The Island of Lana'i – Where to Stay, Eat, and Call Home

Also known as the Pineapple Island from its past as the world’s largest pineapple plantation, Lanai is the 6th largest Hawaiian island. The privately owned island is part of the County of Maui and home to some estimated 3,200 residents.

This past weekend, I visited the island of Lanai for the first time, but it definitely won’t be the last. I was looking for a place to get away from it all, relax, and take things at a slower pace. Lana’i is the Hawaiian island to do just that. Here I’ve shared just a few places to stay, eat, and call home.

The grounds of the Four Seasons Resort Lodge at Ko’ele are a very different Hawaiian experience

Where to Stay

• Four Seasons Resorts Lodge at Ko’ele—Located in the cool upcountry with beautiful surroundings and plenty of activities inside and out. The rates are very competitive with neighbor island resorts.
• Four Seasons Resorts Lanai Manele Bay—A luxurious ocean-side resort with great poolside and beach amenities as well as the Kids For All Seasons Camp for guests 5-12 years-old.
• Hotel Lanai—A small, cozy hotel in Lana’i City with Cook Pines outside your window. There are no phones in the rooms and some are without televisions.

Where to Eat

I dined at both of the Four Seasons Resorts during my visit, which have a variety of dining options, but below are some casual options in Lana’i City where you can eat beside island residents.

• Blue Ginger Cafe—On my first morning on Lana’i, I met residents from Maui who invited us to join them for breakfast here. Order at the counter and find a seat. My son loved the spam and eggs breakfast; I ordered pancakes that were bigger than the plate. Come hungry because the food is good and the portions are huge. Cash only.
• Pele’s Other Garden—I meant to eat here, as I’ve read and heard great reviews, but I ran out of time this trip. I did stop in though and buy Hawaiian-flavored bottled soda and saw a case filled with eye-catching cakes.

Where to Call Home

As the days passed quickly, even on slow-paced Lana’i, I found myself wondering what the options were for calling Lana’i home. The variety surprised me.

• Lana’i City—There are small plantation-style homes starting from the low $200,000’s.
• The Pines at Koele—Condominiums starting from $489,000 that are eligible for Island Club membership, allowing access to Four Season Resorts Lana’i amenities.
• Koele and Manele Bay Homes—Residences up to $6.8M with some eligible for Island Club membership.
• Land—Experience at Koele lots starting from $499,000 and Manele Bay area lots starting from $1.65M. Both communities are also eligible for the Island Club memberships.

Many of the other guests I met were neighbor island residents as Lana’i is easily accessible by a 30 minute prop plane from Honolulu, Oahu, or by a 45 minute ferry ride from Lahaina, Maui.