![]() Still, some locals were initially wary of Ellison a number remain so. And while the hotel was closed for renovations, Pulama offered all Four Seasons staff their entire salary and benefits. Since Ellison’s takeover five years ago, road conditions have improved, there’s a brand-new pharmacy, a public pool that rivals that of the five-star hotel, a recently opened domestic violence shelter for women, and what is considered the best movie theater in the state. To execute his grand plans, Ellison has deployed Pulama Lanai, his all-purpose Lanai management company that works with state and federal agencies. The Four Seasons ran on a generator but there was no air conditioning or WiFi, a situation no one is eager not to repeat. Recently, heavy winds downed power lines, causing a four-day power outage on Lanai. Ellison and his team are eager to figure out how to make Lanai less dependent on the current electrical grid and transition to wind and solar power. Local food and energy are at the crux of this vision. Ellison is using the island as a laboratory for big ideas, testing everything from ultra-luxury tourism in one of the hardest-to-reach places in the country (it’s at least 14 hours door-to-door from New York City, and Amazon Prime deliveries can take a week) to unparalleled environmental sustainability. The plans are as ambitious as they sound. Lanai has nearly 90,000 acres of virtually untouched land. Some time next year, The Four Seasons Lodge property at Koele, just outside of Lanai City some eight miles from Manele Bay, will reopen, with the aim of being the best spa and wellness center in the world, people familiar with the renovation said. The Four Seasons Manele Bay is just the beginning of Ellison’s vision for Lanai. (Incidentally, Hermès is one of the brands sold in the hotel’s gift shop.) ![]() ![]() “Does an Hermès bag ever go on sale?” Roelens asked. There are no plans to lower them-they average around $1,200 a night-even when the hotel isn’t full. Since reopening last year, the rates at the hotel have tripled. (The hotel offers refueling and catering services for planes.) And if guests wants to hop over from the new Four Seasons in Ko Olina on Oahu, they can charter the company’s private jet or a helicopter and take in the jaw-dropping Molokai sea cliffs along the way. “Over the holidays, there weren’t enough spaces for all the private jets,” Roelens said. Ellison brought Nobu to the island (he also owns the sushi restaurant’s Malibu location).Īnd the one-percenters are starting to come, although Lanai is still a bit of a well-kept secret. ![]()
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