All the Four Seasons in Hawaii, Ranked

winter is coming, winter is here

Los Angeles is reeling from an unforgiving wildfire season. Rebuilding will take years, and there are several ways that you can help. That said, in the depths of winter, many of us seek inspiration for warm weather getaways, whether to inform a trip in the foreseeable future or to fuel a daydream awaiting clearance for takeoff. I hope you find this useful, or at the very least, a welcome distraction.

The other day, my friend Courtney asked for advice about a potential trip to Hawaii. When she found out that I’d been to every Four Seasons in America’s great, 50th state, she suggested I write about it, as the Internet is apparently lacking in this department. Great idea, Courtney!

Note: these rankings are entirely subjective and based on my experience over the specified time period(s). For maximum viewing pleasure, read this in your browser or on the Substack app. If you like it, please “like” it on the website or app. Like that U2 song, the algorithm moves in mysterious ways, but one thing she likes is likes.

5. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

View from the FS Maui walking path.

I stayed here for three nights in 2019 while reporting a story about Christian Navarro, sommelier to the stars. He and the wine bar where he worked, Wally’s, were hosting an epicurean extravaganza, and I had no complaints about the food and bev on offer.

Don’t mind if I do/did.

Continued here.

The grounds: sprawling, studded with swimming pools, one only for adults and out of earshot from the kid-friendly equivalent.

The adults only pool.

There’s a paved footpath path that winds along the coast and connects the resort to its neighbors. IF I had a complaint, it would be about the breakfast buffet. With 383 rooms, there are a lot of mouths to feed each morning, and while I understand the logistical need to make guests stick a number on top of their table so that they receive the dish they ordered at the egg station, it makes the place feel like a cruise ship. Perhaps this has since changed.

Of note: this is the resort where season one of The White Lotus was shot. HBO has a knack for turning real life places into landmarks.

4. Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

A mere 25 minutes from Honolulu International Airport, Ko Olina feels a world away from Hawaii’s capital city and the crowded beaches of Waikiki. Unlike the other Four Seasons in Hawaii, most of the rooms here are stacked in a high rise tower, which makes it easy to navigate and find your friends if you happen to be here for a wedding, as I was in 2017.

Sunset at F.S. Ko Olina.

I stayed here for one night. The room was everything that you’d expect from a Four Seasons, but I will be honest: owing to the festivities of the wedding, I don’t remember much besides that. Did someone lose their suit jacket?

One detail that remains salient: the pool. The pool at Ko Olina made me fall in love with swimming pools in general. Not sure if it was the shape or the size or the proximity to the Pacific or the particular gang I was with, but this pool cured the hangover to end all hangovers, and for that reason, Ko Olina will always occupy a special place in my heart.

3. Sensei Lānaʻi, a Four Seasons Resort

If you want to come back from your Hawaiian vacation more fit, blissed out, and at one with nature than you previously thought possible, then boy do I have a place for you.

The Sensei lobby.