Lanai 2.0

[trip style = luxury + beach + sun]

The tides are changing in Lanai, the billionaire-owned private island 9 miles from Maui. Once a Dole plantation growing 75% of the world's pineapple bounty, production moved elsewhere and small-scale tourism took over in the 1980s.

But, let me qualify tourism. There's one car rental agency, one gas station, only 29 miles of paved roads and vast expanses of land so quiet, you can picnic in paradise wearing nothing more than your birthday suit. To me, it's Hawaii as it was intended: exotic, authentic and soul-stirring. 

Couple this with 3,000 inhabitants who are set on preserving Hawaii's heritage through song, story and spirit, and it's no wonder Lanai's curious newcomers quickly turn into converts.

If you've been following Trip Styler since 2009, you know I have a crazy-in-love crush on Lanai. So much so that when I was there a month ago for the second time {with Mr. and Baby Styler}, I informed the Mr. that we should *try* and find a way to return yearly because it's an actual far-flung hideaway. Normally, the Mr. rolls his eyes at my big-picture proclamations, but completely smitten by the isle as well, he agreed we should try.

While I love the cottage-cool, 11-room boutique hotel watching over Lanai City's main square, my beach, design and trip-styling side is head-over-heels for the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay.

When I visited for the first time two years ago, the resort director hinted at some major updates, noting they would be at the forefront of technology and design, and rival the world's best hotel rooms, if not re-create the benchmark. This is a tall order; though {as I learned}, not for a titan of industry looking to create one of the world's most edited escapes.  

During my visit in April 2015 I got a sneak peek at the changes, which are taking the property down to its studs. Right now, about half of the renovations are complete, where innovation comes in the form of microchip room bracelets {so you can do anything on land or sea and not worry about losing your key}, design comes in the form of teak-adorned rooms with custom wallpaper murals, technology comes in the form of 75" televisions in every room and amenities come in the form of in-room Nespresso, Mercedes Sprinter service and included kids camp.

Fanning out over the sloping south side of Lanai's 90,000-acre landscape, the hotel is set to make its full reveal in mid-fall, but until then, here's a lens into its look. Stay tuned for more updates in the fall.

Hotel public space {worthy of the Architectural Digest cover}

More of the hotel's public space

The new rooms: sleek, earthy and upscale with teak throughout and finishes fit for a king

About to sip house-made sparkling guava juice on my patio

See that tidal wave art on the left? That's a 75" platinum bezel LED television panel, standard in every room type.

Still one of my all-time favorite guest amenities: in-room Nespresso

The Japanese soaking tub in my suite

If you can believe it, this is the "before" {pre-renovation} pool picture. Come fall 2015 there will be three cascading free-form pools: one main, one family and one adult. 

There are three ice cream sandwiches on the poolside menu. I ate all three and suggest you do the same for "research" purposes. They're seriously good with the perfect chew and crunch factor on the outside and creamy melty inside.

Hulopoe Bay: Where pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins play and the beach is paradise found

NOBU LANAI, the only NOBU in the world to source vegetables from its own garden

NOBU LANAI

NOBU LANAI's fresh tuna salad with greens from its on-site lettuce patch

One of the most magical places to watch the sunset {that I've seen so far in my travels} is Sweetheart Rock, a 20-minute walk/hike from the property. 

Sunset selfie

A "standard" evening view from the hotel

Dusk

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Some in-the-moment family photos:

The staff stop at nothing to please. When we were at the pool they asked us if we were going to relax at the beach. We said "probably not" because handling Baby Styler in the sand would be tricky; that is, until we found this playpen they set up for us. Beach day, accomplished.

About to take Baby Styler for his first-ever swim!

We take a photo of Baby Styler on the bed of every hotel; this shot is one of our favorites.

When the light is this spectacular, you have to capture the moment with a lens.

