Found some old Aman brochures from 1995 that my parents had kept, and I find them really interesting to look through. It's fascinating seeing how the resorts were presented back then compared to today.
Does anyone else have old brochures, pamphlets, or other memorabilia from the early days of the luxury brands (or anything)? I find it so so interesting.
I’ll be 27 weeks pregnant and am looking for a Babymoon destination for 5-7 days. We are located on the East Coast but willing to go up to ~12 hours on a flight. No Caribbean please - my husband gets sick every time. We are currently thinking about embracing the cold and Christmas magic so open to all ideas!
We’re splitting a long weekend between the Setai in Miami and the Breakers in Palm Beach. What is the most painless way to get between the two places? We could rent a car or try to uber but I feel like there could be a better way. Car service? Boat lol?
Just like the title says - taking a quick, last-minute trip to Vegas with my husband. Which hotel would you stay at?
We just got back from an amazing stay at TheBodyHoliday in Saint Lucia, one of the things we found about the resort is that it does have a learning curve (scheduling nuances, meal times, etc.) once figured out we adored it and plan to return each year (if possible). I wanted to take the time primarily to give a thorough write up of the core categories to help newbie BodyHolidayers like ourselves.
The vibe of BH is whatever you want it to be, it is mostly a British holidayer destination, but there were people from everywhere. Everyone was very friendly and those who wanted to socialize you quickly formed great friends with. Our best summary of the vibe is that we started with solo breakfast at wellness cafe on Day 1, on our last Day (Day 6) we had 7 people at a table in Cariblue post-beach fit.
If you wanted a sporty holiday, you could make it this, if you wanted a beach rot with drinks holiday this could also be it!
Arrival/Departure
There are 4 options for transfers, that can be billed to your room: Vehicle which is about 1 h 30m (from UVF) by some very windy and bumpy roads, so really recommend ginger chews and dramamine - you can do either executive transfer (air conditioned service) ($135 total for a couple at time of writing) or Standard airport transfer $99.
They also offer helicopter transfers to SLU Airport on the north of the airport, this costs $202 and requires a minimum of 4 persons to be confirmed. This would be followed by a 20-30 minute car drive at $45/person.
There is also a ferry to Castries that operates late in the afternoon. The ferry has beer, wine snacks and includes ground transport to & from the boat, and to & from accommodations. 5-10 minute drive from Rodney Bay Marina where you are dropped off. With total trip time 1.5 -2 hours. Departs at 3:30 pm.
The UVF airport is sparse and food options leave something to be desired, so would highly recommend leaving enough room for traffic but dont be so conservative you are stuck waiting in a small island airport for too long. Security/Passport control for us took all of 10 minutes with only carry-on bags - and does require shoes off, laptops out, etc.
Grounds/Accommodations
The grounds are kept immaculate and are so lovely to walk around, the specific venues for activities and spa (will detail later) are also really thoughtfully designed.
We opted for an Oceanview room vs. Oceanfront, and honestly to us it was spectacular, we would love oceanfront, but for the cost increase did not feel we had sacrificed much.
They offer 5 room types: Garden View, Ocean View, Ocean Front, Suites and Villas. The villas have butler service, and for some this is needed to drive you up and down to the resort, or get yourself a car to drive up, all far away villas include parking.
See linked video for Oceanfront room walkthrough. - Will update this post with it shortly.
One of the key features of all rooms and villas is a tablet that updates with a QR code for activity schedules, and showcases all the spa options, menu options and special events happening.
Turndown service occurred each night with a teapot for tea (their own Living West Indies brand) and small biscuits.
Room comfort was great, we prefer a firmer mattress and that’s what was there, as well as a pillow menu should the standard pillows not suit you.
Pre-Arrival / Scheduling
We had several issues with Webroom as we tried to operate as told by our booking email, booking reservations for dinner and spa times via webroom. However 2 days before departure we were alerted there were issues with Webroom so to do everything manually via message/email/call with the concierge. Do this 2 weeks ahead.
This did result in us getting less preferred meal times for the popular two restaurants (Tao & Cariblue WIndows) as well as very varied Spa Times.
You will be welcomed to the resort at drop-off, and your bags and yourself taken to the room. One thing that was not mentioned to us that we luckily realized was that we still need to check-in. Formal check-in is needed to get your card on file for incidentals, and receive your spa schedule, and any other items you may have scheduled.
Spa
You receive one inclusive treatment a day (excluding arrival/departure days and christmas day) - options include - https://www.thebodyholiday.com/therapeutic-cares/.
I had the Serenity Massage, Lucian Lime and Ginger Scrub, Heaven & Earth (twice) and Aloe Body Wrap.
All were well worth and would recommend, especially the aloe wrap at the end of your holiday if you have caught the sun.
In the spa there are additional areas to enjoy prior/after your treatment - the Thallasotherapy pool (this was a slightly aged facility but still nice) - there is also a shower in this room if you are coming directly from a workout or pool/beach.
Infrared Therapy - you can go in and sit for 20 minutes at a time at anytime during active spa hours.
Timing of Spa: this is a hot topic and all times have their pros/cons. Most popular time is afternoon 2 onwards, as at this point you are choosing between spa and normally 1-2 activities vs. any earlier and you are choosing spa over 5+ activity options at the same time.
For me 2pm -5pm was often quite a sleepy time and left me feeling snoozy for the rest of the day which I did not prefer, vs. early in the morning I would feel that all relaxation benefits from it were soon lost from all the other activities. For me I think a sweet spot would be noon, to avoid peak sun, and activity loss.
If you do end up with an activity you want to do scheduled at the same time as your spa, an option is to pursue a ‘no-show’ show up to the spa at your desired time, and at 10 past, if they have any no shows they will fit you right in for any of the inclusive treatments.
Treatment Substitutions - there is an option to forgo an inclusive treatment for a supplement/none included treatment, which grants a small discount depending on the treatment $20-50. There is also often a weekly/monthly special which you could add without substituting for the equivalent of the discounted substitution rate.
