Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay

100   Recommended
Ocean Front Terrace
September 8, 2014 by EXPERT

 Map | 2 Reviews | 100% Recommended
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Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay
 Map | 2 Reviews | 100% Recommended

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Ocean Front Terrace

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
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Room
Ocean Front Terrace

I was booked into and assigned an Ocean Front Terrace room on the 2nd floor on a room only basis.

Check In

I arrived on the shuttle from The Lodge - about a 20 minute ride - and was welcomed much the same way as at Koele. A staff member was playing the conch shell to indicate arriving guests while female guests received orchid leis and the men a wooden bead lei. At the Front Desk I was presented with a cold oshibori towel and a refreshing fruit punch. One notices that it is considerably hotter, and during my stay, much more humid down at Manele Bay. My room was ready upon check-in but I took the same shuttle I came on to return to Lanai City for lunch. The photos (that will be) in the previous section is from that lunch trip. Upon return to the Resort I was escorted to my room.

Room

My Ocean Front Terrace room was located on the "right" side of the resort facing the ocean on the second floor in the "Plumeria" (I think) pod. The advantage of this pod of rooms is that it is really close to the Ocean and one can hear the waves crashing onto the rocks below. However, the location of my room was close to the corner of an L shape block of rooms. This did limit the views somewhat. Some photos of the room and the view:

Bathroom

Shower stall with L'Occitane toiletries

View from the terrace looking straight ahead:

Looking slightly towards the right:

The surf:

Looking to the left -- these rooms have great sunset views (something my room did not have due to its location)

View from an Ocean Front Terrace room on the left side of the resort (Dophin? pod)

On my side you are much closer to the water so you can hear the waves crashing which is so soothing but the view is perhaps not as panoramic. On the other side, you get a more panoramic ocean view but are situated much farther from the water and therefore cannot hear the surf as much, if at all. A Garden Terrace room on the ground floor:

Dining

Manele Bay has a wider array of dining options -- Kailani for Italian inspired food; ONE FORTY, the steakhouse and breakfast venue; Nobu Lanai; and a great bar which doubles as a casual breakfast spot for takeaway coffee, muffins, bagels, etc.

I had dinner at Nobu and enjoyed the meal very much. Service was attentive and friendly and they catered to my dietary requirements without any issues. There is a special menu featuring items available only at Nobu Lanai, featuring local seafood (who knew there are an Atlantic lobster species being raised off the coast of Big Island!) and much of the produce is harvested from a dedicated Nobu farm up in Lanai City.

For breakfast I ordered a la carte at ONE FORTY, though a buffet option is available -- the covered terrace is a lovely spot for breakfast!

Additional Resort Photos

Overall

I actually thought service was better at the Lodge than at Manele Bay -- there was a higher degree of variance in service levels (friendliness, proactiveness, effectiveness, etc) between locals. I don't know how I can say this without getting into trouble but I found that there was a discrepancy between indigenous locals and non-indigenous locals.

Once again, room allocation is important due to the variance within room categories. For those who want to see and hear the surf close up will like the wing and room I was in. If you prefer more panoramic ocean views, then the other side of the resort would be better. Do you prefer to see the sun set? Then the rooms perpendicular to mine would be better suited. While room allocation cannot be guaranteed it does help to let your Travel Advisor know your expectations so that they can be, as much as possible, be matched for your stay.

Room renovations are coming and they will be done one or two pods at a time. The Resort is being extremely tight lipped about these renovations but they are quite excited by them. From what I was told, FS is finalizing design plans so a final design has yet to be selected. The bones of the resort are solid so the potential for something stunning is there; hopefully, FS will go in that direction.

Ellison has been investing a lot in Lanai and the Spa was closed during my stay -- it should be open by now as they did want it done for Festive. From what I saw as we peaked into the Spa area is that it should be quite stunning. A lot has been invested in landscaping and it shows -- the courtyards are very lush and looked good. A lot of staff are dedicated to keeping the grounds pristine.

I still enjoyed my time at Manele Bay but I did not feel the same specialness here that I did at Koele. I think my preference would be to stay at Koele but come and play and eat at Manele Bay.

Amenities

Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities:

Daily american breakfast for 2 per bedroom,

Upgrade of one category if available upon arrival (excluding Villas and Specialty suites)

$100 USD Food and Beverage credit once per stay

Complimentary standard internet for 2 devices ($15 for premium internet)

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