Honua Kai Update:

PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS INTENDED TO PROMOTE SALES AS A TRAVEL ADVISOR, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS IF YOU DECIDE THIS VACATION IS FOR YOU.

You can read my original review of Honua Kai by clicking HERE.

I finally had the chance to experience this fabulous condo resort after sending so many happy clients. We stayed in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath ocean view room and it was huge.  One king sized bed in each room with two full bathrooms.  Separate shower, double sinks along with private toilet room.  Our balcony spanned the length of our living room and one bedroom with access from both rooms.  Full kitchen along with all the basic supplies.  The resort atmosphere is very laid back with very attentive staff.  We had dinner at Duke's one night and it did not disappoint.  Of course, we had to enjoy the Hula Pie for dessert because it is a must.  Our friends had daily breakfast at Duke's and said that it was great, no complaints.   My husband & I spent most afternoons by the pool with our own snacks from the room.  Bar service poolside was very efficient with everything done electronically.  Order takers, drink deliver person, handheld devices to send orders to the bar and print out the check.   Pretty cool.    My new favorite drink, "Duke's Lemonade", citrus vodka with Lemonade made for a very refreshing afternoon libation!   We never had any problems finding a lounge chair and the beach activities desk was very friendly when going to get towels for the pool.  If Pams Path to Travel books your stay, you will have access to pool towels from the Pool Activity desk.  Units that are privately owned or booked through other 3rd party property management services would not have access to the towels provided at the activity desk.  However, owners tend to supply them in their units for their guests.  The resort now has a spa with a full array of spa treatments available.  Three pools with a small water slide to keep you cool.  Snorkel equipment for shore side snorkeling and beach access from a few different walkways.   The beach is fairly narrow in front of the Honua Kai, but a short walk down the beach path and there is an area with plenty of sand.  The resort has gas grills around the pool areas and we did grill several nights, they worked well & it also gives you a good chance to meet others while grilling.  I highly recommend this resort.  It's a high end condo resort with luxury touches (stainless steel appliances, granite counters, etc.) and the beds were super comfortable. 

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to begin my day with a nice power walk.  Maui has fabulous beach paths, so each morning I would get up and hit the beach walk and log my 3-5 mile walk.   How can you resist when the background is this beautiful. 

Overall, our stay in Maui was low key.  I did visit clients at the Fairmont Kea Lani for lunch at Ama, which was very good and the clients were very impressed with the resort.   I also toured the Four Seasons Maui & had a snack at the poolside restaurant called Ferraros.  We had pizza & it was delicious.  Great & friendly service from the bar staff.  That evening we met a friend for dinner at Ko, located at the Fairmont.  We were treated wonderfully & had a very filling & tasty meal.  Another morning, we checked out a favorite of my family clients, Slappy Cakes.  This was walking distance from the Honua Kai.  They serve breakfast only from 6am to 2pm daily.  Each table has their own griddle & you can make your own pancakes or you can just order from the menu.  I had to give it a try & made my Snoopy pancake.  Overall, a great time in Maui with great friends.  We relaxed each night in our unit playing Mexican Train, it was nice having the condo & living room for this type of evening!  We really enjoyed our time together with friends on this beautiful island.

You can view current pictures for Honua Kai HERE 

Four Seasons Lanai.

We flew into Maui & then took the ferry from Lahaina to Manele Harbor, Lanai.  The journey is about 45 minutes & you must book in advance.  The roundtrip was $60 per person & overall a smooth experience.  The day we arrived, the Hawaiian Islands were bracing for two possible Hurricanes, so our ferry was the last one of the day.  The water was a little choppy but not too bad.  Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Four Seasons staff with lei greetings & transported to the hotel about 5 minutes away.  The hotel charges $10 per person each way for this service.  Alternatively, you can fly into Lanai City airport from Honolulu, but the transfer is longer, more cost & hassle having to deal with airport security & transferring between terminals in Honolulu vs. taking the ferry.  In our case, we were with friends who were staying in Maui while we spent our 2 nights in Lanai, so they drove us to the ferry & picked us up when we returned.  However, there are parking options in Lahaina for those who might have a rental car that they need to stow for a few days while exploring Lanai.  Our return transport was just as easy & the staff at the Four Seasons took care of everything.

