Fabulous food. Sumptuous surroundings. And a truly Hawaiian feel.
The relatively new Four Seasons O’ahu (it opened in June, 2016) is one of the top resorts on the planet, a beautiful and lush property in the booming Ko Olina region of Hawaii’s most populous island. It’s less than an hour’s drive into Waikiki and a half hour from Honolulu, but it’s truly a world away.
My sister and I were treated to a fantastic night at the resort, which sits alongside a circular lagoon next to the Disney Aulani resort. It’s a great part of the island, relatively dry and with nice tropical breezes and sensational sunsets.
JIM BYERS PHOTO
As you might expect, the resort itself is off the charts beautiful. We were given leis at the front door (flowers for my sister, gleaming wooden nuts for me) and a cold drink of ginger lemonade and a cool towel, then checked out the spacious, open-air lobby with a massive canoe that dates back to the early 1900s.
Our room was decorated in shades of soft taupe with lots of natural wood and a huge bathroom with a tub and shower. We also had a fine balcony with a table and chairs and a view out to the lagoon and the O’ahu coast.
We immediately changed and headed to the beach, where we were given water with lemongrass from India and mandarin oranges from Italy. La dee dah. We took turns paddling about the lagoon on one of the free paddleboards they supply and went for a couple of swims prior to a brief tour.
The hotel has amazing, lush grounds with small streams, a gorgeous chapel for weddings and so much more. There are four swimming pools, a 35,000 square foot spa and five restaurants, plus a champagne lounge and tons of other features.
JIIM BYERS PHOTO
At Mina’s Fish House, run by celebrity chef Michael Mina, we had outstanding mai tais that weren’t too syrupy or sweet and even came served in a can of Spam, Spam being something of a delicacy for many Hawaiians. It’s a cheeky move that you might not expect at a posh resort like the Four Seasons, but that’s why I liked it.
We had a fantastic dinner at Noe, the on-site Italian-Hawaiian restaurant run by chef Ryo Takatsuka, with moist, perfect moi fish (in the old days a fish reserved for male Hawaiian royalty) with olives and clams and a truly amazing tagliatelle with truffle paste and mushrooms. They also serve a lovely burrata and a kalamansi tart for dessert that’s not too sweet and has the perfect burst of citrus.
JIM BYERS PHOTO
The resort’s public relations person, Yvonne Hunter, a former Toronto resident, shows us the casual café with a pool table and a couple of the lovely shops, as well as taking us to see a couple of truly over-the-top suites. The two-bedroom, 3,840-square-foot Presidential suite has an amazing Sky Deck and huge rooms to go with a multimedia room (it would’ve been perfect for Sunday’s Oscars). The Penthouse Suite is 3,200 square feet and has two bedrooms, along with a massive terrace big enough for a block party and killer views down the coast and of the hotel’s infinity pool. Both are sumptuously but tastefully decorated with stunning arrays of flowers and soft Hawaiian touches.
One of the great things about the Four Seasons I’ve stayed at in Hawaii (lucky me, this was my fourth) is that they truly embrace local culture and traditions and take great pride in showing it off. The Wayfinders program includes all sorts of cultural explorations, including the art of making jewelry from tiny Ni’ihau shells, found on the small Hawaiian island of the same name that rests off the shores of Kauai.
CHRISTINE BYERS PHOTO
Lokahi Orian shows my sister and I how they take tiny, tiny shells and poke holes in them with an awl, then string them together to make fantastic necklaces and bracelets. Several dozen could fit on the average fingernail, so it’s delicate, painstaking work. And the shells are quite rare.
“A lei made with these shells could cost several thousand dollars,” Lokahi tells us. With the Wayfinders program, however, you can learn to make your own jewelry and take home a piece you make yourself for $70. They also do ukulele workshops and offer free lessons in Hawaiian weaving.
“A lot of folks come for the beach and don’t see the culture we have,” Lokahi tells us. “But many folks are eager to learn.”
We don’t have time for one of his hiking trips or hula lessons, but we chat at breakfast with La’akea Perry, another Wayfinders leader.
JIM BYERS PHOTO
“Guests love it,” he tells us. “I try to teach them the basics and a little bit of the history of hula. You have to get in the proper mood for it. Some folks really just want an Instagram shot so we have to be patient.”
Perry says hula is a very delicate affair when it’s done right.
“A slight turn of the wrist or movement with your eye can have great meaning,” he explains. “For a lot of young hula dancers, it’s all flash. But when folks get older, there’s a deeper meaning. They can make just a small move but it’s so meaningful and you know exactly what they’re talking about.”
Perry tells me about a morning hike he sometimes leads to a point of land on the northwest tip of O’ahu, past Makaha. It’s an area where ancient Hawaiians believed their souls departed for another world after their death, so it’s a highly spiritual place as well.
FOUR SEASONS KO OLINA: https://www.fourseasons.com/oahu/
HAWAII TOURISM: https://www.gohawaii.com/
