センセイラナイ、フォーシーズンズリゾート(Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort)

Went with girlfriends for a long-needed getaway and celebration. Enough has been said about the gloriousness of this resort in other reviews so I'll focus this on what I wish I'd known before going: Pre-book all 'included' classes and experiences. Despite multiple conversations with more than one Sensei pre-arrival specialist, we were never informed that Sensei's many 'included' activities had to be booked in advance. We had the spa appointments, private sessions and guide sessions included in our packages pre-booked, but not the additional activities like yoga, meditation, and other classes. We assumed those were drop in. So after a difficult time getting to the island we arrived late at night, checked in, were given one of our itineraries (not all of us got the right ones) and went to bed. Early the next morning we excitedly went to aerial yoga class, our first experience at the resort. The instructor informed us that we were not registered (we had no idea we had to register), but it wasn't a problem because there were enough spots left for all of us! Yay! We got started in the class but five minutes in, two gentlemen showed up and insisted that because they had just booked the class they should be accommodated. So we were told we two of us had to leave! It was embarrassing and awkward, which was a shame at our very first class. So learn from our misfortune, take a look at ALL the activities you're interested (listed on the site), and ask your pre-arrival specialist to book them for you. If you change your mind or want to book after you arrive you have to do it in person at the Sensei desk. This can be time consuming and it would benefit everyone all if there were some way to sign up and cancel without having to do so in person. The systems used by Sensei specialists seem cumbersome, in need of upgrades and difficult to shift experiences around, especially for multiple people at once. You may need to wait and have a bit of patience, so book in advance if you can. You might not get to Lana'i when you plan to! We arrived in Lana'i 32 hours later than we'd planned because of bad weather on the island. All flights were cancelled the day were were scheduled and ferries were cancelled for almost two days. We were flying Mokolele from Maui, which was unfortunate, because we couldn't rebook on their earliest next flight. The only way we could have arrived sooner (and only maybe a half day sooner) would be to arrange a private helicopter which was very pricey. If possible, take the Lana'i Air flights from Oahu and know things may not go as planned. The location of the airport in Lana'i seems to be prone to fog and flight disruptions. If you have a tight schedule and experience a travel disruption, all activities and appointments will have to change, as other travellers will have to be accommodated and staff may not have made it back to the island. So don't get TOO attached to your schedule. Fortunately the Four Seasons was extremely understanding and

Best resort experience from start to finish. Beautiful grounds, great services, amazing location, absolutely worth the expense. I’m going back and could not recommend it enough. This isn’t a typical Hawaiian beach resort, so make sure your trip goals align with what the hotel offers in terms of wellness, health, fitness, and spa services, quiet beautiful grounds for peaceful walking meditation for example. Adults only. However if you do want to mix in some beach vibes you can take the hourly shuttle down to the four seasons beach resort and use the facilities there as well…so you don’t need to compromise!

Stay here for anniversary. There will be an agent contacting you about two weeks before stay, to help you making reservations on restaurant and experience. There are many experiences actually so you will not get bored. The resort is very big with many outdoor spa spots, and shuttle to another Four Seasons every hour so that you can dine in there if you want to try some other food. The Lanai air transfer is included, once you get off from plane, a Tesla will be waiting for you and provide smooth transport to the hotel. You can have an iPad in room and four season app to easily communicate with team, like chatting, ordering food, requesting cleaning. They will also record your preferred cleaning and turn down time period. The service is very personal. Service in restaurant is also amazingly friendly, we had good experience dining in Nobu for two breakfast and dinner, the food is very delicious. Definitely recommend to anyone, and will definitely stay again.

