Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has partnered with the well-being company Sensei to develop the adults-only, all-inclusive Four Seasons Hotel Lanai at Koele, A Sensei Retreat. Scheduled to open November 1, 2019, the retreat—a Four Seasons first—will focus exclusively on offering comprehensive, customized wellness program retreats.

“Four Seasons partnership with Sensei signals our deep understanding of what today’s luxury traveller wants: an exclusive and differentiated wellness travel experience, perfectly pairing Sensei’s evidence-based approach to healthy living with Four Seasons renowned and legendary service,” says Christian Clerc, president, Operations, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “Set against the backdrop of the uniquely breathtaking Lanai landscape, this new offering combines unmatched hospitality, nutritious upscale dining and reputable experts to offer a luxury wellness experience found nowhere else in the world.”

Sensei is a well-being company founded by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Dr. David Agus, who is best known for being the founding CEO of the University of Southern California’s Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine and his best-selling books on data-driven approaches to a longer life.

Located against a background of Cook pines and banyan trees on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which is also home to the beachfront Four Seasons Resort Lanai, the new wellness experience takes full advantage of the 90,000-acre island’s natural beauty and seclusion.

The Lodge at Koele reborn

Previously known as the Lodge at Koele, the resort was fully transformed by Todd-Avery Lenahan of TAL-Studio. It now includes a soaring Great Room, Sensei by Nobu restaurant, spa and wellness facilities with 10 private spa hale, and 96 guestrooms and suites.

“We wanted to create an environment set amid this mountain location that inspired the senses to ascend and rise above the fray of life,” explains Todd-Avery. “The large grand space has been re-sculpted, with a more than 80-foot long glass wall overlooking the verdant gardens bringing the landscaping inside. Extraordinary works of art are encountered for the first time, commissioned exclusively for the property and stimulating thought and reflection. A new architectural frieze-band visually tells the story of the island’s geographic and cultural context, while colours from nature are vibrant against a serene palette, offering a harmonious and balanced setting for a journey to well-being.”

Guiding guests on wellness journeys

The resort’s team of wellness experts includes nutritionists, chefs, fitness experts, spa therapists and hospitality professionals. When a guest books, they will be assigned to a Sensei Guide, who will help create a customized itinerary in advance of the guest’s stay. Once at the resort, the guest’s program will be adapted and fine-tuned using cutting-edge health tools and technology, recommendations from the wellness team, and guest feedback.

“Our goal is to create experiences, products and services that help people address the gap between their wellness intentions and daily practices,” explains Dr. Agus.

The resort’s wellness journeys start with a minimum three-day stay with the option to add on additional days, complete with wellness activities, meals, adventures and more.

Services and facilities include:

• one-on-one training sessions;
• group classes;
• lectures;
• philanthropic activities;
• immersive spa treatments in a private hale;
• island excursions;
• 24-hour fitness facility;
• two movement studios;
• yoga pavilion and outdoor yoga spaces;
• salon;
• onsen (Japanese hot spring) baths;
• outdoor pool with lap lanes;
• 18-hole short golf course with Scotty Cameron putters;
• an Adventure Park with ziplines and rope challenge courses;
• outdoor sculpture garden featuring works of renowned contemporary artists;
• and access to a full range of Four Seasons-managed island activities (golf, ocean sports, hiking, biking, horseback riding, archery, sporting clays, etc.).

The resort also features a new dining concept, Sensei by Nobu. It incorporates many ingredients harvested from Sensei’s on-island sustainable farm, with optional dining in a private spa hale, poolside or in guest’s room or suite. Its menus have been designed by world-renowned Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa and his team in collaboration with Dr. Agus and Sensei’s nutritionists, using a science-driven approach to diet within the context of full-body health.