Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Koele

As others have said, this is an excellent hotel. My wife and I enjoyed our 3 night stay at Sensei very much. The service is truly outstanding, especially in the restaurant. You're greeted by name every time the wait staff comes by to take your order or check on your meal. Our previous breakfast beverage selections were remembered on subsequent visits. Food came out promptly and was tasty. Bell staff, housekeeping, and the front desk crew all genuinely seemed to enjoy what they do. Everyone felt very genuine in their interactions, and the service lacked the pretentious undertone that's often found at luxury hotels in this class. I would highly recommend renting the Jeep. This allows you to see some of the more far flung areas of the island like Shipwreck Beach and Garden of the Gods, and also gives you the opportunity to visit the cat sanctuary, which you should absolutely do if you get a chance. The vehicles are in remarkably good condition for the abuse they take on the 4x4 trails around the island. The Onsen tubs are perfect and a wonderful way to relax after a day of exploring the island. We were mostly using the resort as a launching place to explore Lanai as opposed to the wellness angle that other guests chose, so I can't comment on that aspect of the hotel as much. Our room was well appointed, very clean, and comfortable, if a bit lacking in any Hawaiian or Japanese decor. I think this is the only hotel room I've ever stayed at that has had an Apple TV, which was very much appreciated! It felt like home to some extent. Small suggestions and feedback - I'd run the shuttle between the resorts every half hour instead of every hour, at least during meal times when you have less control over when you finish up or aren't sure how long you want to linger with a bottle of wine. We had finished dinner at Osteria Mozza at 20 past the hour and had to wait 40 minutes for a shuttle to take us back. That felt a bit long when we were ready to just head back to our room and retire for the night. The shuttles we were on departed very close to capacity as well, implying there is some demand for extra service at times. I'd also ask for a room on the second floor. Being on the first floor, footsteps traveled pretty clearly from above and made sleep a little difficult. Overall though, if you are looking to splurge and want to visit an island on Hawaii that not many people have an opportunity to see, Sensei is an excellent choice.

The resort is absolutely marvelous on every level. We have been to many world class destinations and don’t impress easily, but Sensei really left a strong positive mark for us. I don’t want to repeat everything that’s been already said here - all the positives are true! From landscaping, to rooms, to services, to dining - everything is outstanding! I want to focus on a few specific suggestions for the resort and the travelers: - We were in room 263 and highly recommend it. It’s on the second floor, very quiet remote section, beautiful view. You can’t go wrong with any of the rooms, but generally I’d recommend getting a second floor if you want more privacy. - Not only is the laundry complimentary and very quick, but they also offer shoe cleaning service! If you do any hiking or running out in the mud, this is such a great perk! We had clothes washed daily and several shoe cleanings. What I really loved is that there is no plastic involved - they bring the clothes in a basket, beautifully folded and covered with a soft cloth - Make a plan ahead of time. Find the activities calendar on their website and make your own plan of which classes you want to take. Unless you have one of the upgraded packages, they won’t let you book the classes before arrival, but it will really save you time when you do arrive. Just give them your list and you’re all set. All classes had plenty of availability and they are great! - Go to the town! It’s super close, it starts almost around the corner from the resort. There are a few stores and it’s fun to look around. - Definitely do the hike. The views are magnificent and every day is different! The trailhead starts at the activity park which is a 2-3 minute walk from the lobby. You really don’t need the guided hike tour ($75 per person) unless you’re looking for company and perhaps hearing some stories (I assume). You can go by yourselves for free. The trail is well marked. There are both uphill and downhill sections and some can be a bit slippery, so be careful. - If you’re a tea drinker, at breakfast just ask for hot water (free) and bring a tea bag from the room. Otherwise they charge $12 for a small pot of tea. - If you’re a runner like we are, outdoor running spaces are great! You can run to and around the town, back to the resort, around the stables and through the adventure park which is to get 3-5 miles and more! - Go see the goats at the farm across the resort! They are adorable and you can feed them with little pine sticks from the ground. The funniest and most friendly goats I’ve met! If you do the horseback riding, which I recommend, you’ll see them at the farm. But either way, walk over or ask for a ride and go check them out! - The beach trip is worth it at least once while you’re there, but you will be happy to come back to the cooler weather, peace and quiet. Don’t worry about getting chairs and umbrella at the beach - they keep adding them as people come. However, you will be sat right next to other people which may have children and it may be annoying. We brought earplugs and made it. There were beautiful dolphins resting offshore super close! The water is warm, the sand is soft and deep. There are rocks just after you get in, when you are about hip deep. If you go towards the left side of the beach, there are fewer rocks. - Take advantages of the onsens - these are the 10 hot pools, each very private, set around the garden. You have a little sign you can change on them to say occupied! The water is around 101-103F. These are no natural springs - the water is heated, but it’s super nice! - Get creative at the Nobu restaurant especially if you’re vegan - they can veganize literally any dish and they do it very well! We were lucky to have met a visiting manager by the name of Francesca - she was there a few days and was impressive!! Expect to run at around $200 per dinner for 2 people if you each have a glass of wine. OR get yourself a bottle of wine from the town’s store and walk to dinner with a full glass from your room! The bottle costs as much as a glass of wine. For breakfast, it’s typical to run around $130 for 2. A dirty martini with house vodka at the bar is $26. - The hales are beautiful and very worth trying. Important to know that if you book an actual hale, you get a wooden soaking tub ready with bath salts and a plate of fruits for snacking. If you have a treatment you get to stay in the hale for 30 min after, but you get neither of those. You still have the hot and cold pools outside of course. Also be mindful that the 30 min of hale time after your treatment are more like 20 min because any time taken between the end of the treatment and when the employees step out, counts towards the 30 min. If your treatment starts, say, 5 min late, then you will have 5 min less of hale time. - If you’re taking a meditation or relaxation class, most instructors have policies in place to wake up snorers. The instructor of the Sound Journey class, however, encouraged snoring and I had a very annoying super loud snorer next to me. That was not the “sound” journey I came for. I couldn’t enjoy the class because of that. I ended up moving but overall it ruined the experience. From that time onward, I brought earplugs with me just in case. - You have an iPad in the room for communication with the hotel and you should also download the resort app. The front desk are amazing at responding very promptly. The iPad however can be glitchy. If you’re not getting responses, save to assume it’s the iPad and not the staff. Ours froze and while requests were being immediately fulfilled, we stopped getting responses. I reported it and they sent a technician to fix it. The phone app and the iPad in the room do not appear to synchronize, so you can have different conversations going on in each platform, A recommendation for the hotel: Please consider banning the use of cell phones on the property for talking and playing anything with volume. The only unpleasant experiences we had involved inconsiderate cell phone yappers. One was a man who decided to hold a loud conversation at breakfast by the outdoor seats of the restaurant, ruining the morning peace and quiet. Our neighbor downstairs had a full on business conference call on speaker on the balcony where the whole yard had to listen to him. Then a very rude elderly lady by the pool whipped out her phone for a series of video calls on speaker. And another man at the pool on a different occasion was literally walking up and down yapping on his phone. Without proper policies and enforcement of those policies in place, people with main character syndrome will continue to produce noise pollution. Please do the right thing and make a cell phone policy that guests have to sign. Fantastic resort and thanks to all the wonderful employees who made our experience stellar!

