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Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort
Lanai City, Hawaii, United States · Four Seasons · Grand Luxury
Larry Ellison and oncologist David Agus conceived this 96-room, adults-only wellness retreat in 2019 amid Lānaʻi's cool upland pine forests. At 1,700 feet, the former Lodge at Koele is often 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the coast, and Sensei by Nobu remains Nobu Matsuhisa's only dining concept built expressly around wellness.
- 96 rooms
- Opened 1990
- Neighborhood: Hawaii
- Rooms from 450 sq ft (42 m²)
- Interiors: Todd-Avery Lenahan
About Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort
- Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and oncologist David Agus conceived the science-based, adults-only retreat in 2019 after a $75 million renovation of the former Lodge at Koele.
- Sensei by Nobu is Nobu Matsuhisa's only wellness-focused dining concept, designed around longevity-minded Japanese cuisine.
- The 1,700-foot upland site sits in Cook Island pine forests planted by naturalist George Munro and often runs 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the coast.
- Dole once cultivated nearly 20,000 acres on Lānaʻi, at its peak supplying an estimated 75 percent of the world's pineapple before the last commercial harvest in 1992.
- The 96-room retreat achieved Forbes Five-Star status in 2024 on an island 98 percent owned by Ellison.
History
The Lodge at Koele, the building that Sensei Lanai now occupies, opened in 1990 as the inland companion to the Manele Bay Hotel on the coast — two properties built simultaneously by David Murdock's Castle and Cooke as the infrastructure of the island's transition from a pineapple plantation to a luxury destination. The Koele site had been the operational heart of the island's agricultural era: the upland plateau at 1,700 feet, surrounded by Cook Island pine forests planted by New Zealand naturalist George Munro in the early twentieth century, was where ranch and plantation headquarters operated from the 1870s through the mid-twentieth century. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company, later Dole Food Company, purchased the island in 1922 for $1.1 million and eventually cultivated nearly 20,000 acres, at peak years supplying an estimated 75 percent of the world's pineapple supply. The last commercial harvest took place in 1992, the year after the Manele Bay Hotel opened, closing seven decades of agricultural identity.
The Lodge at Koele was designed as a grand country estate hotel in a style more reminiscent of an English manor house than a tropical resort — stone fireplaces, coffered ceilings, croquet lawns, and a cooler climate (Koele is often 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the coast) that set it apart from every other Hawaiian luxury property. Four Seasons took over management of both island hotels in 2005. When Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison purchased 98 percent of Lanai in 2012 for a reported $300 million, his vision for Koele was transformational rather than cosmetic. The Lodge closed in January 2015 and remained closed for four years.
Ellison, working with oncologist and longevity researcher Dr. David Agus, conceived an entirely new purpose for the building: a science-based, adults-only wellness retreat anchored by biometric data, personalized health programming, and a culinary philosophy designed around longevity rather than indulgence. A $75 million renovation, led by interior designer Todd-Avery Lenahan, transformed the manor-house aesthetic into something more serene and contemplative, with an 80-foot glass wall in the main hall overlooking the pine-shrouded gardens. Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort opened November 1, 2019 with 96 rooms across a 25-acre site. Sensei by Nobu — Nobu Matsuhisa's only wellness-focused dining concept, designed around longevity-promoting Japanese cuisine — anchors the food program. The property achieved Forbes Five-Star status in 2024, becoming one of the most unusual five-star addresses in the world: a wellness retreat on a privately held island, accessible by a 25-minute charter flight from Honolulu.
The setting
Set at 1,700 feet in the cool uplands of Lanai, once the heart of Dole Food Company's pineapple plantations, now a redwood-wrapped mountain resort surrounded by the island's Cook Island pine forests. 0.9 miles from Lanai Culture & Heritage Center.
Restaurants and bars
- Sensei by Nobu — Restaurant · Japanese · Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
- Koele Garden Bar — Bar
Experiences
- Sensei Guided Experiences — Guided wellness programme of enriching classes, adventures, treatments, private wellness consultations and nutritious foods, or a la carte options.
- Sensei Featured Experience – Move, Nourish or Rest — 120-minute experience in a private spa hale, centred on three key practices.
- Daily wellness classes — Wellness classes offered on site.
- Cultural classes — Cultural classes offered on site.
- Art walk — Walk through the property's art.
- Garden Walk — Walk through the gardens.
Amenities
- Sensei Way personalized wellness program with guides and biometric assessments
- Ten individual Hale (treatment) suites for spa and movement therapies
- 24-hour movement studio and adults-only infinity pool
- Complimentary excursions across 98% of the island (owned by Larry Ellison)
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis
- Water sports
- Golf course
- Horseback riding
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2024)
- Condé Nast Traveler Gold List (2021)
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