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Not one but two Four Seasons Resorts occupy the small Hawaiian island of Lana'i. That there is little else in the way of accommodation can't help but give guests the impression that the long beaches, stunning golf and spectacular sunsets are theirs alone. And, for the most part, they are.

This island-paradise feeling is no doubt what appealed to Bill Gates when he booked both properties - at the time under a different hotel banner - for his wedding in the nineties.

When the Four Seasons took over in 2006, they invested $50-million to make each hotel, one at the sea, one in the hills, complement each other. Which is why visitors often sample both locations. Location

Lana'i at Manele Bay sits on a low hill overlooking Hulopo'e Bay, a protected marine park and the island's best beach. The Lodge at Koele is 20 minutes away amid towering Cook Island pine trees. The island is 29 kilometres long and 21 kilometres wide and is 45 minutes by boat from the northwest side of Maui. The island has just one town - Lana'i City, with a population of 3,000. In the 1920s, it produced 75 per cent of the world's pineapples, but the crop was withdrawn in the 1980s because of less expensive producers elsewhere, and the land returned to a fallow state.

Ambience

Both hotels play down their exceptional setting. There is none of that feeling that you are entering a compound. Instead, the privately owned island quietly conveys a sense of being once removed. Manele Bay's two-storey, open-air lobby connects with breezeways to outer buildings with ample lounge areas. The 215 rooms and 21 suites are positioned for privacy. The smaller lodge, with just 102 rooms, has a high-beamed Great Hall, large stone fireplaces and cozy nooks that give the impression of a ski lodge crossed with an English country manor house.

Clientele

Hawaiians like the up-country escape of the lodge. Honeymooners tend to gravitate to the beach destination. Both hotels are kid-friendly and families are as prevalent as couples. A new pavilion at Manele Bay opens this fall that will expand the business trade. It's best to ask whether you'll be sharing the hotel with a large sales conference when you book.

Design

Manele Bay captures the Hawaiian feel of indoor/outdoor living. Five indigenous gardens are calming oases with streams, ponds and waterfalls. Public rooms with Oriental art and picture windows showcase the palm-tree lined pool and ocean beyond. The lodge features verandas with comfortable wicker chairs that look out across meadows and woods. The Great Hall lobby has carved chandeliers, antique rugs, tapestries and deeply cushioned couches. The tranquil grounds include a reflecting pond, a pagoda and an orchid greenhouse.

Rooms

At the beachfront property, tropical island accents blend with East Asian influences. Fresh flowers are part of the decor. Sliding wooden screens open onto a lanai, which means a patio, not to be confused with the name of the island, Lana'i. These terraces are amply supplied with outdoor furnishings and a comfortable daybed. A 40-inch flat screen TV, DVD and CD players as well as high-speed Internet access are standard in both locations.

Rooms at the lodge average a generous 600 square feet including the lanai. Colour schemes are bolder with blue and yellow accents and carved pineapple finials on the king two-poster bed. Both properties have L'Occitane products in the marble-lined bathrooms.

Service

Whether you arrive by the Maui ferry (about $26 one way) or on an inter-island airline, Four Seasons staff is there to greet you by name. Presented with a fragrant plumeria lei at check-in, as is the custom at better Hawaiian hotels, Manele Bay also offers a cool towel. The lodge extends a warm towel for the more temperate climate in the hills. At Manele, it can be a long walk to your room, which gives your check-in escort plenty of time to deliver their stiffly scripted introduction.

Food and Drink

Each property has a few dining options, from poolside casual at Manele to fireside, luxe at the lodge. Chef Oliver Beckert oversees both kitchens, bringing Hawaiian ingredients to the fore in dishes such as macadamia crusted Lana'i venison, butter-poached Keauhole lobster and smoked Maui goat cheese risotto. For a change of pace, the simple restaurants in Lana'i City are a short walk from the lodge.

Things to Do

Manele has a cabana on the beach with free sunscreen, cold water and lemonade and snorkelling gear. Almost daily the bay is visited by pods of spinner dolphins that hang around for hours, leaping out of the water and interacting with swimmers. A shoreline walk to Sweetheart Rock passes tidal pools teaming with colourful tropical fish. Manele has a full spa with traditional Hawaiian pampering, including the rhythmic Lomilomi massage. The golf course hugs a high cliff edge along the coast. The up-country course is by Greg Norman as is the 18-hole practice putting course.

Off-road adventures can be had on horseback or by Jeep, which I took across the island to Shipwreck Beach. The Munro Trail is a stunning 20-kilometre ridgeback hike above the cloud forest with views of the entire island.

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THE LODGE AT KOELE

1 Keomoku Highway, Lana'i City, Hawaii; 1-808-565-4000; http://www.fourseasons.com/koele

Rooms and Rates

From $305 for a room with balconies overlooking the garden to $1,347 for views of the resort's secluded gardens, pool and surrounding grounds. Special packages available.

LANA'I AT MANELE BAY

1 Manele Bay Rd., Lana'i City, Hawaii; 1-808-565-2000; http://www.fourseasons.com/lanai

Rooms and RatesFrom $409 for a room with a garden view to $6,738 for a lavish one-bedroom overlooking Hulopo'e Bay. Special packages available.

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Hotel vitals

TOP DRAW

For such a small island, you can experience two of the four seasons, at least as they are expressed in the Hawaiian climate.

NEEDS WORK

While the restaurant service at the lodge met expectations of a Four Seasons property, wait staff at Manele Bay could be better informed about the menu and wine on offer.