Now for the resort itself, it has been recently renovated & it's gorgeous!!! Open air lobby to greet you with beautiful ocean views upon arrival.  Check in process was handled via tablets while you are seated in the lobby at one of the couch areas sipping your welcome glass of juice.  Our room was not ready when we arrived, but once it was we were then escorted to our room.  The room was very large.  Tastefully decorated, huge desk sitting area, outlets everywhere. Shades & lights all controlled electronically as well....AND personalized greetings on the electronics in the room!  COOL!   Closet space aplenty & a complimentary bottle of OFF bug spray (never a good sign for this mosquito magnet).  I didn't notice the spray until  it was too late for me.  Eight mosquito bites in 24 hours.  They weren't too bad, I have experienced worse from other places.  The resort is very lush with landscaping & you do walk through a lot of it getting to and from your room & the various resort public areas. 

The resort is fairly spread out, but feels very intimate at the same time.  Two pools, one of which is adults only, though there were so few kids that the "family pool" was not a kid infestation.  The pools are salt water and lagoon style, very fitting to the overall feel of the resort.  One hot tub attached to each pool & wonderful pool service employees.  They escort you to available lounge chairs, set up your towels, provide you with a personal water cooler & glasses and they are very attentive with food & beverage service.  We had one full afternoon by the pool & I even indulged in a poolside foot massage.  Talk about being pampered!!

Dining at the Four Seasons Lanai.  Since our room was not available when we arrived, we had lunch at the Malibu Farm restaurant that is poolside.  Farm to table fresh cuisine.  I had a yummy burger & Bill had the catch of the day.  Excellent food & friendly service with stellar ocean views.   Dinner our first night was in the sports bar.  Since we had ate lunch later than we originally planned, we weren't up for a huge dinner.  We had grilled cheese sandwiches & wine in a relaxed atmosphere.  Again great service & we topped off the night with a few games at the pool table located in the Sports Bar.

Both mornings we had breakfast at ONE Forty.  You can either order from the menu or partake in the plentiful buffet, though there are some hot items on the buffet that are cooked to order & are included in the buffet option.  We did the buffet both days, they offer a smoothie bar, cooked to order omelets, eggs, wide array of cold cuts, sashimi, fruits, yogurts, breads, cereals...a very complete spread.  Some of the hot items you could order that were included in the buffet were meats like bacon, sausage, ham, Eggs Benedict, pancakes, French toast, etc.  I was especially thankful to have the smoothie bar and the ability to mix my Isagenix meal replacement shake, so I was able to stay on track with my nutritional program.  We didn't eat lunch on our second day poolside because breakfast was late enough & dinner was early enough,  plus the pool staff comes around with treats all afternoon. Things like fruit on a stick, popsicles, etc.  And another win for me, the bartender was more than happy to blend my Isagenix shake for lunch.

Dinner our last night was also in ONE Forty.  I had my Filet Mignon & Bill had the catch of the day. WE shared the chocolate mousse for dessert.  Dinner did not disappoint, great service, beautiful view, relaxing environment.

Other hotel amenities include a very nice fitness center with a fabulous group exercise studio.  They do offer daily yoga, weight training & spin classes.  As mentioned earlier, there are pool tables & shuffleboard tables in the sports bar.  Outdoor fireplaces to enjoy.  A full beach shack with snorkeling equipment & a beautiful stretch of beach.  It's a little bit of a walk down to the beach..about a ten minute walk from our room which was about as far away as you could be, so approximately five minutes walk from most of the resort otherwise.  This resort does not have a beach path walking area, but I managed to log 3 miles walking around the resort, to/from the beach, golf course area, conference center & overall grounds.  We really enjoyed our stay at the Four Seasons Lanai & would highly recommend for clients who love luxury.  I am sorry that we did not get to explore the island.  We just didn't have a lot of time to do much outside of the resort.  The hotel does rent jeeps for the day & there are a wide array of excursions available to explore the island.

 You can view pictures of the Four Seasons Lanai HERE

Four Seasons Maui

I took some time to tour this resort as it has been 13 years since my last stay. The rooms have recently been completely renovated & look very much like the rooms on Lanai.  Very earthy tones & tastefully decorated.  There is a new adults only pool sanctuary with an infinity edge & swim up bar located lobby level.  The resort seemed very busy & crowded.  I also don't get the spacious feeling that I felt on Lanai.  The beach here in Wailea is gorgeous though, so that counts for something....and there is a beautiful beach walk path accessible to this resort.  I can't speak to the dining venues other than Ferraros (mentioned earlier) and it was great.  From what I witnessed & from what I hear from my repeat clients, the service & food here is awesome.

You can view pictures of the Four Seasons Maui HERE

Gotta LOVE a Maui Sunset!!!