The billionaire entrepreneur staying in the Four Seasons Resort Hualälai’s Presidential Villa was very specific. He wanted to host a private lü‘au for his entourage, which had booked 14 other rooms at the posh Big Island property. The menu had to include all the traditional favorites, right down to the poi and poke. He expected Hawaiian musicians and hula dancers to perform.
   
And, oh yes, he wanted to schedule the party at 2:00 AM on a Monday morning.
   
The Four Seasons’ staff didn’t blink an eye, and the event went off without a hitch. Special requests such as this are par for the course for the exceptional hotel, which has won a prestigious AAA Five-Diamond Award for each of the past nine years.
   
Expect the extraordinary here. For example, the Presidential Villa—a 4,883 square foot oceanfront bungalow that can be booked with either two or three bedrooms—ranks among Hawai‘i’s most expensive hideaways. Its gold-and-earth tone interior features furnishings of bamboo, wicker, rattan, and teak and koa wood. Polynesian-themed art and antiques include a Hawaiian quilt dating back to 1918; a lovely koa-framed tapa made by renowned Hawaiian cultural authority Malia Solomon; and etchings and aquatints by John Kelly, a prolific O‘ahu printmaker from the 1920s through 1940s.
 
There’s a länai with a whirlpool; an elegant dining area; two outdoor cedar and Douglas fir showers; and three bathrooms, each with a deep soaking tub and separate shower. The villa also is furnished with a fax machine, CD/DVD player, iHome clock radio, Bose speakers and a telescope for stargazing at night.
   
Presidential Villa guests receive round-trip airport transportation; a lei greeting, refreshing oshibori (cool wet towel) and a glass of chilled fruit nectar upon arrival; curbside check-in; and transportation right to the front door. Waiting inside are a platter of sweets, a bowl of fresh fruit that’s refilled every day and a bar stocked with their favorite libations. Guests may also choose what specific nuts, teas, music and movies they’d like to enjoy during their stay.
   
Among the daily amenities are in-suite coffee service; choice of newspaper(s); and a delicious food amenity (think assorted canapés, chocolate-covered Kona coffee beans, and gourmet cheese and crackers). Other niceties include two 50-minute massages, a reserved poolside cabana, and concierge assistance to arrange guests’ itinerary prior to their visit and to help with their needs once they arrive.
   
“The Presidential Villa is beautiful, spacious and comfortable—truly a home away from home,” says Robert Whitfield, the Four Seasons Resort Hualälai’s general manager. “Just steps from the beach, it offers front-row views of the most incredible sunsets in the world. Even better, it’s now the peak of whale season. Add a breaching humpback to that scene, and you’ll really feel as though you’ve been whisked to a magical place.”