LANAI, Hawaii
Four Seasons Resorts has revealed plans to close its hotels on the Hawaiian Island of Lanai, the only two resort hotels on the island, in 2015 for renovations.
The 102-room Four Seasons Resort Lanai, The Lodge at Koele will be closed for most of the year to house construction crews, while the 217-room Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay is scheduled to shut down in June for renovations, for an unknown amount of time.
The two resort hotels are a major economic provider for Lanai, which is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the smallest publicly accessible inhabited island. Billionaire Larry Ellison, who owns 98% of the island, made the decision to upgrade the properties.
According to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, some businesses that rely on the group market, such as Lana'i Western Adventures, an outdoor activities company offering horseback rides, hunting and archery, are being forced to shut down as a result of the closures.
The Manele Bay property will undergo a $75 million renovation that includes a new three-pool complex and improvements to its main lobby building. It is the larger of the two properties, featuring a resort-style environment with 55,682 square feet of total meeting and event space.
The Lodge at Koele property features an additional 44,137 square feet of total space, in an "upcountry lodge" setting. Both properties are awaiting a special management area use permit and project district development approval, alongside Lanai Planning Commission approval.