Activities & Sports
There are so many activities available, see pictures of schedules from our visit. Some of our favorites included: Beach Fit/Beach Bootcamp we did this every morning and loved it, ours was guest hosted by Julien Alfred (olympian) and her team. Aqua fit was also a sleeper hit for us, originally dismissed as being for older people, we tried it, loved it, and kept returning. It was both fun and a good workout.
Beach Volleyball was a great way to get to know people, occurring from 5-6 pm officially, but you could kick off a game anytime should you want.
The Reefside Yoga deck is a particular highlight as it is so scenic, and the perfect relaxation spot for yoga.
There is always Intro to Tennis, Intermediate Tennis and you can also pay a supplemental fee for private coaching with Neil the TennisPro. Neil was great, giving fantastic advice, encouraging, and was very skilled able to improve our tennis games via fun drills.
Archery (intro and intermediate) is fun, but a smaller facility (3 targets) so if there is a big crowd (ours was about 10 people) you may only go twice.
Dining
There are 6 dining choices, with various opening and closing times to ensure food is virtually always available. Compared to our previous all-inclusive holidays BH blew them out the water for quality and when you wanted to choose it - healthiness.
Tao has a lovely view and atmosphere with many asian inspired options, this menu featured the most supplemental $ options, but you would still readily be able to do a full meal in included rates.
Cariblue Windows- has themed tasting menus each night, one included tasting menu, and a more robust supplemental tasting menu + supplemental wine pairings. We went on caribbean night, service and food were both lovely - especially the crispy pork cutlet and jerk chicken, and we were truly wowed by the Callaloo Soup.
Cariblue - the outdoor portion next to windows (wednesday’s windows is closed and converts to buffet style). The service here was also fantastic and food options were delightful, and had your Ayurvedic Dosha recommendations. Breakfast and Lunch here is plentiful and can be as healthy or decadent as your choose.
Wellness Cafe - We did this for almost all breakfasts except 1, the portions and opening times were perfect for us. We would start each day with one of their healthy options, a wellness shot, and smoothies. The perfect post-beach fit accompaniment.
Pavilion Grill - Themed buffets each night - we had two of these: their Grill on the beach night, on Friday (this was our arrival night and could not have kicked off the holiday any better). Personal favorite - the ribs! On Sundays they do a true English Roast with Yorkshires, Beef, Turkey or Ham!
This location also does afternoon tea from 4-6 with scones, finger sandwiches and other small desserts.
I-TAL: Supplemental dinner charge $90/person. We did not try this but all who had spoke very highly of it, we will do it next year!
Other:
We did the scuba refresher and it was great ($100) and really felt effective. Our dive instructor covered all the important things and even some items I felt were not covered during my initial certification.
The guest Yoga instructors were lovely - Dr. Rebekah Jade and Amy Jo Glover. Amy taught a Yang to the Yin class at sunset that was really soothing and nice, with lemon oil to pressure points on your forehead. Dr. Rebekah did an inversions workshop that catered to all levels and really helped my practice.
Hey Folks, my health has taken a turn for the worst and I'd like to get away from hospital rooms and doctors for a little while so I'm looking at staying somewhere for a month or so while I decide my next steps . I was thinking about renting a house in Carmel but I'm in a wheelchair so stairs are a big blocker for me.
In my past life I always stayed in cities or walkable towns and spent most of my time outside of the hotel but this time I'm looking for something that offers a lot on resort. Price doesn't matter. Long flights from the US might though. Thanks all!
Hi there, we are looking to book a weeklong family trip in Caribbean/Mexico this winter with another family (all together we will be five boys ages 9/9/7/6/4). We've traveled together before - turning into a bit of an annual tradition. The last two years we've done Mexico (Grand Velas RM, and Finest Playa Mujeres). Velas was great, the Finest was pretty good too, though we preferred the pools at Velas (though the beach was not very good). Prior to that we did Beaches in Turks (did not like at all...). We want to do something a bit nicer, and want to venture outside of Mexico, but not sure what fits the bill. Need a direct flight from the East. We are considering Sugar Beach in St. Lucia. It looks lovely, and like it has enough to keep us entertained. The boys don't need much by way of entertainment, they entertain each other and the pool & beach are usually enough. We never end up using the kids club, and we don't need water slides (etc). However, with 5 boys under 10, we are a bit of a situation... we don't want to stand out at a quiet dinner, or by a quiet pool. At the family oriented AIs we blend in nicely. While we want to move on from the AIs, we're not sure we're there yet (dinner still involves many uneaten meals and spilled drinks)... Curious any thoughts on the next level of resort / sugar beach for such a crew. Edit: Budget ~$20 for the trip (ish), room setup flexible, historically have done adjoining standards, but a suite / villa with separate bedroom(s) is ideal, but can be tough in that budget.
We stayed at Four Seasons Mauritius at Anahita at the end of September into early October with our three kids, ages 14, 12, and 9. We spent four days in Le Morne first, so this was the second half of the trip and a completely different side of Mauritius. Mauritius is bigger than a lot of people realize and the area of the island can completely change your trip. FS is on the eastern side, while the north is the most heavily touristed area. Le Morne in the southwest is perfect for wind sports and gorgeous scenery.
General Information/Disclaimer
I am a TA and was given a 3 night stay in a one-bedroom garden villa. I personally purchased an additional night and 4 nights in a second garden villa for the children. I am not under any obligation to even post a review for this property.
Resort Overview
Four Seasons Mauritius was built in 2008 as part of the larger Anahita development, which includes two hotels, residences, golf, and a primary school. The resort underwent a major renovation in late 2025 and reopened in November.
The property is large, about 64 acres, and it feels spread out in a good way. Even at about 70% occupancy, it never felt crowded. Beach and pool chairs were available throughout the day, and we never had to play the towel game.
