“Wind, waves, Royal Shave: At the Four Seasons at Ko Olina Beach, you leave your job at reception.” Kai Böcking
If you have to travel to Hawaii on business, you’ve got a lot behind you when you arrive: at least 20 hours of travel and certainly a culture shock when the legendary Honolulu first takes shape live and in colour in front of its figure. Waikiki Beach is a kind of Hawaiian ballet man. Tourist masses buy cheap flower chains and overpriced cocktails and think that they have landed in paradise. And those who travel to Honolulu for business are very likely to end up in an exhibition hotel or in a concrete bunker near the beach. Both not the way you want Hawaii to be.
But happiness is closer than you think. Those who can spend a day or two on their business appointments only need half an hour from the Pacific nightmare of Honolulu, past bars, restaurants and private villas, to the most beautiful hotel on the island: the Four Seasons Resort, opened in 2016. Since the renovation and conversion of the former JW Marriott, the hotel has shone on the legendary beach of Ko Olina – Hawaiian for “Place of Joy”.
The obligatory chains of nuts for men and flowers for women are there to welcome you – and here they are real and not made of plastic. The spacious, open lobby is also a changing exhibition space for local artists and offers a magnificent view of the Pacific. At the same time, the entire complex is at your feet on the terrace: the family pool, framed by a bar and restaurants, and further down the bay, which shares the hotel with the adjacent Disney family resort. Therefore, little waves of children’s cries mingle with the soft noise of the sea. Where was the promised peace?
The way to the room leads through lush vegetation, past the hotel’s own wedding chapel and a huge spa. And here you can see the great location of the hotel. While on one side the main building borders on the aforementioned Signature Hotel for Mickey Mouse fans, the other side lies on one of the most beautiful beaches of Hawaii. The first Hawaiian king Kamehameha is said to have stayed here. A green paradise with a sea of flowers and footpaths stretches over the rocks to the small bays of the national park. The (adult) guests experience this luxurious spot of nature at the most beautiful pool of the complex.
But first to the room. There are 371 of them, including 55 suites, some of which have their own pool on the terrace. My room is a “Deluxe Ocean View”, which offers a 60 square meter bedroom and a huge marble bathroom as well as a balcony of about 8 square meters – with two sun loungers and a free sunset over the sea. The first class beds meet walls with banana leaf wallpaper and handcrafted natural wood furniture. Guests can use the tablet to inform themselves about everything important and book spa offers, a table in the restaurant or excursions. So you could stay in your room, have a drink on the terrace and relax – which would be a pity, especially as you should never miss the five-star service of the house.
Cocktails from the vendor’s tray
The idea of an adult only pool is not new. Resorts like to offer separate pool areas for quiet adults and for families with children, so that everyone can stay stress-free among themselves. The 25 metre long infinity pool in the Four Seasons is reserved for the adult clientele – and is an absolute hit. At the pool’s edge: ultra-wide and comfortable loungers, prepared by an attentive service team in seconds. The guest is immediately supplied with water in metal bottles and asked for further wishes – everything is relaxed, Hawaiian friendly and highly professional, whether you want to charge your mobile phone or laptop, need sun cream or feel like a snack in between.
In the afternoon around 5 p.m. the cocktail show takes place: a shrewd employee pushes a vendor’s tray in front of him, filled with the ingredients for the most common Hawaiian mixed drinks. Mai Tai, Planters Punch or Piña Colada are given to the guests free of charge in homeopathic doses – as a small foretaste of the Happy Hour in the restaurant “Fish House”.
According to the German Food and Beverage Director Martin Knaubert, this follows the tradition of the predominantly American clientele. In addition to cheap drinks at fixed times, she also attaches particular importance to the American version of an extensive breakfast including Bloody Mary and Mimosa (80 US dollars per person). Martin Knaubert, who left Germany many years ago, is head of the hotel’s five restaurants and bars: Seafood, Pan-Asian, Italian and the inevitable burger bar by the family pool. Here every guest should get his money’s worth. I enjoyed the sunset with oysters, delicious tuna tartar and homemade bread – the stress of the business trip was blown away.
Royale shave
Further relaxation units await you in the four-storey Naupaka Spa & Wellness Center, which extends over 35,000 square meters with indoor and outdoor treatment rooms. The treatments are based on ancient Hawaiian healing methods, using only locally grown and cultivated Hawaiian and Polynesian ingredients for the massage oils and creams. The traditional Lomi-Lomi massage is celebrated here in its original form. Lomi means kneading or pressing, the therapist’s movements are flowing and take me to a paradise of total relaxation – wonderful!
The “Royal Shave” is a speciality of the Four Seasons Ko Olina. Whether King Kamehameha has enjoyed it till now is not guaranteed. Nevertheless, the legendary treatment is dedicated to the “Great Chief”, who united the Hawaii Islands into one kingdom in 1810. What awaits the gentleman is a deep relaxing shave plus facial that lasts 60 minutes and makes the skin as soft as a baby’s bottom.
Conclusion: Those who leave the Four Seasons will begin to understand why Bleisure is a big trend in the business travel world today. Get out of the hustle and bustle and just relax for a day or two before going back to work – and that also answers your colleagues’ obligatory question about why you look so outrageously good after a stressful business trip. . . Aloha!
Kai Böcking …
was at first very irritated by the dreary Honolulu. But after his visit to the coast he discovered all the Hawaii clichés of a colourful, relaxed island feeling for himself.
At a glance
Arrival: The Hawaiian main island Oahu is best reached via the west coast of the USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver). From Honolulu, for example, it is only 30 minutes to Ko Olina Beach.
Hotel: The Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina has 371 rooms, 55 of them suites – all with balcony or terrace, some with small pool. The restaurants include “La Hiki”, the Italian restaurant “Noe” and the “Fish House”. There is also a 900 square metre 24-hour fitness club with a training pool, three pools and the 3,300 square metre Naupaka Spa & Wellness. Other highlights are its own beach bay (shared with the Disney Hotel), its own chapel for weddings and many open spaces directly on the beach.
Adresse: Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, 92-1001 Olani Street, Kapolei, Hawaii, 96707 USA, Tel. +1 (808) 679-0079 or +1 (844) 387-0308 (toll-free), www.fourseasons.com/oahu
Fotos: Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, Christian Horan
