This alluring Lanai sanctuary is not your typical luxury health spa
Words by SAMANTHA BROOKS
Nestled in the hilltops on the island of Lanai, on 24 pristine acres just 20 minutes from its beachside sister property, is Sensei Lāna‘i, A Four Seasons Resort: a luxury wellness retreat that merges science-driven healthy living with five-star hospitality and a totally personalized journey. The debut concept is a unique collaboration between the well-being company Sensei (from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and leading physician and cancer specialist Dr. David Agus), Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Yes, you can go to lose weight. Yes, you can go to learn how to get better sleep. Yes, you can go for a nutrition evaluation and a cleanse. No, you don’t have to do any of the above — you can just go and relax. (Yes, there’s alcohol. No, children are not allowed.)
From left: The Great Room overlooks the gardens. The sun-filled contemporary lobby at Sensei Lana‘i, A Four Seasons Resort.
The journey begins with a Sensei guide who can help each guest craft a custom itinerary. Feeling stressed? Your guide (who likely has a master’s degree in their field) can create a program to help analyze your sleep patterns, suggest mindfulness workshops, help you learn the most effective yoga poses to decompress and guide you through a nutritional program to help keep your stress levels in check. For those who want to shed some of the COVID 15, there’s a movement studio for personal training, along with a nearby obstacle course, hiking, beachside yoga, swimming, sailing, golf, horseback riding and just about every other outdoor activity you can imagine.
Spa treatments appear to be the standard facials, massages and body wraps, but nothing feels basic when you’re in a stunning 1,000-square-foot private spa hale, surrounded by the lush island landscape. The 96 guest rooms all follow the spa’s neutral backdrop, featuring soft white linens, cream walls and light natural woods.
Treatments include Lomi A‘e, the ancient Polynesian art of bodywalking.
Of course, for those who can never get enough of Nobu Malibu, total bliss may come from the dining experience alone. A specially crafted Nobu menu for Sensei comprises three meals a day, served in a glass pavilion overlooking a reflecting pond. You may not return home with a killer granola recipe, but you will return with a lighter mind, softer soul and revived body. From $800/night; fourseasons.com/sensei.
Feature image: Sensei by Nobu.
This story originally appeared in the Fashionable Living 2021 issue of C Magazine.
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