The grounds are beautifully maintained and often feel more like a botanical garden than a hotel. Bicycles are available throughout the resort, and our family preferred using them most of the time. If you do not want to bike, buggy service is prompt and easy to arrange. If your villa is in the garden area, be prepared to walk, bike, or buggy to get to the beach.
Room Setup
There are 136 private villas and residences, all with private plunge pools and outdoor garden showers. The resort also has one, two, three, four, and five-bedroom villas in different categories, including garden, beach, and oceanfront options. Many of the one-bedroom villas are designed as two one-bedroom villas under a single roof, with separate entrances and a shared wall. The backyards and plunge pools are separated by a 7-8' wall, so each still feels private.
We had two connecting one-bedroom garden villas, one with a king and one with two queens. The setup worked really well for our family because the villas connected through an interior hallway, making it feel more private than a normal connecting room setup with just a door.
Room category is worth paying attention to here. Garden pool villas are on both the main resort side and the private island. Beach villas are only on the private island and generally offer the least privacy, because they walk directly out to the same beach where other guests spend the day. The villas with the most privacy tend to have ocean views without direct water access because of the lava rock sea wall, or they face the mangroves.
Food
There are seven dining venues, not including in-room dining, and we found the food quality strong across the board. Service in the dinner restaurants was top notch. Lunch (and breakfast if you needed something not on the buffet) was a bit slower. As expected, you have to request the check.
Chaloupe is the main beachfront restaurant and serves the daily breakfast buffet. Breakfast included made-to-order Mauritian dishes, an egg station, crepes, waffles, pancakes, fruit, pastries, and enough variety for different preferences. Chaloupe is also open for lunch, and we ate there daily. Every lunch was very good for lunch.
Angara is the Indian restaurant, open for dinner only, with both traditional Maharaja and more modern options. We did not eat there, but I toured it, and the setting was lovely, with views of the lagoon.
Ti Pwason is the seafood-focused dinner restaurant set up on the beach in front of Chaloupe. We unknowingly chose a Wednesday night and ended dinner with a fire show, which was a nice surprise. The ordering format was a little confusing at first: you choose your protein, marinade, sauce, and sides. Once we figured it out, it made sense. This was my husband’s favorite restaurant.
Radici, the Italian restaurant, was one of our favorites. We met the chef, Sergio, who is from Sicily. Every dish we had was excellent, and we ended up eating there on both our first and last night.
Awase is the Pan-Asian restaurant with a Japanese focus. It felt like the most elevated restaurant on property in terms of decor and menu, and we loved our meals. The team was also very accommodating with our picky children.
La Paz Beach Grill is on the private beach on Ile aux Cerfs and is open for lunch only. We did not eat there, but the menu is the same as the main beach menu, essentially a limited version of Chaloupe.
Blu’Zil is the first thing you see as you enter the lobby. It overlooks the lagoon and is open for breakfast, lunch, lighter bites, and drinks throughout the day. The setting is gorgeous, and we enjoyed drinks there.
We also ordered in-room dining for the kids twice. Both times, the food arrived quickly and was similar in quality to what we were ordering for lunch.
One extra family note: there is complimentary ice cream at the pool daily from around 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pools, beaches, fitness, and tennis
Every villa has a private plunge pool, with larger pools attached to the larger villas. The main pool area is on the private island, connected by a footbridge and a larger bridge for golf carts and bicycles. There are two pools there: one zero-entry pool that works well for little kids, and one infinity-edge pool overlooking the ocean.
The resort has three main beach areas, though the resort counts four because the main beach has two bays separated by a small jetty. There is the main beach in front of Chaloupe and the pools, the quiet beach on the opposite side of the island, and the private beach on Ile aux Cerfs.
The Ile aux Cerfs beach is the larger, wider beach. It has umbrellas, loungers, a restaurant, and full service. A complimentary boat shuttle runs from the resort to Ile aux Cerfs hourly from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with return trips every half hour. The boat ride takes about 15 minutes and was very easy.
The fitness setup is strong. There is an open-air TRX and functional training gym, plus a fully air-conditioned traditional gym. The fitness center also has a 25-meter lap pool. There are two tennis courts, and construction was underway for a padel court during our stay.
Kids club and teen club
Four Seasons is known for being family-friendly without making the entire property feel like it belongs only to families, and Mauritius fit that pattern.
The resort has both a kids club, called The Hobbit, and a teen club. During arrival, Tony, the Director of the Kids Club, came through reception, introduced himself to all of us, wrote down our kids’ names, and brought us the activity calendars. Our youngest is 9, so she technically fell into the kids club age range, but they allowed her to choose whichever club she preferred. Our kids ended up being the only ones on property until our last day. Don't expect a lot of kids unless there are holiday breaks in Europe or South Africa.
The children’s activities during our stay included kayaking, fishing, soccer, stand-up paddleboarding, golf, table tennis, pedal boating, tubing, nature walks, crab hunts, volleyball, bocci ball, a DJ lesson, henna tattoos, movie night, arts and crafts, yoga, and a sea horse safari.
Activities beyond the kids club
There is plenty to do for adults, too. Every villa includes one round of golf per person per night on either the Ernie Els designed Anahita Golf Course or the Bernhard Langer designed Ile aux Cerfs course.
The Boathouse offers complimentary stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, pedal boats, windsurfing, Hobie Cats, and snorkeling gear. For an additional cost, guests can also arrange wakeboarding, water skiing, and tubing.
The quiet beach side of the Four Seasons lagoon is home to about 50 sea horses, and the on-site marine biologist offers complimentary sea horse safaris in small groups. We had a private safari for our family of five, but we were not able to find the sea horses.
Diving can be arranged with a local operator out of Belle Mare. We requested a last-minute dive, and the preferred tour operator did not have availability. We found a company on our own and went out for a single boat dive. Catamaran trips, private speedboat tours, and fishing excursions are also available.
