Celebrating in Style at Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort3

Morning:

Gather my luxury-wellness-loving besties (nicknamed the “Bougs-Crew”) at the Honolulu airport for a mid-morning flight to the remote Hawaiian island of Lanaʻi via Lāna'i Air.

Lāna'i Air is one of only two commercial airlines that fly to the small island of Lana'i off the coast of Maui.

We flew over on their eight-seater Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop airplane that technically is “almost” like flying private, if you are traveling with a group of four couples like we did, but as my ‘Bougs-Crew’ and I quickly discovered while waiting in the lounge prior to departure- champagne is not served in the Lāna'i Air lounge or abroad these 50-minute inter-island flights. Nor is any alcohol, for that matter. If you're craving pre-flight bubbles or just need something to take the edge off of a nervous flyer embarking on a small single-prop plane, I recommend having a boozy breakfast before arriving at the airport hangar.

Mid-day:

Explore Sensei’s lush and expansive wellness retreat property. Once we land in Lāna'i, an air-conditioned Four Seasons sprinter van shuttle awaits to take us up through Lāna'i city toward the uber-luxury wellness resort- Sensei Lāna'i to check in for our very special wellness weekend.

Located 20 minutes up the mountain from the coast, in an iron-wood forest, we arrived at the adults-only luxury spa retreat. If you have ever dreamt of spending the night inside a botanical garden or coveted going off-line at a celebrity-secret wellness center, Sensei Lāna'i is for you. With a blissfully exhausting menu of spa services, complimentary wellness classes and experiential activity offerings — there is literally something to satisfy every wellness enthusiast.

Our room: Koele suite

This light and airy designer suite with separate living room was absolutely heaven and had breath-taking east-facing views across the property from the private balcony. Large King bedroom with fluffy bedding gave me some of the best sleep of my life, and the ample closet and storage space allowed me to get fully unpacked and grounded for an adventurous weekend ahead.

Afternoon:

Sip and dip in the saltwater pool and hot tubs. The group met us in our suite to gush about their rooms and share some celebratory bubbles before we all headed down to the property’s salt-water pool. I can’t emphasize this enough — this property is lush. The pool is a turquoise oasis with waterfalls amid a vibrant botanical garden. The pool has an amazing u-like shape that bends a path through the foliage and creates privacy nooks for each set of guests. Our group was able to secure the back right-hand side next to the over-sized jacuzzi hot tub with maximum privacy.

Evening:

Family-style dinner on property at Sensei by Nobu. Dining at Sensei is an experience meant to be shared. We ordered close to everything on the menu and shared it family style via a revolving turn-table tray in the center of our table! Our must-try pick: Caviar Tacos!

After Dinner:

Star-gazing by the pond-side fire pits. After a deliciously decent dinner, we took a night-time stroll under the stars and relaxed by one of the many pond-side fire pit decks to admire the evening sky. With minimal light pollution, the island of Lāna'i has epic stargazing.

Early morning:

Coffee in the Onsen grottos (open 24 hours a day). Complimentary coffee is served daily in the Koele Bar starting at 7 am, just as the sun is peaking over the horizon of trees. The peaceful tranquility of the morning was blissful as we walked the grounds on our way to the Onsen grottos, taking in the sights and the sounds of the emerging wildlife, including a family of wild turkeys that roam the property.

The Onsen grottos, cleverly tucked away behind the Spa Hales, are comprised of 10 very private soaking tubs, each surrounded by thick tropical foliage and open 24 hours a day. This was my absolute favorite way to spend the early mornings sipping coffee and soaking in all the serenity. Most of the tubs are perfectly sized for one couple, but two of the tubs are larger if you prefer to have more space or want to share your grotto with friends. At night, the path to the grottos is softly lit and there is a sign posted at the beginning of each individual grotto that will let you know if it is already occupied. I love the maximum privacy this ensures.