[photos by @tripstyler taken while a guest of the hotel; select shots courtesy of four seasons]

High on Helijet

Until this weekend, my only helicopter experience was in Vegas, soaring over the Grand Canyon and landing at its base only to be handed a flute of Champagne {search #TSVegas for photos on Instagram}. To say I was flying high off the experience is an understatement, and I wasn't sure if any 'copter trip would compare. 

Then came my second whirlybird flight aboard Helijet, a fleet of 13 helis flying between Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo, in addition to charter flights to remote locations such as Haida Gwaii.

We were heading to Victoria overnight and wanted a quick and efficient path to the fairy tale city built around the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Since Helijet leaves from downtown Vancouver and lands near downtown Victoria {and you only have to check-in 20 minutes in advance}, we were there in 34 minutes, which was a time-saving eye-opener to a gal who has mostly gone between Vancouver and Victoria by ferry. 

Efficiency aside, what I didn't bank on from Canada's first scheduled helicopter service was the scenery. "I'll let everyone know if we spot a pod of orcas", my captain announced as our 12-seat Sikorsky S76 was starting up. After the safety announcements, he went on to say, "We're going to be flying lower today to avoid turbulence at higher elevations, so we'll get crystal clear views of the Pacific and Gulf Islands." 

Seeing my "backyard" from a bird's perspective was at once thrilling and spectacular, and I would even go so far as to say, bucket-list worthy. While I was not handed bubbly when I landed, the captains did invite us to take a photo with Baby Styler in the cockpit, which was far more thrilling than any vintage. 

Trip Styler Tip: Helijet posts flight deals on their Facebook and Twitter pages. And, your first kid flies free with a paying adult. 

[photos by trip styler taken while a guest of Helijet]

First Look: Four Seasons Lanai

[trip style = luxury + sun]

Editor's Note: As a mega-fan of all things Four Seasons, I've been asked to guest judge the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea's Couples Season photo contest, where in true FS form, each prize is worth more than $2,000 USD. Book a stay and enter here. Open to residents of Canada, USA, UK and Australia.

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When I stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay—just a 40-min boat ride from Maui—two years ago, I promised myself I'd come back. Beyond style, it had soul—a soul that kept me from wanting to leave, as well as instigated my return. 

Look for more photos and details on what I would call my Hawaii "spirit hotel" in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here's a sneak peek to put this retreat on your radar. 

The pool

The rooms — easily in my top five for design, finish and wow-factor 

An open-air Nobu outpost overlooking the ocean

Nightfall

[photos by @tripstyler]

Event: Run + Rest

[trip style = active + luxury + urban]

{Editor's Note: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with a Mexico find from the Trip Styler Store. %15 off all items today only. Enter promo code cincodemayo at checkout. Ole.}

A run and a rest; I need both in my life. So, I'm going to do them back-to-back in my home city with a stop at the spa, a sip of sparkling, and a bite of a sugar bun {Vancouver's version of malasadas}.

This weekend, the four Fairmont Hotels in the Vancouver area are holding the first-annual Fairmont Mother's Day Run & Walk, a 3K, 5K and 10K jaunt from Stanley Park to Jack Pool Plaza {where the 2010 Olympic Flame was lit} benefitting Make-A-Wish® BC & Yukon.

I've been running my whole life, but I took a break when I was pregnant with Baby Styler—opting for walking and swimming instead. While I was *hoping* to get back into the sport shortly after my wee wanderer was born, it took me longer than expected due to his turbulent arrival and an emergency surgery to ensure his safe landing. 

Now that he's almost 7-months-old and I have a few months of miles racked up on my shoes, I'm ready to race—ok, jog. 

Aerial view of the race course

In true Trip Styler style, I'm going to make a weekend of it and paint the town—and my nails—red in Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim with Mom and Sis Styler. Following the spa, Mr. and Baby Styler will join me at the Fairmont Pacific Rim {a TS fave}, perched over Vancouver's waterfront and the race course. Here, we'll take in some pre-run clinics and carb-load at the Mamma Mia Pasta Dinner on Saturday, and then I'll escape to run the 10K on Sunday and meet the other Stylers for brunch on Sunday morning.

