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Suites at the Four Seasons in Lanai have been renovated and modernized, with the views of the ocean almost always in play.
Suites at the Four Seasons in Lanai have been renovated and modernized, with the views of the ocean almost always in play.

It’s tough to get any work done on Lanai, seeing that the least populated of Hawaii’s five main islands is the place to go to escape gridlock and tension. There’s one town, two resorts, a couple golf courses and a whole lot of space. Open your suitcase wide and say aahh.

But work was done recently at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, with many of the workers and equipment being shuttled from Maui, about nine gorgeous ocean miles away. The updated resort now has 217 guestrooms, including 51 suites, as well as lobbies and seating areas for contemplation, multiple dining experiences, a spa and wellness program and luxury retail boutiques.

Inspired by Hawaii’s diverse influences, room interiors showcase walls of teak and zebrawood edging Nepalese Lokta paper and floors of mahogany laid with wool hand-woven area rugs. But there are plenty of modern touches as well, with intuitive lighting, temperature and service and privacy controls offering a responsive in-room experience that might make you feel like staying in all day.

But don’t. Especially if you golf, because one of the prettier courses on the Islands or the mainland – Manele – is only a few hundred yards away.

“It’s a great overall experience,” said Kendric Kimizuka, the head golf professional at Manele, a spectacular layout with three holes hugging cliffs and the ocean visible from most fairways. “It’s very simple and relaxing.”

Manele recently cracked Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play list, and it’s easy to see why. Built on lava outcroppings, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Design that opened in 1993 is a cool mixture of holes with two of the best sharing tee space. The course’s money shot is from the box at the par-3 12th hole that requires a tee shot to carry a 150-foot deep chasm over the ocean to a green perched on a lava rock-buttressed cliff. Golfers return to the area a bit later to play No. 17, a par-4 in the opposite direction that also requires a tee shot to clear a chasm to a fairway that bends to the right before sloping downhill to a cliff-side green.

The resort’s renovation ratcheted up the beauty in and near your room as well, with botanical gardens and waterways serving as intimate hideaways or vistas to the ocean while doubling as a backdrop for outdoor art and sculpture. A lagoon-style central pool features a waterfall and two spas, and the adults-only Retreat, with views of Hulopo‘e Bay and lava rock grottos that echo Lanai’s iconic cliffs, are two of the relaxation and swimming options available.

Off property, Lanai’s topography creates an island of contrasts where visitors can choose to partake in activities from hiking and horseback riding to off-roading and snorkeling in a marine sanctuary teeming with colorful fish.

“We are delighted to share a unique destination experience,” said resort general manager Tom Roelens. “There are limitless options for relaxation and adventure here on Lanai.”

FYI

Golfers who visit the Four Seasons Resort Lanai are welcome to take advantage of the club’s new Member for a Week package that provides unlimited access to the Manele Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design with multiple views of the ocean. The package, which requires a seven-day stay, starts at $1,250 per person and includes golf, unlimited use of all practice facilities, ground transportation to and from the course and complimentary rental clubs and a a club-fitting session.