Lanai and Koele Lodge
Written: Apr 26 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Relaxing, luxurious hotels, no crowds, great food, wildlife
Cons: $$$Expensive$$$
The Bottom Line: Expect to be pampered and plan to relax. If you are on a budget don't go.
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| drrobertdecker's Full Review: Lanai |
We stayed at The Lodge at Koele for 4 days as a mini-vacation from Oahu. The 102 room Lodge is beautiful. It is located among the Norfolk Pines at an elevation of about 3000 Ft. This makes nights cool, even in the summer. Even the cheapest of rooms (around $350/night) is relatively large with an outside balconey and full mini-bar. The grounds of the lodge are immaculate. The golf course looked nice, but we don't golf so I can't comment on the golfing. There is lawn croquet, tennis, a pool and spa, and a putting course The service is first rate. This is one of the finest hotels we have ever stayed in.
We rented a Jeep ($130+/day) to go on some of the unpaved trails. There are spectacular rock formations, desserted beaches, and wilderness trails which can become challenging when it rains. We saw deer, pheasant, turkeys, and many other birds. The 4 wheel drive on the Jeep was absolutely necessary.
My wife went horseback riding. She said that it was the best run stable she had seen and was very happy with it. The only problem was that the riding was already fully booked the first 2 days we were there. I went to shoot sporting clays. They have a complete skeet, trap, and 14 station sporting clay operation that is also first class. These activities are all reached by free shuttle from the lodge.
If you are looking for wild night life, dancing till dawn, or pick-up bars go to Waikiki. To truly get away from it all, if money is not a prime concern, I would highly recommend Koele Lodge on Lanai. We will be going back
The Lodge has two levels of dining for both lunch and dinner. The main restaurant within the lodge itself serves both lunch and dinner. The clubhouse at the golf course serves lunch and the is a "formal" (jacket required) separate evening dining room. The prices start off relatively high and go to phenomenally high in the formal dining room. Great wine list with the low end being around $40/bottle. On of the specialties is local venison, which was fantastic. A surprise to us was the restaurant at The Lanai Hotel in town (Henry Clay's Rotissaire). The food was as good as at the Lodge with a less formal atmosphere and lower prices. It is popular so reservations are recommended.
The other resort hotel (Manele Bay) on the island is under the same ownership. It is located on the ocean and is a more typical Waikiki style beach resort. It also has 2 levels of dining. We only had one lunch there. There is a free shuttle which runs between hotels and to the independently owned Lanai Hotel.
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
drrobertdecker
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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