This is my first official Mother's Day, and I can't imagine a more FITting way to spend it; with the people I love, in the city I love, doing the things I love {escaping + exercising + eating}.   

PS - Join me this weekend. Find details and a Fairmont Mother's Day Run promo code below. 

Race Details
DAY: Sunday, May 10th
COST: From $59 for adults/$29 for kids [under 6 free]. Enter Promo Code TRIPSTYLER2015 at checkout to receive 10% off.
SWAG: All participants will receive a technical running shirt, limited-edition running gloves, and a gift bag filled with zero-calorie goodies such as Lindt Chocolate :). And when moms cross the finish line, they'll be handed a custom pashmina.
EAT: Pre-race, three-course Mamma Mia Pasta Dinner at ARC in the Fairmont Waterfront {$49} // Post-race nourishment at the Pacific Rim Mother's Day Brunch {$55}

Special Stay Rates
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – starting from $279/night
Fairmont Waterfront – starting from $319/night
Fairmont Pacific Rim – starting from $369/night
Fairmont Vancouver Airport – starting from $299/night
Participants will receive special stay rates, here. Enter a check-in date of May 9th and a check-out date of May 10th.

Fairmont Pacific Rim

[photos via Fairmont and National Geographic for an event I will be doing in partnership with Fairmont Hotels]

A Space-Age Spa

[trip style = spa + sun + beach + luxury]

"Tell me if you feel a tingle," my aesthetician told me as she gently pressed a NASA-developed red LED light and impulse microcurrent into my skin. Part of me wanted the space-age machine to steam and sizzle every time it touched me, but my wish to feel an eletro-jolt was not granted. The K-Lift skin-tightening facial at Willow Stream Spa in the Fairmont Kea Lani works without searing.  

I first heard about this marriage of {outer} space and spa last year when I was speaking to the Fairmont Maui's team about Willow Stream's new technologies and its multi-million-dollar reno. When I heard that they held one of only a few NASA-developed age-management systems capable of re-educating muscle tone, triggering DNA regeneration and fading my sun spots, I almost booked a one-way ticket to the Valley Isle. I would have, save for being in the final stages of pregnancy with Baby Styler.

When I arrived on the island two weeks ago, I had a clear directive: Get this facial {in addition to crunching on shave ice and watching the sunset with a cocktail, of course}. My rationale: If NASA can build the technology to send humans to the moon, I have no doubt they can tap into the fountain of youth.    

In search of skin that appears as smooth as Baby Styler's bottom, I arrived at the spa early to take advantage of the hydro facilities {a Eucalyptus steam and a trio of rain showers mimicking the island's tropical rains} and the DIY mud bar, which infuses local ingredients such as volcanic ash into body masks. Coated in mud and dripping from eucalyptus mist, I considered hiding in the towel hamper at closing so I could continue my spa-cation into the night. 

Trip Styler Tip: If you need a vacation from your vacation, secure a day pass to the Willow Stream Spa. Hydro bliss costs a mere $25 for Fairmont President's Club members {$55 without membership}. 

Inside the treatment room, the facialist applied a tingly exfoliating multi-acid peel and targeted my age-prone areas with the machine, capable of yielding a non-surgical facelift effect.

At the end of the techno-treatment, my skin sage asked "how do you feel?" I replied "fizzy and fabulous; my face feels like it just gulped a bottle of carbonated water!" Later that day, one of my friends described my skin as looking plump and fresh, and I noticed a visible overall improvement. So, I guess you could say I achieved lift-off.  

[Photos courtesy of Fairmont Kea Lani, a hotel I've stayed at for eons, and a treatment I wanted to investigate—and was gifted—for light years. Mud bar photo by @tripstyler.]