The Pursuitist had the delightful opportunity to take a look inside the luxurious suites at Four Seasons Resort Hawaii At Hualalai, a Pursuitist Platinum property. The newly-renovated suites and villas offer unparalleled views of the Big Island while guests are nestled in a stylish, state-of-the art haven.
Blissful, private and exclusive, guests can select from expansive, stand-alone bungalows that are basically private beach homes or suites that present oceanfront views and direct beach access. The stunningly designed suites and villas truly enhance the natural beauty of the Big Island and feature a collection of native Hawaiian art.
The team at Four Seasons Hualalai go beyond the ordinary to create personalized experiences for their guests. With remarkable memory-making events and adventures, guests can escape to pure paradise. In advance of arrival, a resort concierge is in contact with guests to organize all details of their stay, suggesting special experiences and assisting in the planning.
In addition to touring these beautiful suites and villas, Pursuitist also spoke with Cindy Asada, Director of Guest Relations At Four Seasons Resort Hawaii At Hualalai, about the suite life on the Big Island:
Christopher Parr: How is the Four Seasons suite experience unique to the island?
Cindy Asada: Not only is the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Suite Experience unique on the Island, but it is also the first with Four Seasons to offer this specialized service. While some hotels offer a higher level of service to in-house guests, often referred to as “club level”, we wanted to offer something new and special to our suite guests. With a dedicated Suite Experience Manager, each guest receives the highest level of personalized service possible – prior to their arrival, during their stay, and in between their visits to the Resort. This offers our suite guests one person as an easy point of contact for everything they need, each and every time they visit the Resort. The Suite Experience Manager is also in charge of gathering all of the details about a guest’s preferences, so we can make sure their entire stay is customized to them, allowing us to anticipate their needs before they even need to ask. The Suite Experience Manager takes personal pride in making sure the guests’ stay is perfect and that they are surprised along the way with highly personalized experiences.
CP: What are a few examples of amazing services the property has provided to suite guest?
CA: The Suite Experience Manager listens to the guests’ interests, and makes suggestions of the best ways they can celebrate and take advantage of the time they have on our beautiful Island. For guests celebrating a birthday, we have done private craft parties for children, large events with balloons, fire knife dancers, and private Hula dancers. When there is an anniversary to be celebrated, we will work with the guests to plan surprises for their spouses. This can be a private dinner under a wooden trellis decorated with orchids, to their favorite treat specially baked by our pastry chef. We have even re-created wedding cakes. We help with proposals, suggest unforgettable exclusive experiences, provide cultural knowledge and plan out-of-the box activities. Just about anything and everything a guest can imagine is possible here.
CP: What’s the process in planning these remarkable experiences with guests?
CA: We work with whoever is available to do the planning (travel agent, personal assistant, or the guests directly) and gather as much information as we can about what the guests are looking for. We make our suggestions from there depending on what the guests are looking for out of their experience on Hawaii Island. Some guests are looking to enjoy the spa facilities and the beautiful pools at the Resort, while some guests are looking to explore the Island’s amazing contrasting climate zones. My suggestion is to come for at least a week or two, and have time to be leisurely around the Resort, and also get out to see the beauty of the Volcano and Kohala regions. We try to do a lot of planning before the guests arrive so that they can get straight into relaxation mode once they arrive, and we provide them with a summary of what we have planned upon arrival. This will include everything from spa and dining appointments, activities, private dinners and special requests. We make suggests to the guests on how they can enhance each activity and experience they request, and we make sure they are organized for each day with everything they will need from a rental car, to cold bottled waters and towels. Over time we get to know our return suite guests so well that we have fewer questions for them – and they know everything will automatically be prepared to the their preferences when they arrive.
CP: Lastly, what’s the general price range for adventures on the Big Island?
CA: All pricing is based on the activity desired by the guest — so it varies widely. Below are a few price points for some of our most popular options.
Helicopter Adventures can run anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000, depending on the length, privacy, additions (such as landings, picnics, etc.), and how exclusive they would like it.
Family hula and ukulele classes can be done complimentary at the Cultural Center, or as a private event in the guest’s suite, starting at about $100.
Private Dinners start at $1,000.
Private Snorkeling/Sailing Charters start at $1,500.
Ziplining: Starts at $150 per person. Private family zipline excursion starts at $3,000.
