new Four Seasons Preferred Partner perk for Lana'i

Traveling to the Four Seasons resorts on Lana'i? Here's a great new Preferred Partner amenity being offered by FS Manele Bay and FS Lodge at Koele. This news is courtesy of the resort's Chef Concierge, Adam Lieberman.

When your flight arrives into Honolulu, you'll be met on the jetway by Island Air personnel, taken to a Mercedes on the tarmac, driven directly to the Island Air terminal, and bypass security and check-in. It helps when the owner of the two Four Seasons resorts on Lana'i also owns Island Air, allowing his guests to travel in style!

Want to bypass security and check-in? Just request that your Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant contact the Lana'i concierge with your last name, arrival date, flight information into Honolulu, and the number of guests in your party. Four Seasons will take care of the rest!

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

the best luxury value in Hawaii

The Four Seasons Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai is one of the most beautiful resorts I've ever visited. Set in the middle of the island, one thousand feet above sea level, the resort offers the relaxed and casual feeling of a century-old Hawaiian plantation. Guests enter into a large and comfortable lobby with fireplaces on both ends, and through the windows of the lobby one sees the beautifully landscaped backyard (pictured above). With a pond, lush landscaping, a croquet lawn, and a swimming pool, the natural scenic beauty of Lanai creates the ambiance for your visit to the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele.

Lanai is for quiet relaxation. If you want varied options for nightlife, you will prefer a different destination, but the Lodge at Koele is perfect if you're looking for a romantic, secluded spot to enjoy some special time together — or for families looking for lots of together time. Are you a golfer? The Lodge has its own 18-hole championship course.

Two things I really love about the resort. First, it offers a challenging and fun 18 hole putting course, complete with water hazards; the concierge will lend you putters and floating golf balls. Second, I enjoyed the combination of Hawaiian sun and moderate temperatures. Being 1,000 feet above sea level, temperatures are about 10º cooler than at sea level — 70's instead of 80's during the day. (Winters can be cooler). A free shuttle runs every 30 minutes between the two Four Seasons properties on Lanai; go down to Manele Bay to enjoy the wonderful beach, have lunch or dinner, or play golf on the island's other course!

Incomparable values are available at the Lodge at Koele. Depending upon your dates, you can get your third night free, and rates start at only $345; that works out to just $230 per night. And even at these rates, you get the full Virtuoso amenities: daily full breakfast for two, one complimentary lunch for two, and an upgrade on arrival if available. Do the math; this is a compelling luxury value. Just book through your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant.

Four Seasons Lodge at Koele (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Four Seasons Lanai

I had never visited Lanai before yesterday. A small island just 9 miles off Maui, Lanai has only 65 miles of roads, no traffic lights, 3000 residents, and two luxurious Four Seasons resorts. Why visit Lanai? Because it is one Hawaiian island that has not been over-developed with condos, strip malls, tourist attractions, and high-rise hotels.

Lanai is not for everyone. If you're into night life, bars, shows, and dancing — not to mention shopping, this is not your ideal vacation destination. But if you want to spend a week in a tropical paradise, relax in the sun, walk on the beach, play golf, enjoy a romantic getaway, or have a great family vacation, you'll love Lanai as much as I have. And if you enjoy beautiful resorts, you'll love Four Seasons Lanai.

Four Seasons Lodge at Koele is located in the center of the island, one thousand feet above sea level. The temperature is 10 degrees cooler than at sea level; we enjoyed perfect weather during our visit in October. Designed to evoke memories of a Hawaiian pineapple plantation, Lodge at Koele is a beautiful resort with incredible grounds; pictured above is the view out the back of the Great Hall of the property. With an 18 hole golf course — and an 18 hole putting course as well — you'll enjoy walking the grounds, riding bikes, playing croquet or lawn bowling, and relaxing by the pool.



Four Seasons Manele Bay is Lanai's beach resort. Unlike the major beach resorts on Maui, Oahu, or the Big Island, Manele Bay is an intimate resort with a perfect beach. You can relax on a lounge chair under an umbrella, or sit in the shade at one of the picnic tables available at the beach, listening and watching as the waves gently break onto the shore. Use the complimentary snorkeling gear to view tropical fish or body surf in the warm water. The beach is beautiful and uncrowded.

Or sit by the pool under a sunny blue sky, or relax in one of the hot tubs. We had lunch at the Ocean Grill, located just off the pool, and enjoyed a delicious light lunch. Although the banana splits came highly recommended, we did resist the temptation!

Both Four Seasons have a full complement of features you would expect of a luxury hotel — spa, exercise facilities, exceptional restaurants, and attentive service. A complementary shuttle service transports guests between the two resorts every 30 minutes, and you can charge everything to your room account. Great promotional offers are currently available, and valuable amenities are yours just by booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant.


Four Seasons Lanai (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2008 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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