One of our favorite activities was a private speedboat tour to a nearby waterfall. We fed local monkeys along the way, continued to Ile aux Fouquets to see the abandoned lighthouse, and finished with snorkeling on the reef.
Spa
Oseyan Spa has 12 overwater treatment rooms, each with complete privacy and the choice of air conditioning or open air. The post-treatment relaxation area has loungers overlooking a private part of the lagoon and it was incredibly relaxing.
As part of the 2025 renovation, Four Seasons added a thermal suite with body jet showers, steam room, cold plunge, and sauna. The thermal suite is available during spa hours at no extra charge (I am not sure anyone else on property knew about this because we used it every day and never saw another person there).
I had a 60-minute Mauritian fusion massage that combined meridian therapy, reflexology, Swedish massage techniques, and Mauritian essential oils. After the massage, I also had a Cryo Lift facial. Both were excellent, and the setting is a major part of the experience.
Service
The service was excellent across the board. On arrival, only one of our two villas was ready, so we went to lunch. As we finished, a buggy picked us up and took us to the rooms, where our luggage was already waiting.
Throughout the stay, we were greeted warmly by everyone from buggy drivers to gardeners. Staff remembered names, including our kids’ names, and recognized preferences quickly.
The best service moment came the night before departure. Our waiter asked if we had dinner reservations for the following evening. We mentioned that we had a 10 p.m. flight and asked what time the Italian restaurant opened. He told us Radici opened at 6 p.m., then said he would call the manager to see if they could open early enough for us to eat before leaving. The manager walked across the property right away, asked if he could take our order for the next evening, and arranged for the food to be ready when we arrived at 6 p.m. The next night, we sat down and our food came out within three minutes. Several staff members came through the restaurant to wish us farewell. It truly felt like leaving friends.
Best for...
Four Seasons Mauritius at Anahita is a strong fit for couples who want quiet and privacy with the amenities of a full resort. It also works very well for families who want both adult time and family time in the same trip.
It is especially useful for multigenerational families because of the larger villa inventory. Golfers, active travelers, spa-focused travelers, and families who like a mix of beach, pool, and organized activities will also have a lot to work with here.
Likely Not Best for...
Someone who wants nightlife, a walkable town, or a small hotel footprint. The resort is spread out, and that is part of the appeal. If you want everything stacked vertically in one building, this is not that.
Looking at AMAALA in November and thinking of splitting the trip between Four Seasons, Rosewood and Six Senses.
Has anyone stayed at any of the three yet? Interested in honest feedback on rooms, food, beach/pool, service and whether the resorts actually feel fully operational.
I’ve contacted the hotels directly, but some of the replies have been a bit vague on when all restaurants, spa areas and facilities will be fully open.
Also interested if anyone has managed to get better value than the public rates through opening offers, direct booking, preferred partner benefits or upgrades.
Travelling with my wife and 9-month-old, so any family/baby feedback would be useful too.
Booking our honeymoon this week to Thailand. We are doing Bangkok (2 nights) —> Krabi (4 nights) —> Koh Samui (4 nights).
I’m stuck on the options for the Krabi area as I’m seeing so many recommendations but not familiar with the areas. So far I’ve narrowed it down to:
- Banyan Tree Krabi
- Phulay Bay
Pimalai in Koh Lanta also came highly recommended. We considered Rayaveedee (which is originally what I was set on doing but the rates have doubled and we can’t justify that cost compared to other great options in the area).
Our priorities are having the ultimate “honeymoon” romantic experience but also not being stuck in a resort all day. Would love a resort that is close to a mix of activities (I.e. would love to visit Phi Phi and an elephant sanctuary). Has anyone been to any of these resorts and can share their take? Any other recommendations?
We're traveling back to the East Coast with our 12-month old twins from Montana for Thanksgiving, and considering having my in-laws pick them up at the airport and my Husband and I continuing on somewhere for a (much needed) 3 night trip.
We like smaller hotels with a strong sense of place and relatively good value, like the Coppola properties in Belize.
Is there anything similar in the Caribbean, that would be a quick ish direct flight from ATL? Under $1,500 a night ideally.
I know this doesn't quite describe most of the typical Chubby properties but thought this group might have a bit more budget of an idea I haven't thought of.
Couple specifics:
What's the read on Jamaica these days? The Caves, GoldenEye seem like a decent fit.
Anyone have any intel on the Rabat Hotel in St. Lucia? Or new rooms at Ladera? Gravitating more toward the landscape of Lesser Antilles vs. Turks.
...Or...Is Tulum a complete no go between the sargassum, safety, and influencers?
...Or...Am I missing something else stateside?
Thanks!
So simple question… our family of 5 can stay at The Springs for about 6.5K for 3 nights in a simple 2 queen room OR stay in our own large 3 bedroom villa at Arenal Kioro for about 5K for 3 nights.
Which would you pick? I heard The Springs is amazing and the place to be which makes this more difficult.
Traveling with 3 kids aged 4, 6 and 7.
Looking for recommendations for a nice long weekend getawa for my 40th birthday. Would be flying from Sacramento CA. So flight cant be terribly long. Probably 2 or 3 nights. It would just be me and my wife. We like good food. Spa days, and nightlife. Top recommendations from ChatGPT was Palm Springs. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all!
Planning a trip to either Bali or Thailand followed by Australia for 2027. If we do Bali, we’re pretty set on Blvgari in Uluwatu. The views from the cliffs look absolutely beautiful and I heard the hotel just went through a major renovation. However, my partner is more excited about Thailand over Bali and due to weather, if we want to do a Thailand trip instead, we need to get going on planning that. My big concern with Thailand is how hot is it really? Is the heat unbearable and does it make the trip miserable? Also we can’t decide between Phuket and Koh Samui. For Koh Samui I was thinking the Anatara, but I’ve heard mixed things, and for Phuket we were thinking Rosewood or maybe Sri Panwa.