The FourSeasons/Sensei resort on Lana'i is a luxurious retreat with an emphasis on “wellness”. The entire property is beautiful, although the obvious caveat is if you are looking for sun, surf, and sand; this isn’t the place. The resort is more like a glorious lodge, up in the mountains. The grounds and landscaping are stunning, felling like a throwback to old Hawaii. There are multiple ponds and a lake, as well as a beautiful large and winding lava rock pool with three jacuzzis. Do not miss the Onsen spas. These are little private hot pools hidden next to a babbling stream or small waterfall. When you arrive, you need to pause and take in the amazing lobby. It’s so well appointed and comfortable, you’ll want to spend some time here. The service levels here are over the top. Everyone greets you by name and is so sincerely friendly it almost takes getting used to. They all seem to really enjoy their jobs and this totally comes through to the guest. If you want to feel an almost tangible sense of “aloha”, spend some time here. The food here is very good. You can have in room dining, eat at the one restaurant, or dine at the Garden Bar. It’s all quality driven, and the waitstaff is incredibly attentive and competent. There is a Nobu “Sensei” here, and the menu is a little bit different. Food was tasty, with the Onaga and the quail being two standout dishes. We also dined at the Manele Nobu, and that venue offered a more typical Nobu menu. Dining there while on Lanai is a must. Everything is good. Don’t miss the Miso Cod, ****ake Salad, or the Crispy Rice Cake with Spicy Tuna. One restaurant that really left an impression was “One Forty”. While something described as “Steak and Seafood” can strike you as somewhat mundane, this place is anything but. Again, incredible service, but this chef is amazingly accomplished. Everything was excellent! The scallop and corn appetizer will not leave the culinary part of my brain. I also had what was possibly the best steak of my life. Sorry Canlis, and apologies to all the lauded New York steak joints. This was simply perfection. Tender, perfectly cooked, and possessing the exactly correct seasoning. You have your choice of sauces and the tarragon Bernaise was good, but the steak alone was a reward for a life well lived. A few things worth mentioning. The lower resort on the water (Manele) has an amazing golf course, beautiful beach, and the aforementioned restaurants. As a Four Seasons guest you can use these but you can’t use the pool. There is a shuttle that goes between properties every hour, and takes about 25 minutes. Sometimes this takes some planning. There are many spa treatments available at Sensei. The emphasis is on wellness. We did a couples massage in which post massage you get to utilize the Hale for half an hour. This is a beautiful 1000 sf building (there are 10) that has a landscaped yard with waterfall, cool pool, hot pool, outdoor shower. Inside is a steam

This was the most gorgeous resort I have ever stayed in. and I have been to a lot of 5 star resorts. The grounds were like tropical magic, everything was pristine and luxurious. The service was impeccable and the food was outstanding! Larry Ellison you need to open more hotels!

This was one of the most amazing places I have ever stayed in my life. The beauty and peacefulness was unbelievable. The staff and service was first rate.

One of the most beautiful places you will find in the world. Absolute, peaceful, serene and nurturing. It’s wet I imagine the garden of Eden would be like. I have been here nine times. Never disappointed. I have gone alone feeling safe and taken care of, I have brought family because they need to experience the special place, and I have a couple.

I can not say enough about the facilities beauty, the yoga instructor Daniel Richardson was exceptional, everyone addressed us by our names, them most gorgeous and service oriented place we've ever stayed and that includes St. Bart which I thought was top notch. This exceeded all our expectations. We'll be going back every 4 months for R&R and we live in Oahu which has nothing like the Sensei.

ok..come on. this magical destination will blow your mind. it's physically gorgeous, landscaped with exotic bromeliads, palms, ferns and a couple of banyan trees that appear to be right out of an Avatar movie. This is our second, albeit certainly not our last, visit in a couple of years. We happened to stay in our favorite room, in front of the mother tree, where the raucous myna birds thrive in the morning and at dusk. There are activities galore, a well equipped gym, great five mile hike to the top of the ridge behind the hotel, beautiful hales where staff cosset you with massages, and an entire staff that will impress you with their smiles and seemingly telepathic ability to recall your name. The food is fresh and appetizing (great fries), the dining "hall" is beautifully lit, and the bar staff (shout out to Ada and Helen) will engage you as they scare up any concoction you desire. Every detail, finish, color, and texture is seemingly out of my aesthetic playbook, in whites and creams. World class art is everywhere on property and its a great place to hit "pause", especially if you take advantage of the shuttle to town and down to the beach (where you can also indulge in the services at the Four Seasons there). We loved meeting the birds beach side, where Bruno, the bird man, has been lovingly caring for them for years. We didn't try horseback riding or a jeep rental or the challenge course, but maybe next time. Go.