Four Seasons Resort Lanai facts for kids

The Four Seasons Resort Lanai is a luxurious hotel on the island of Lānaʻi in Hawaii. Lānaʻi is the smallest of Hawaii's six main islands. It used to be famous for growing a lot of pineapple. This resort is one of three hotels on the island. The others are Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, and Hotel Lanai.

The hotel first opened in 1991 as Manele Bay. It started operating under the Four Seasons brand in 2005. The resort had a big makeover from 2012 to 2016. It reopened in February 2016. It has 168 rooms and 45 suites. It also has a golf course designed by famous golfer Jack Nicklaus.

History of the Resort

From Pineapple to Paradise: Manele Bay

The Mānele Bay Resort was built in 1991. This was the same year that the island of Lānaʻi had its last pineapple harvest. Pineapple farming on Lānaʻi began in the 1920s. It was started by James Dole, who was known as the "King of Pineapple." For many years, Lānaʻi grew a huge amount of the world's pineapple.

Later, a company called Castle & Cooke bought the Dole Corporation. They decided to turn the island into a luxury vacation spot. In 1985, after David Murdock bought Castle & Cooke, they started serious plans for this change. Construction began a few years later. The Lodge at Koele opened in 1990. The Mānele Bay hotel opened the next year.

Becoming the Four Seasons Resort Lanai

The hotel came under the management of Four Seasons in 2005. When it reopened that year, it had a mix of Polynesian and Hawaiian designs. Many rooms had large lanais (balconies) with views of Hulopoʻe Beach. This beach is a great spot for snorkeling.

In 2012, Larry Ellison, a co-founder of Oracle Corporation, bought 98% of the island from Castle & Cooke. He reportedly paid $300 million. The state of Hawaii owns the remaining 2%. After buying the island, Ellison decided to turn Manele Bay into an even more luxurious resort. This cost $450 million. It took years of work and a seven-month closure. The hotel finally reopened in February 2016. Its lobby was redesigned three times! The rooms were designed by Todd-Avery Lenahan.

What the Resort Offers

The Four Seasons Resort Lanai currently has 213 guest rooms. This includes 45 special private suites. The resort also offers many other things to enjoy. These include spa services, swimming pools, and fitness centers. It has three meeting rooms with over 10,000 square feet of space. These rooms can hold up to 560 people.

The resort also has a Nobu restaurant. This is a famous restaurant chain run by chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Larry Ellison owns another Nobu restaurant in Malibu.

The resort also has a championship golf course. It is 7,039 yards long and is a par-72 course. The famous golfer Jack Nicklaus designed it.

Awards and Recognition

The Four Seasons Resort Lanai has received many awards. The AAA has given it a Five Diamond Resort rating. This is a very high honor. Its ONE Forty Restaurant also received a Four Diamond rating.

The resort is also ranked as a 5-Star Resort by Forbes Travel Guide. This used to be called Mobil.

The U.S. News & World Report named it the #1 hotel in the United States. This happened in both their 2018 and 2020 lists. It was also featured on Robb Report's Best of the Best 2016-Journeys list. The golf course received Golf Digest's Editors’ Choice Award for Best in Travel 2018.

The Lodge at Koele

About eight miles away from the main resort is The Lodge at Kōʻele. It was built in 1990 and also became a Four Seasons hotel in 2005. It closed in January 2015 for renovations. It reopened in November 2019 as Sensei Lanai. This is a wellness resort with 92 rooms and 4 suites. At the time, it was Four Seasons' first adults-only wellness resort.