We love good food, shops, exploring, we love a good beach but are not looking for a rot on a beach for 5 days type of trip haha. If you’ve been to both Thailand and Bali which did you prefer and any hotel help with be much appreciated xx
Hey all. I’m considering taking a trip to Machu Picchu using the Hiram Bingham in February of next year. I’ve done the Hiram Bingham before, and it was fantastic. I just found out though that in February they don’t have train service the whole way and you need to take about a two-hour bus ride from Cusco to another station before you start the journey.
Does anyone have first-hand experience of using this bus to train connection? I’m assuming it’s just a normal big tour bus, but wondering if all the logistics work as smoothly as the train only service and if the time the quote is accurate.
Thanks!
Im between the Fairmont, Sanctuary, Mountain Shadows and the Omni.
Shadows seems to be cheaper than all others. Is there a reason for that? Quality or location? Ive heard good things on here.
Fairmont is getting mixed reviews.
Couple mid 40’s, no kids. Looking for stunning views, pools, quiet and maybe spa.
Wife’s first time.. so wanna give her the “scottsdale” experience (so she will want to go back!).
Husband and I are looking to do a 4 night trip in January. We love St Barth (Cheval blanc), Harbour Island (coral sands or Dunmore), and I loved parts of bermuda. We want to try somewhere new with the same feel. I know it’s hard to top St Barth, but looking to get close.
Have thought about La Samanna in St Martin, Cobblers Cove in Barbados, Round Hill Jamaica (although I think I’d get bored).
What we love:
- great food options
- charm and character (ideally design forward for me)
- places to shop and walk around safely
- a hotel with pool beach spa etc
- I can’t lay around all day so need to be able to go off property for meals and exploring
Ideally ~$1400 or less per night. I’ll hopefully be pregnant so I can drive us to dinners and such.
Any recs??
Planning a 4-night babymoon for my husband and me early Jan, flying from Boston. I’ll be late 2nd/early 3rd trimester. Any thoughts on where we should go?? For context... This is my second pregnancy (first was uncomplicated - for purposes of this question assume this one is too and that my doctor is comfortable with all of these destinations)
Given direct flight availability from BOS, our best options a seem to be Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Aruba, St. John/St. Thomas, Scottsdale.
Priorities are relaxing, spa, walks/short hikes, food, etc. We are very good golfers so golf is a perk (hence Scottsdale in the running despite the appeal of a tropical January getaway). We generally prefer luxury/boutique-ish properties but are hoping to keep the hotel at max $900/night - so don't really have the budget for Ritz/4 Seasons at >$1K/night.
Royal Isabela in Puerto Rico (though at the very top of our budget), and Camelback-area resorts in Scottsdale are looking like our favorite hotel options so far.
Would love to hear from anyone who has done a babymoon or similar trip to these places.... especially what you loved, what you wouldn't do again, and which you'd pick for a 4-night January trip! Very open to hear about what we might be overlooking as well!!
My wife and I just got back from our honeymoon in Hawaii and wanted to share a review since r/ChubbyTravel was really helpful while we were planning.
We spent 5 nights at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea on Maui, followed by 5 nights at the Four Seasons Resort Lana‘i. This was our first time staying at either property and our first time visiting Lana‘i.
We really enjoyed the Fairmont and thought it was a great place to start the trip. The property is beautiful, the location in Wailea is great, and the rooms are very spacious. We especially liked having the large balcony and the extra living space that comes with the suite-style rooms.
Fairmont Kea Lani Signature Ocean-View Room
The grounds are beautiful and the property has a really nice, relaxed Hawaiian feel. We spent plenty of time by the pool and beach, and it was nice having such a nice resort to come back to after exploring Maui. The beach was pretty disrupted due to recent storms, but a small section was still open.
We did have one hiccup during our stay. We started having quite a few bugs coming through the main door of our room. Bad seal I guess? It was frustrating at the time, so I called management to let them know. They responded immediately and upgraded us from our Ocean View Room to a Signature Ocean View room. It was a very nice upgrade, with a higher floor, better view, and nicer room. We really appreciated how quickly they handled the situation. (Thank you bugs!)
One thing we really appreciated about the Fairmont was how easy it was to rent a car through their on-site Avis counter. It made it incredibly convenient to get out and explore Maui on our own, rather than being limited to the resort. We of course made our way to Mama's Fishhouse and traveled through a good portion of the road to Hana.
We also noticed something that happened at basically every dinner we had during the honeymoon, both at the Fairmont and later at the Four Seasons Lana'i. Once the restaurants knew we were celebrating our honeymoon, we were brought complimentary desserts. It happened at every restaurant we ate at, and while it obviously wasn't something we expected, it was such a nice gesture from the staff and made the dinners feel a little more special.
Overall, the Fairmont was a really nice property and we had a great stay.
We took the ferry from Maui over to Lana‘i, which was a really fun part of the trip itself. It's a completely different experience from flying and was a great way to transition from Maui to Lana‘i.
The ride over was enjoyable, and the return trip to Maui was a little choppier because of the weather from Hurricane Nolo south of the islands, but even that was more of an adventure than anything else.
Lana‘i was easily the highlight of the honeymoon. It's much, much quieter than Maui and by the end of our five nights, we were both wishing we had stayed longer.
A huge part of that was the room. u/alex_travels was able to get us upgraded to a Prime Oceanfront Suite. The room and view were honestly one of the best parts of the entire honeymoon. Having our own private chairs overlooking Manele Bay was such a relaxing way to start and end each day. We spent a lot of time out there just sitting, having a drink, and taking in the view.
Outside our room above Manele Bay
Upgraded Room - Prime Oceanfront Suite
When we first walked in, there was champagne, fruits, desserts, and even a framed photo from our wedding waiting for us. Such a nice touch, thank you Alex! :)
The property itself is incredible. The location overlooking Manele Bay is beautiful, and the combination of the beach, pools, gardens and surrounding landscape makes the resort feel incredibly secluded. It really does feel like you've gotten away from everything.
