FS vs Aulani

neurosx1983

Mouseketeer
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
I realize this Forum is for Aulani fans but I wanted to know if there are people that have stayed at the four seasons ko olina and how that experience compares. Its interesting that they're right next door to each other. I've read reviews that the FS is superb but I wanted to know if there are people here on the Disboards that have stayed there and to get their perspective.

Specifically looking for those that have stayed there. I know comments have been made about the 'look' of the resort compared to aulani and how it lacks the theming, but apart from that how are the rooms/service/amenities. And if we stay there can we go over to Aulani for food/luau?
 
Will it be just adults, or a family with children? What room type are you looking at for both? That can make a huge difference.

The decor at the Four Seasons is more contemporary and modern with Hawaiian highlights, whilst at Aulani it's definitely more themed with Hawaii first. That theming and storytelling extends through the whole hotel, to the very smallest detail, like artwork created by local schoolchildren, each wing of the hotel depicts a different aspect of Hawaiian culture (masculine vs. feminine), signage is in Hawaiian, and the ceiling at 'AMA'AMA woven by local craftspeople as well. That immersive storytelling is not present at the Four Seasons, which is more of an upscale classy hotel, with a nod to Hawaii, versus the main focus at Aulani.

The standard rooms at the Four Seasons are significantly larger than the standard rooms at Aulani, almost double in size.

We opt for Aulani because of the villas with full kitchens, giving us the ability to self-cater for a portion of our trip, especially for preparing meals when we are going out hiking for the day, or a simple breakfast in the mornings. The Four Seasons doesn't have villas.

And yes, if you stay at the Four Seasons you can visit Aulani for shops and meals, but you will not be able to interact with characters, use the pools, use the beach chairs, or participate in any on-site entertainment activities or tours.
 
If it was an adults only trip, then in a heartbeat I would stay there over Aulani! They share the same lagoon and have virtually the same setup on the beach with lounges and umbrellas - in fact when we’ve visited their side is always much emptier then Aulani’s side.

it is a much more “grown up” atmosphere then Aulani as I believe they are targeting a different demographic. Aulani and the Marriott are aimed more at families hence the slides, 2-3 pools and activities they both have.
 
We’ve always stayed at the Aulani but gone to the FS for happy hour or a meal or two each time. For kids, it’s a no brainer that the Aulani is the better option — better pools, kids club, family room and so on. For an adults only trip, I probably wouldn’t do the Aulani because it is so family oriented and there are so many kids running around. It’s not a romantic hotel.
 


Thanks! We will be with our 8yo son. My only problem with Aulani is that the rooms just don't look as nice as FS and it seems more crowded. We wanted to do a relaxing trip without the hustle and bustle...unfortunately the really high end four seasons in hawaii on the big island or on Lanai fill up for the holidays almost a year in advance. This is the only FS in hawaii that is available.
 
And also for the dates we are looking into in December, FS and aulani are literally almost the same price for the rooms, maybe 75$ difference here and there.
 
Thanks! We will be with our 8yo son. My only problem with Aulani is that the rooms just don't look as nice as FS and it seems more crowded. We wanted to do a relaxing trip without the hustle and bustle...unfortunately the really high end four seasons in hawaii on the big island or on Lanai fill up for the holidays almost a year in advance. This is the only FS in hawaii that is available.
The rooms at Aulani are very nice, but as mentioned, smaller. IMO, Aulani "feels" crowded because of the confusing layout of the resort, with everything central between the two towers and lots of foliage and winding paths to get places. It doesn't spread the people out as well as resorts that have different layouts. Another thing to consider is renting a cabana for your pool days. It gives you a reserved space of your own near the pool, so you don't have to worry about going down early or being crowded in the pool chairs.

Personally, I think an 8 year old might be bummed out if they were at the FS and caught a glimpse of the characters and slides at Aulani. While adults can certainly appreciate the upscale and contemporary feeling of the FS, its lost on kids. Have you considered the Marriott in Ko Olina? Might be a compromise because its a little more relaxed than Aulani, but still has some of those amenities for kids like slides and activities.

Last thing I'll mention is that if you're not completely sold on Aulani, there's other resorts around the island that may be better suited too. Turtle Bay in the North Shore or Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki come to mind. Aulani/Four Seasons/Marriott are in Ko Olina which is a rather isolated part of the island. Beautiful area, but a planned gated tourist community. We wouldn't stay in that area if not for Aulani.
 


The 1 and 2 bedroom villas at the Aulani are very nice rooms. They have a Hawaiian theme that isn’t a traditional esthetic for luxury hotels but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. You obviously have a biased crowd in this format but having stayed at multiple Four Seasons - although not the one on Ko Olina - I can say with a decent amount of certainty that you won’t be disappointed if you go with one of the larger room options at the Aulani for a trip with an 8 year old.
 
Thanks! We will be with our 8yo son. My only problem with Aulani is that the rooms just don't look as nice as FS and it seems more crowded. We wanted to do a relaxing trip without the hustle and bustle...unfortunately the really high end four seasons in hawaii on the big island or on Lanai fill up for the holidays almost a year in advance. This is the only FS in hawaii that is available.

The rooms at Aulani are not as nice and the vibe at Aulani is much more energetic. However, I think it’s a better fit for a family with an 8yo. Imagine staying at the FS, being 8yo and being told you can look at the Aulani lazy river, snorkeling area, pool parties, etc., but you can’t participate. Its kind of sad!

The FS at Ko Olina is dramatically subpar to the ones on the other islands and shouldn’t even be grouped into the same category. It’s like saying Saratoga Springs and Grand Floridian Villas are both home away from home resorts so they should be comparable.

Before FS took it over, the hotel was run by Marriott. Before the Marriott, it was the Ihilani. Both were solid 4* hotels and imo, the FS has done a good job of elevating the hotel but its very evident that it was not developed to be an ultra-luxury property. The price (as compared to FS on Lanai and Big Island) reflects this.

A 1br at Aulani should be pretty comparable in price (possibly less) to a room at Hualali or on Lanai. It will give you a lot more room to relax and the bathroom is more luxurious.
 
Just to clarify an earlier statement, the regular “around the resort” character meets are just for guests. Makahiki (the buffet restaurant) does character meals, and offsite guests can book those as well. But overall I agree—if your 8YO enjoys Disney, I’d either stay at Aulani for that reason or steer clear altogether. I’d rather stay on an actual beach (not a lagoon) somewhere else unless I wanted the while Disney experience (which I did).
 
As I posted on another thread, my husband I checked out of the FS earlier today. We are obviously Disney fans, and we had this same debate. Our difference is that we are middle-aged and don’t have children. But still, we debated.

We ended up at FS, and for our purposes we are extremely pleased that we did. The FS service is superb, and this property satisfied us entirely. We also thought it was great value, with few additional fees.

And, there were a lot of children at FS as well. The families certainly seemed happy. The hotel is seemingly much less crowded than Aulani as are the pools and beaches. The food options were quite good.

However, we agreed that if we had an eight year old and could return for future trips, I think we would be at Aulani. At least for a couple of years. Disney does the full family experience pretty well, and it is hard to ignore that it is right next door. The children at the FS were enjoying the pools and the beach completely but the pools aren’t really comparable from the child point of view.

What a fun “predicament!”
 
One other point to focus on is that only one of the pools at FS allows kids. The larger pool shown on the web site is actually adults only. So if you plan to spend a lot of time by the pool with a kid, I think Aulani wins hands-down.
 

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