lobby. They also offer various wellness packages so you really can customize your own experience (you can explore for yourself).

One standout treatment for me was Sarga Bodywalking. As someone who suffers from back and neck pain, I’m always looking for the next best thing to help me. First off, you’re brought to your own private treatment hale, with exclusive access to a private onsen, natural cold-water pool, outdoor rainfall shower, indoor steam shower, infrared sauna, and Japanese soaking tub. 

Invented in Hawaii, Sarga involves a practitioner walking on your body, balancing their weight with the use of silks secured to a platform under the bed. It’s different from a typical massage as the therapist is able to harness more power from their body weight by using their feet. In place of massage oil, they use a mixture of coconut oil and honey, so you leave smelling amazing.

After my treatment, I occupied myself between my private onsen, steam room, infrared sauna and rainfall shower—it was pretty much heaven to be in my own world. Once my time was up in the hale I wanted more, so I headed down to the amazing Onsen Garden: a rainforest-like garden with numbered signposts signifying individual onsens—some tucked behind waterfalls or into the vegetation. Once you find an unoccupied one—signs are flipped to “vacant” or “occupied”—you can soak in your own oasis. All is quiet here except for the sounds of birds and sometimes rainfall, which sounds incredible.

We also tried out the Functional Fascia class (very useful, especially if you’re prone to joint and muscle pain) and an evening gong bath in the yoga pavilion (made even more relaxing by the sound of the rain outside). On my last day, I booked into a 1:1 yoga session that felt like more of a workshop than a class: my instructor asked me about my struggles with my own yoga practice; offered stretches to help with any pain that inhibited range of motion; and talked a lot about anxiety, breathwork, and how movement can bring emotional release. It was so interesting to learn about how yoga blurs the lines between meditation and movement, taking yourself out of your head. It totally changed the way I think about yoga and how I approach my practice now.

Is it kid-friendly? Sensei Lana’i is adults-only, but Four Seasons Lana’i absolutely works for families! There’s a separate lagoon-style family pool, a beautiful beach, and plenty to do off-property—horseback riding, a visit to the Lana’i ranch just below Sensei, and the Lana’i Adventure Park in Lana’i City. Snorkeling is excellent off the beach, and there are snorkel sail tours to explore more of the coastline.

Be sure to… Go for the Snorkel Sail when staying at Four Seasons Lana’i. On our first full day we woke up early and headed down to the harbor, where we boarded a catamaran with other guests. It’s such a lovely way to understand the island’s topography and how much of it still feels wild. We moored at Shark Fin Cove (named for a rock resembling a shark fin), and jumped in for an hour or so of snorkeling in the incredibly clear water. We saw a sea turtle, plenty of fish, and our guide Martin even found a very cute octopus to show us. On the way back, three huge humpback whales turned the boat into their playground—breaching  in front of us and swimming under the boat. It was a once in a lifetime experience, so definitely make sure to visit during whale season (December through Mid-April)!

Tip of the hat goes to… The complimentary laundry service at Sensei! This was such a luxury, as it’s usually so hard to swallow the in-house laundry prices at most hotels. We dropped off our laundry and it was back in less than 24 hours, and they even air-dryed everything, so no shrinking. I will be raving about it at every hotel I stay at in the future.

The logistics…  When flying to Lana’i from the Big Island, there’s pretty much only Lana’i Air and Mokulele Airlines that service the tiny island. The latter can be unreliable but cheaper—but I would advise springing for Lana’i Air, as it’s almost like flying private. We waited in the Lana’i Air lounge for 45 minutes, snacking on Hawaiian coconut water and potato chips until our 8 passenger flight was ready to board. We took two very short flights connecting through Oahu. In the Honolulu airport, we were greeted at baggage claim by a representative of Lana’i Air, who escorted us to the Lana’i Air’s private terminal to be checked-in for our next 25-minute flight. 

(Make sure that your carry-on bag is under 20 lbs—they’re sticklers about baggage weight owing to the size of the plane, so pack light or save room in your checked bag in case your personal item is heavy.)

And if you’re continuing on to Maui afterwards as we did, definitely take the ferry. It’s not only a beautiful ride on a clear day, but we saw even more whales and spinner dolphins playing in the wake.

Parting words… Lana’i is such a special island with a totally captivating vibe and palpable sense of community. It’s the sort of place you can envision going back to again and again and discovering more things to do, as its diverse microclimates and easy navigation make it ideal for exploring. You will definitely leave plotting your return.

Date of stay… February 19-22, 2026