We spent a lot of our time doing exactly what you hope to do at a resort like this: laying by the pool, hanging out at the beach, and having lunch and drinks without really worrying about what we were supposed to do next.
The beach was one of our favorite parts. Obviously the scenery is beautiful, but there was also something really relaxing about sitting there and hearing the rocks tumble with every wave as the water came in. The service at the beach for setting up chairs and ordering lunch was extremely fast, and everyone was always so friendly and attentive.
We did a few activities while we were there as well. We visited the Lana‘i Cat Sanctuary, which my wife absolutely loved. Literally cats everywhere (I believe they said over 700) as we walked around and fed them all treats. We also did a beautiful sunset cruise. The water was a little choppy because of the winds from Hurricane Nolo to the south, but the staff on the boat were fantastic. They even surprised us by opening a bottle of champagne for my birthday.
And the food was outstanding. We had several dinners at the Four Seasons and were impressed with all of them. The highlight was easily the Teppanyaki Experience at Nobu. It was one of the coolest dining experiences we've ever done. A 14 course dinner (1 or 2 bites each) and the chef was incredibly entertaining and skilled. He actually taught us how to cook each course with which ingredients and the correct method on how to eat everything. It was genuinely fun rather than just being a nice dinner.
Just like at the Fairmont, the staff at the restaurants were incredibly thoughtful about our honeymoon. We received complimentary desserts at basically every dinner we had at the Four Seasons as well. None of this was something we expected, but those little gestures from the staff really added up and made us feel like the resort was celebrating with us.
The service throughout the resort was also exceptional. Everyone we interacted with was incredibly friendly, and it seemed like everyone knew our names. It never felt overly formal or forced though, just genuinely warm and attentive.
I didn't get a picture, but the resort in the evening was truly otherworldly. With the lush vegetation and tiki torches lit up throughout the property, it really felt like we were in paradise. The koi ponds throughout the resort were also so pretty and fun to stop by, especially since we could feed the fish.
We honestly found ourselves wishing we had booked more time at Lana‘i. Five nights sounded like a long time when we planned the trip, but once we were there, it went by incredibly quickly. Too quickly!
Both properties were fantastic, but they gave us very different experiences.
The Fairmont Kea Lani was a beautiful and comfortable place to start the honeymoon, and we really enjoyed our time on Maui. It gave us a great home base for exploring the island while having a luxury resort.
But Lana‘i was the standout for us by a pretty wide margin. The property, room and view, beach, service, food, activities, and especially the feeling of being completely removed from everything made it incredibly special.
We had an amazing honeymoon and would happily return to both properties, but if we had to go back to one tomorrow, we'd be heading straight to Lana‘i.
Happy to answer any questions about the rooms, food, beach/pool, activities, ferry, or anything else from the trip. Thanks!
Timeline: Lanai July 21-24, Maui 24-28
Background:
We booked using AlexTravels and the experience was fantastic, it was super easy to book and we loved the perks that come with it. Would highly recommend any person to use a TA such as Alex to get some great perks and make booking easy. At each of our stays, we received complementary bottle of champagne and treats in our room upon arrival. We also loved the dining credit and resort credit! We would have already been spending this money so it was a great perk to get included. Also at FS Maui we received a room upgrade to one of their newly renovated suites with partial ocean views which was absolutely gorgeous!
We are the types of travelers that like a mix of relaxing at the resort and adventure. We tend to alternate days of relaxation with days of exploration. We also love eating out, but wouldn’t consider ourselves foodies. As a disclaimer, one thing we do realize/sometimes regret is that we end up eating at the resort more than we would like to because of convenience. Also we have never stayed at a FS resort so this is our first experience. We really wanted to start our honeymoon with quiet and alone time which is why we choose Sensei to start. We initially were thinking of doing Four Seasons Lanai instead of Sensei, but in all transparency, Sensei was a little cheaper which is what we needed at the time. We compromised by making a couple trips to Four Seasons Lanai during our stay at Sensei using the shuttle and the Jeep we rented one day (more on that later). The second half of our honeymoon was then saved for Maui.
As some more background on both of our experiences with Hawaii, we have previously been to Oahu (to visit friends) and Kauai together. On Oahu, stayed with friends and on Kauai stayed at the 1 Hotel and Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu. We absolutely loved the 1 Hotel; we had just gotten engaged though so that might have colored our experience. We realized after all these travel experiences that we really love a beautiful base location. In addition, I had taken a solo trip to Maui for a week a few years back. During that time, I stayed at a hostel, so completely different accommodation experience compared to the Four Seasons.
Travel: My husband I and are based in Phoenix, AZ so for us it’s an easy direct flight to Hawaii. We got into Oahu in the afternoon and took the flight provided by Lanai Air through the Four Seasons to Lanai to get in for the evening. We then had 2 full days on Lanai before making our way to Maui on the ferry in the afternoon. During our stay on Lanai, we did use the shuttle between the two resorts multiple times and this was very easy to use. The ferry has multiple departure times, and we took the afternoon ferry which took just about an hour with a little bit of rough waves, but no seasickness for us. After that we took an uber to FS Maui. We then had 3 full days in Maui bookended by two half days. We have previously been to Oahu (to visit friends) and Kauai together. I had taken a solo trip to Maui for a week a few years back. After this trip, we prefer Kauai, but Maui is a close second. We also do realize we should have spent more time on Maui but just didn’t have the time.
