A Four Seasons Hawaii Babymoon

I feel like people fall into two categories. Those who not only know what a babymoon is but have lots of suggestions on where to go and what to do. And those (ahem, mom!) whose eyes widen at hearing the word and ask, “Now WHAT is a babymoon?”

For those who fall into the latter category, I Googled ‘babymoon’ to find you an official definition: ‘A relaxing or romantic vacation taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born.’

When my husband Johnny Jet and I learned that we were expecting our first child, we were over the moon! And of course, we knew that things were about to change dramatically. We’ve traveled to 65 countries together as a couple but knew that this would be the greatest journey of our lives!

But before baby’s highly-anticipated arrival, a babymoon sounded like a great idea. One last trip, just the two of us, relaxing before the sleepless nights and dreaming of the future.

Babymoon in Hawaii
Hawaii has always held a special place in our hearts so it was the perfect place to spend our babymoon. A quick five-hour flight from Los Angeles, the Hawaiian Islands are easy to get to and offer up just the right amount of romance, rest and relaxation we were looking for. Plus, with two amazing new Four Seasons hotel openings to check out, it was a no-brainer.

The Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
Situated on the sunny west side of Oahu in Ko Olina, the newly opened Four Seasons hotel is a dream destination. Away from the more hectic side of the island in Waikiki, the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina is quieter. Laidback and luxurious. Perfect for the R+R we were craving.

The 371-room property, which just reopened as a Four Seasons in May 2016 (it was formerly a JW Marriott), has undergone a $500 million renovation so there’s lots to appreciate inside the sprawling beachfront property. The extra-wide, winding hallways lead to gorgeously refurbished rooms that offer incredible panoramic views of the white sand beaches, the turquoise lagoon on which the hotel is situated and further out, of the Pacific Ocean.

Rooms at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina average about 640 square feet in size and the refreshed design combines modern elegance with touches of Hawaiiana, which you’ll see in the use of traditional local woods and banana leaf headboards. When jet lag has you up in the wee hours of the morning, don’t fight it; the spacious private lanai is the perfect spot to sit out and watch the sky change colours as the sun rises.

The Perfect Spot for a Flytographer Photo Shoot
I’ve written about Flytographer many times before because I’m such a huge fan but if you’re not familiar with them, you should be! Flytographer offers professional photographers to travelers in 175 cities around the world. So you’ll never have to come back from vacation with poorly shot or lit photos, selfies with half your face missing or photos missing a family member because they had to take the photos. Flytographer will pair you with a professional photographer and at the end of your shoot, you’ll have incredible, beautiful vacation photos, which to me, are the best souvenir of all.

So when we checked into the Four Seasons Resort Oahu and saw the beauty of the property, we knew it would be the perfect backdrop for a babymoon photoshoot to commemorate this special time in our lives. Here’s a slideshow with a few photos:

Dining Options
When I’m traveling, I like to get off-property and try local food in the surrounding area. And while Ko Olina offers guests nearby options (great sushi and shave ice!), it was difficult to tear ourselves away from the incredible dining establishments at the Four Seasons. The breakfast buffet is one of my all-time favourites, mostly because of the extensive selection of fresh, tropical fruits and the freshly baked breads and pastries (the banana bread is addictive; don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Fish House is, as its name suggests, a seafood lover’s paradise. Seafood towers and Hawaiian-style lobsters. Shellfish and grilled fish. Clams and oysters and mussels, oh my! If you love seafood, you’ll love Fish House … and the beach views aren’t too bad, either!

The other must-try restaurant on property: Noe. Described as ‘Capri meets Oahu’, the food here is just that; a delightful combination of Italy’s delicious flavours and the island’s local ingredients. The bruschetta and tagliatelle were so good that if I closed my eyes, I thought I was in Italy. And that’s no exaggeration.

