It's been two years since I was there and had a fantastic stay at Manele and the island in general. Taking a jeep to your own private section of a Hawaiian beach simply cannot be beat and is impossible to do in Maui. I haven't heard anything bad from any SPG Platinum members. I can't say what you would get without any Starwood status.

These hotels are soon to be Four Seasons so I would expect the staff to be at their best behavior at this time. Check on the Starwood forum for more info.

One other point. Please understand the culture of Lanai which is very different from any other Hawaiian island. This is a small-knit society that doesn't have too many outsiders working on the island. Being self-contained, their behavior isn't overly unctious as you might see at other luxury hotels. I actually like a self-confident hotel staff.