Overall Lanai: Very very quiet! This is exactly what we were looking for for the first part of our honeymoon, but by the end of our stay we were ready for more action. We rented a Jeep one day to explore the island and were easily able to see what we wanted to in a day, we could have explored more but were tired from traveling the day prior. That day we went to Shipwreck Beach, Garden of the Gods (Keahiakawelo) and Polihua Beach. Shipwreck beach was underwhelming but cool to drive across the island, you also get sweeping views of Maui. Garden of the Gods was cool to see, but would only need to see it once. I think being from Arizona we see lots of rock formations.The only way to get to Polihua Beach is with an offroad vehicle. It was a beautiful, wide, golden sand beach but the ocean was rough and we did not go in. We thought about visiting Keōmoku, an abandoned sugar plantation town, but were tired of all the off roading. The staff did recommend the cat sanctuary but we are both allergic to cats so didn’t go there. The shuttle through FS is great to go between the resorts with a stop at the Lanai Grill in Lanai City. In addition to the two FS resorts, there is a hotel connected to the Lanai Grill. We tried snorkeling at FS Lanai, but the waves were too rough that day and they actually had to close the FS part of the beach as the tide was too high. The climate is like Maui with sunny beaches and as you go up in elevation drier, cooler savanna brush landscape to more rainy/foggy tropical landscape but with lots of pines. The people (other travelers and locals) we met were super friendly! By the end of our stay, we were ready to leave for Maui. If we were to go back we would check out FS Lanai instead of Sensei. Sensei was awesome but we didn’t need anymore quiet and relaxation, maybe when we are older we would change our minds.
Overall Maui: We wish we had more time. In our attempt to fit two islands into a week we made the error of not giving one of the islands enough time. While I had been to Maui before my husband had not, so he missed out on seeing the whole island. Although, I’m still happy we did Lanai, so we just both need to go back to Maui. Unfortunately for us, while the sun was fabulous the ocean was still rough. We tried multiple days to snorkel and just had no luck, which is one of the main things we wanted to do. We stayed at the FS again so were based in Wailea. We were able to do Road to Hana (one full day) and explore Wailea and Kiehi (1/2 day) with our more limited time. We missed out on Lahaina, as we didn’t have time. One of our uber drivers did note that they had their 1^(st) farmers market, which we had just missed. We also did not do Haleakalā based on time, however I personally would recommend it based on previous experience and loved the sunset!
Four Seasons Sensei/Four Seasons Lanai (stayed at Sensei with some dining/activities at Lanai)
Overall: One of the most amazing resorts we have stayed at with regards to the grounds, rooms and service. However, we feel like we did not need much time there as we were there to reset from our recent wedding, but we didn’t need want to partake in the wellness aspect. It was perfect for our short time, but think other people might get even more out of it by taking part in the wellness activities that were offered. If we go to Lanai again would probably stay at FS Lanai for the beach aspect but I don’t think anyone can beat the wellness/peacefulness/calming atmosphere of Sensei.
Timeline:
1^(st) day-Arrive to Sensei in late afternoon, dinner at Sensei by Nobu
2^(nd) day-Explore Lanai by Jeep, relax by pool, Teppanyaki dinner experience at FS Lanai Nobu
3^(rd) day- Attempted to snorkel at FS Lanai but swells too big, couples massage at Sensei, happy hour at Lanai Grill in Lanai City, dinner at Osteria Mozza at FS
4^(th) day- Relax, ferry in afternoon to Maui
Lodging/Resort: We stayed in a Koele room. I wish we had gotten pictures to show, but the websites photos are very accurate. It is one of the best rooms we’ve ever stayed in. The room connected to a lanai with garden views and was so calming, and the porch had a small walkway connecting to a pathway to the rest of the resort. I never felt like I didn’t have enough privacy and you can always close the shades. Sensei really blew me away with the grounds and gardens. We took multiple walks around the resort just to look at all the beauty. The sculptures are also super cool! In addition, in the main lodge with the lobby they also have a library room with games and the coolest monopoly board. The place is extremely well thought out. They truly do an amazing job upkeeping the rooms and grounds. 10+/10. Shout out to the pool, while based on Sensei being in higher elevation it was sometimes more foggy/cloudy, the pool was amazing and truly was an oasis. Our one regret is that we did not use the very private hot tub areas in the Onsen Garden which looked so lovely. Honestly, we just forgot that were there, a testament to how private and tucked away they are.
Food: The night we got in we had a reservation at Sensei by Nobu and while the food was great it wasn’t our favorite meal of the trip. However, to be fair I’m writing this months later so can’t give specific details about what we ordered. While it was fresh and tasted great, the price point is steep, but we were expecting that. We also had breakfast at Sensei by Nobu and enjoyed the dining credit through Alex Travels. I do specifically remember loving the mushroom and feta toast (not everyone’s cup of tea though). For lunch we did the pool and some drinks. The food here was what I would say is standard for resort pool food except fresher! Outside of the resort, we did a happy hour at Lanai Grill. We were hoping to do a lunch there but didn’t realize they weren’t open then and already had dinner reservations. We enjoyed our experience there and they were doing a wine dinner experience that we wish we could’ve done. Lastly, we did two dinners at FS Lanai (beach resort). Our second night we did the Teppanyaki dinner experience at Nobu and were blown away. Every dish was fabulous and the one-on-one experience with the chef was super interesting. I would highly recommend this to anyone going to Lanai. There are limited times and days of the week it occurs though! We tried to book it before going but it was full, but happened to get a reservation once we arrived, maybe someone dropped out last minute. Our last night we had a reservation at Osteria Mozza. The atmosphere here was lively and fun, we started at the bar and noted if we had stayed at Lanai instead of Sensei we would’ve been here multiple times. This also probably is because of the ocean views. The food itself was average and probably not worth the price, but we knew we were paying resort prices with an ocean view. We started with some bread which was great and then we also split a Tomahawk steak, some sides and wine. The Tomahawk steak was a last-minute decision and something we probably could’ve skipped, but we were in the honeymoon mindset. Our server was wonderful though at pointing us in the right direction for wine and overall, a lovely experience.
Service: This was our first experience at a FS and we were blown away by the attentiveness of the staff and really felt cared for. We aren’t used to this though so sometimes it felt crazy that people were there to watch for when people needed something. I remember the first night there walking into the lobby area before our dinner reservation and one of the managers saw us and when she found out we just got in offered us a complimentary drink. This same manager remembered us throughout our stay and would check in on us, give us recommendations and gave us a a complimentary farewell drink while waiting for the shuttle to take the ferry. She was awesome! We also had never experienced turndown service, and it was nice coming back to room that was prepped for the evening, although I don’t even know if I used the slippers. We also loved the pool staff; they were super lovely and attentive to setting up our spots.
