Top 10 Getaway for Luxury Travelers – Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay, Hawai’i

In 2006, FTF’s annual Top 10 survey of award-winners honored the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay, Lana’i, Hawai’i as a Top Luxury Beach Resort.In 2006, FTF’s annual Top 10 survey of award-winners honored the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay, Lana’i, Hawai’i as a Top Luxury Beach Resort.

Whether a high-end vacation is a matter of course for you and your family or a treat reserved for a special occasion, our 9th annual awards focus on the latest travel segment to embrace young guests: the super luxe resort. 

Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay
Lana’i, Hawai’i
808/565-2000

If your idea of Hawai’i — quiet tropical beaches with just a surfer or two in the distance — doesn’t match reality, chances are you haven’t ventured beyond the four major islands to Lana’i. Picture a serene destination without traffic lights, let alone traffic, where the spinner dolphins and humpback whales frolic in season, and you get the idea of why the exclusive, newly renovated Four Seasons Lana’i at Manele Bay made our list.

Situated on Hulopo’e Bay Beach and Marine Preserve, this secluded resort offers tropical gardens with waterfalls that overlook a protected beach, complete with toddler-friendly gentle waves and some of the best snorkeling in the state.

The property was transformed into a Four Seasons in 2005 with an eye to re-creating a private island experience for guests who want to get away from it all. For truly high-end accommodations, the new 2,500-square-foot Ali’i Suite features Oriental rugs, a mahogany four-poster bed and a huge private lanai with, of course, an adjoining suite for the keiki.

Guests can limber up at the Fitness Centre and Movement Studio for Pilates, yoga and personal training or simply relax at the full service spa. There are two championship golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman and Ted Robinson, respectively.

The complimentary Pilialoha Kids for All Seasons program takes the brand’s excellent kid’s camp program and adds the Spirit of Aloha with a friendly staff and purpose-built children’s facility, equipped with a spacious lanai. Youngsters learn the hula, hunt geckos, build volcanoes and listen to Hawai’ian stories, while outdoor fun includes tennis, flag football and surfing lessons on their own beach. The Kids For All Seasons operates daily from 8am to 5pm for ages 5 to 12 with half-and full-day programs available. Too dull for your teens?  There also is a Surf Shack Teen Center with a cyber café outfitted with video game stations, 46-inch LCD television, pool table and lounge.

2007 rates for a family of four range from US$395/N for a standard double room to US$900/N for a one-bedroom suite depending on season.