Morning wellness programming: Forest bathing

One of the curated class offerings at Sensei is forest bathing led by a guide. Besides learning the Japanese art of immersing in nature with quiet awareness to reduce stress and boost mental clarity, we also learned about how the property's landscape was designed from scratch and the various native and non-native plants and flowers used to create the expansive jungle-like gardens. I highly recommend this class for those looking to unwind and also love learning about botany and landscape design.

Mid-morning:

Healthy and abundant breakfast. Thanks to the benefits of booking with Fora, daily breakfast was included for all of us during our three-night stay. When we met each morning for breakfast, and would take turns ordering something different off the menu and sharing family style again us the center turntable — by the end of our delicious weekend we tired basically everything on the breakfast menu plus a few custom requests!

Our well-researched must-try pick: The signature Japanese Breakfast set!

Late afternoon:

Shuttle to The Four Seasons Resort Lanai and hike to sweetheart rock for sunset views.

After spending a relaxing day poolside, we decided to venture out via the resort’s complimentary shuttle to check out the Four Seasons Resort Lāna'i, the coastal property overlooking Hulopo’e Bay.

Although my group was not keen on hiking, I did convince them to follow my lead along a mile-long beach trail that leads to a red rock cove with views of Pu'upehe (sweetheart rock) at the very tip of the bay and to catch a peek-boo view of the sun setting to the west behind the island's cliffs.

The journey was more than worthwhile as the beauty of sweetheart rock and the luminosity of the sunset colors created the perfect magical backdrop for a surprise engagement proposal for our dear friends!

Evening:

Post-popping the question cheers and tears of joy, we took in the majestic sunset as we walked back to the Four Seasons Lanai for celebratory champagne at the Nobu Bar.

Thanks to the Sensei concierge team, we were able to leave our newly engaged couple at a romantic dinner for two at Osteria Mozza, the Italian residency restaurant located at the beach resort, to be chauffeured back to Sensei later that night via Tesla.

The rest of us jumped back on the courtesy shuttle and continued on to the next stop, a vibrant night of drinks, dinner and live music at local favorite Lanai City Bar & Grill.

Sunrise:

If you are up for the challenge, hike up to the top of Koloiki Ridge, a moderately challenging 4.2-mile roundtrip trail close to the resort for stunning views over Lanai and Maui. The resort offers a guided hike to the top for an additional charge or you can choose to tackle this adventure with a friend as long as you feel confident in your fitness and hiking abilities.

For a much shorter “hike” not tied to early hours, check out the walking path up to artist Jaume Plensa’s Talaia,the massive head sculpture perched above the property.

Morning:

Post sunrise hiking, you can stretch it out and unwind with a fitness class. The Daily Warm-up at the fitness studio next to the gym, or yoga and mediation class at the Yoga Hale are both great options to start the day.

Mid-morning:

It was time for a Sunday Birthday Brunch, again served at our eight-top table with spinning center for ample entree sharing and yes, guava mimosas.

Afternoon:

Post our boozy brunch, each couple set off on a “choose your own adventure” of afternoon naps, relaxation and spa services. We later reconvened at the hot tub and then all got dressed and ready for our final celebration dinner together with custom commemorative leis made especially for each couple by Lei Papahi and Lei Po’o for the girls from Eco Mindful Lei.

Evening:

Once again, we hopped on the shuttle and headed back down to the coast. We watched the full moon rise over the ocean as we enjoyed the full omakase tasting menu at Nobu Lanai, located back at the Four Seasons Lanai beach resort.

Our final morning was spent enjoying one last walk of the property and soaking up the Osen grottos with coffee and friends. We had our last breakfast together and then leisurely packed up our rooms. Based on our connecting flight times, we were shuttled in two groups back down to Lanai airport and took another inter-Island charter flight back to Honolulu.

Although I feel like we accomplished a lot during our weekend stay, I am certainly looking forward to my next trip, as I feel we barely scraped the surface of this magnificent, still under-the-radar for now Island sanctuary.