Activities: This FS offers so many wellness activities and we did not partake. We did rent a Jeep for a day to explore the island which was a great way to see Lanai and would recommend this. We also got a couples massage and private hale time and 100% would want to do this again, although this was pricey. The private hale had its own bathroom, steam shower, bathtub, hot tub, outdoor shower and sauna. After our massage we got to have some fruit, tea, and edamame then enjoy all the amenities. I wish we would’ve paid for more time honestly because it was such a cool experience. We also tried snorkeling at the FS Lanai beach resort, but the surf was too big, and we got about 10 minutes on the beach before they had to close that area of the beach due to high surf. No controlling mother nature especially El Nino! The one activity that I wish we would’ve done was the ridge hike.
Four Seasons Maui
Overall: This is what we were looking for after the calm of Sensi, we wanted more people and action. I think honeymooners looking for seclusion or no kids will be disappointed, but the kids didn’t bother us and while it was busier than Sensei as we had reservations at places, we weren’t bothered by it. We do think based on the size though, the service was less exceptional compared to Sensei. Plus was we got to enjoy the beach more!
Timeline:
1^(st) day -Arrive at FS Maui after traveling via afternoon ferry from Lanai and taking uber to FS. Small wait for room as we did arrive early and enjoy apps/late lunch at Ferraros. Get room upgraded to ocean view suite. Also bottle of complimentary champagne and chocolate bar/snacks. Chill out at adults only pool before getting dinner at Spago bar. We didn’t have reservations or plans for dinner as we didn’t know how we would feel with the travel earlier that day.
2^(nd) day-Rent car from FS Maui to do day trip, Road to Hana. Did room service for breakfast (using dining credit). Reservation at Waianapanapa State Park (black sand beach). Lunch on Road to Hana. Dinner at Monkeypod. We had wanted to go to Mama’s Fish House but weren’t on top of it and there were no reservations. Based on previous visit would highly recommend Tin Roof if in this area-didn’t go there this trip.
3^(rd) day-Relax day, breakfast buffet at Duo (using dining credit). Started off at beach to try and snorkel but too rough. Did consider ubering /taking car rental (we still had for a few hours) to a different part of the island but were too lazy. Ended day at adult pool with lots of drinks and met a lot of great people! Room service for dinner.
4^(th) day-Honestly were a bit hungover due to the pool day prior so took it easy. Tried one last time to snorkel as it was less rough but still couldn’t see much due to the waves. Walked along beach path in front of all the resorts. Went into Kihei for lunch at Paia Fish Market and shaved ice at Da Sweet Spot by Bling Bing in the food truck market. We didn’t feel much like traveling far which is why we choose to go to Da Sweet Spot instead of the famous Ululani’s but we were not disappointed! Enjoyed sunset views, apps and some drinks at Lobby Bar with some great people watching. Ended the honeymoon with a reservation at Spago with a coursed meal which was a prepaid experience.
5^(th) day-Room service (using dining credit), packing and travel to airport via taxi arranged by FS.
Lodging: The upgrade to the partial ocean view suite was amazing! The room was recently updated and while not as nice as Sensei it was very very close. The floors were even heated. Only complaint was the shower was a bit small.
Food: I will say the food was slightly better at FS Maui compared to FS Sensei/Lanai but I think that had to do with more options. The Teppanyaki experience however was our best meal during the whole stay which was at FS Lanai. The convenience of the dining credit and being at the resort had us eat breakfast there but we wish we would’ve gone out on Maui for at least one breakfast, next time. The food was not the highlight of the whole trip, but we expected that by eating at the resort. The food was not bad tasting and overall good but again you pay resort prices.
Service: Still exceptional service but didn’t feel it as much as we did compared to Sensei which I suspect is just due to size and number of people. When we did check- in initially we did have to wait a little for our room, and we were asked about upgrading the room for a charge and declined. When to room was ready, we were surprised to find they upgraded us to the room anyways. Based on previous clients of AlexTravels we were hoping for an upgrade but not completely expecting it. When we did get the upgrade, we were thrilled, but it seemed that based on the initial convo when checking in they were trying to see if we would pay for it rather than just a free upgrade.
Activities: Our main activity at FS was the adult pool, we loved our experience here and never had issues getting a spot. Only downside was the actual pool barstools were closed down for maintenance with the shutter, so while you could still get drinks you couldn't sit down on the pool barstool and drink at the bar. Also, the pool closed down early for private events. We already had evening plans so this wasn't terrible for us. We did not use the main pool as we like the adult pool so much. This was a great place for families but did seem to fill up quickly and the cabanas were quite expensive. The ocean seating was great and never had issues getting loungers with some water there. You get water service but no food/drink service on the beach. We tended to start our morning on the beach then head up to the adult pool when we were ready for food/drink. We also rented snorkel gear from FS rental facility but had no luck due to the ocean. Outside of FS we did do road of Hana independently but did rent the car for the Road to Hana through FS. The car rental experience was easy and stress free. The Road to Hana was amazing and took us about ¾ of the day. We started at 7 am (leaving the resort) and traffic was great. We did skip some of the stops on the route due to rain, such as the hikes in Haleakala National Park. The drive is a lot of fun though, and we were both in the front seat so didn’t get car sick. We also used the Shaka app to do a guided tour which helped us decide where to stop. Ona previous trip to Maui I had also done hiking in Haleakalā National Park on the Road to Hana and volcano side, sunset at Haleakalā, snorkeling at Honolua Bay, shopping in Lahaina, Nakalele Blowhole and Makena Beach and would recommend all of these but we just didn’t have the time or motivation as we wanted more relax time. We love that Maui offers as much or as little as you want.