Just got back from a week here and it was total paradise! This is a very special property! The layout is wonderful, it has a nice boutique feel, yet still luxurious. The grounds are also exceptional. Service was top notch, attentive, yet warm and friendly. Our suite was also tastefully designed and super comfortable, quiet, with a pretty garden view. We will be back for sure!

I recently stayed at the hotel and I feel so compelled to share my experience of booking Watsu with Liran Ozeri whom which is a practitioner at the hotel. Life changing.... After a long and grueling journey with breast cancer—three major breast surgeries including a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, removal of my ovaries, and years on cancer drugs—my body felt battered. Yet it was my emotional and spiritual state that bore the heaviest scars. I tried therapy, mindfulness, and every tool I could think of, yet I couldn’t seem to get beyond the finish line—until my trip to Lanai, Hawaii. On September 28, 2025, I was “carried out of battle” by an extraordinary Watsu and Reiki practitioner named Liran Ozeri. I had never heard of Watsu. It was offered at the Sensei Resort, and another guest told me she had “seen God” during her session with Liran. I thought, Sign me up. What happened during those 90 minutes with Lorin is something I will never forget. Without needing to share every detail, I can say this: Liran carried me to the other side of my trauma. For that last 2 years I’d been so close to emotional freedom but couldn’t quite reach it. Liran’s gentle, spiritual energy led me into a meditative state deeper than anything I’d ever experienced. As I said to him afterward, “I felt like a soldier, wounded and unable to move—you came to me, carried me out of the war zone, and now I’m safe.” When I emerged from that space, I sobbed. Not from pain, but from relief. For the first time, I believed—I am okay. I am going to be okay. I heard, in the quiet sound of my heart, a voice whispered, “You’re healthy. You’re good. Believe in your beautiful life.” I’ve never been able to meditate on my own. I didn’t expect this. But the energy that moved through me in that water was overwhelming, unforgettable. And if you’re reading this, perhaps it’s because you’re meant to find Liran as I did. We all carry trauma—large or small. And even if you simply want to feel your spirit rise and set sail in a new way, I don’t just recommend Liran; I implore you, human to human, to give this gift to yourself. If everyone on this planet could experience the 90 minutes I shared with Liran, I truly believe the soul of the world would be transformed. Dear Liran, I will never forget you or the healing you brought to my heart as we moved together through the water of life. Because of you, I’ve released my chapter with breast cancer and stepped fully into my next one. You carried me through.

My husband and I wanted to celebrate our 20th anniversary in a place that would be restorative and nourishing! Sensei Lanai was exactly that. It was so calming, quiet and beautiful. We took a class daily, rented a jeep and drove to Polihua beach (very intense but the only ones at the beach the whole 3 hours), went snorkeling on the catamaran and had spa treatments. I was so excited to do the Aquatic bodywork with Liran because of the reviews but it was even better than I expected. It’s like a full body treatment, nervous system reset in a private pool. Highly recommend that treatment and extra Hale time! We stayed 6 days and are leaving better, refreshed versions of ourselves