Naupaka Spa & Wellness Centre
Since, by definition, a babymoon is a ‘relaxing vacation’, ours wouldn’t have been complete without a spa treatment (or two!) to soothe our travel-weary bones and for me, all the aches and pains that go hand-in-hand with pregnancy. The Naupaka Spa & Wellness Centre had us covered. This day spa is over 35,000 square feet in size and has both indoor and outdoor treatment facilities. Guests can choose from a range of services (facials, body treatments and massages), many of which are performed using local, indigenous techniques. I had the Hapai Massage ($180, 50 minutes), which means ‘to carry’ and is specially designed for expectant mothers. This therapeutic prenatal massage, performed in an outdoor cabana, was bliss.

Four Seasons Lanai
You would think that luxuriating at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina would be babymoon enough but we were fortunate to take things one step (and about 80 miles) further to the Four Seasons Lanai. The property has recently reopened after being closed for about eight months to undergo a heck of a renovation to the tune of many millions of dollars. No surprise, really: Oracle founder Larry Ellison essentially owns the 140-square-mile island of Lanai and the Four Seasons property there is its crown jewel.

The Four Seasons Lanai is completely different from its sister property in Oahu, both in style and temperament. While both are luxe and their service beyond reproach, the Lanai property is a more remote, more rustic kind of luxury. It’s situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific and from this spectacular perch, guests have front row seats to a marine sanctuary that’s home to spinner dolphins and humpback whales. The property itself has five gorgeous botanical gardens, complete with waterfalls and koi ponds.

And then there are the rooms. To call them comfortable and luxurious seems to be seriously understating things. We were in a garden view suite, which had an extremely capacious bedroom and separate living room area with large flat screen TVs, perfect for winding down after a day out in the sun.

But the bathrooms {insert 10 heart-eyes emojis right here}. My husband and I just recently moved into a new home and it’s lovely and there’s nothing wrong with our bathroom. Until I saw this bathroom and realized that I really, really, really want to gut our current bathroom and model every feature after the one in our room. It’s huge and has separate his and hers vanities on opposite sides of the bathroom, which means his stuff will never creep over to my side. The deep soaking tub is incredible and in the shower, there’s a powerful rain showerhead and a reflexology-inspired stone floor underfoot. The toilet is in its own separate space with a door to close and a Toto toilet that seems to do everything but make breakfast in the morning.

Dining
There are five restaurants on property and while we didn’t get to try them all, the ones we did exceeded expectation. At Malibu Farm, I enjoyed an enormous acai bowl for breakfast (my favourite breakfast in Hawaii!) and fresh fish tacos and watermelon juice at lunch. But the real star of the resort is Nobu Lanai. It’s set up high on a cliff that overlooks the protected marine preserve and offers diners panoramic views of the ocean, the hotel grounds below and the stunning surrounding scenery. On the menu, there’s an extensive selection of sushi options (natch!) but there are also lots of hot dishes if sushi isn’t your thing. Try the edamame and the crispy brussels sprouts; you won’t be disappointed! Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s masterful culinary creations merge Japanese cuisine with Hawaiian ingredients and the result is an unforgettable meal experience in an unforgettable setting.

Spa
I alluded to more than one spa treatment above and I wasn’t joking! In true babymoon fashion, if there was a spa, we visited! Again, I indulged in a Hapai prenatal massage ($190, 50 minutes), specifically designed to nurture and pamper mothers-to-be. I had my massage inside the spa in one of the 11 spacious (and cool!) treatment rooms but some services are available poolside so definitely inquire about that if it’s not too hot outside.

As you can probably tell, a Four Seasons babymoon was a delightful and decadent way to relax and reflect as my husband and I prepare for our next adventure. The easy-going, laidback vibe of both properties offered plenty of time to rest, be pampered and talk about all the exciting changes that await us. And we couldn’t be more excited! Thanks, Four Seasons, for the incredible send-off into parenthood. We can’t wait to return as a party of three.

Note: This was a fully sponsored trip but all the opinions expressed within this post are my own. 

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