Swapping mince pies for poke and frosty mornings for the Pacific is, frankly, a very good idea. And Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, set on the island’s western coastline, has just given us a whole festive season’s worth of reasons to do it.
The resort announced its 2026 holiday programme this week: chef-led cooking classes, a new seasonal spa ritual, moonlit sound baths, hula under the stars, kids’ glamping on the beach and a New Year’s Eve party to ring in 2027. The general manager, Jason de Vries, pitches it at everyone from multi-generational families to couples on a romantic getaway and anyone simply craving a restorative end to the year. Having read the line-up, that feels about right.
It also comes with fresh bragging rights. Last month the resort picked up its first One MICHELIN Key in the Guide’s 2026 hotel selection, one of only two properties on Oahu to earn a Key. MICHELIN’s anonymous inspectors define a One Key hotel as “A very special stay.” Not a bad backdrop for Christmas.
Here’s what’s on, and what we’d book first.
Feasting by the ocean
Executive chef Andrew Newberg’s team is running the holiday show across four venues featured in the holiday programme: Mina’s Fish House, Noe Italian, Mānalo Lounge and La Hiki. Expect holiday brunches and seasonal menus built around Hawaiian produce and plenty of fresh seafood, with festive specials woven in.
The bit that really caught my eye, though, is what happens away from the dining table. The Art of Poke sees the chefs walking guests through the techniques behind Hawaii’s favourite dish, using locally sourced seafood. There’s also an intimate Homemade Pasta & Wine demonstration (the perfect excuse to drink wine before dinner) and a Mixology Class with the resort’s bartenders, shaking up seasonal cocktails inspired by island flavours.
If you’re the kind of traveller who comes home wanting to recreate a holiday in your own kitchen, the poke class is the one. All in the name of research, of course.
A private corner for the festive rush
Holiday weeks at any big beach resort can get busy, which is where the Club Collection comes in. Book one of these rooms or suites and you get access to the Club Lounge, a 2,192 sq ft space that opened last summer and is reserved exclusively for Club guests.
It looks out over the Pacific and comes with its own concierge team who’ll plan your itinerary, plus food and drink from morning to evening, starting with light bites and ending with cocktails. For a family juggling kids’ club pick-ups, spa slots and surf lessons, having someone else do the organising might just be the most luxurious thing on the list.
Spa days with a seasonal twist
The new Winter Radiance Ritual is pure Christmas in spa form: Himalayan hot stones, a cranberry-infused body polish and a peppermint scalp massage. Festive, a little bit indulgent, and much more appealing in 28-degree heat than a mulled wine.
Then there’s the Supermoon Floating Sound Bath, which is exactly as dreamy as it sounds. Guided meditation and sound healing take place beneath the moonlight while you float weightlessly in the water. If there’s one experience on this list that feels like it was made for a honeymoon, it’s this.
The resort’s Healer in Residence, Dana Childs, an energy healer, intuitive and author, leads a daily menu of wellness sessions too, from group guided meditations to energy healing for individuals or couples. If you’ve followed our coverage of Four Seasons’ Hawaiian wellness offering, the aquathermal Kai Holo Spa over on Maui makes for an interesting comparison.
For anyone who’d rather work off the Christmas brunches, there’s a Tennis Round Robin Tournament, ocean-view fitness classes and the ‘Ohana Holiday Sportspalooza, a family-friendly mix of movement, mindfulness and a bit of friendly competition.
Glamping, gadgets and island adventures for the kids
This is where the resort really shines for families. Camp Kohola, the complimentary Kids For All Seasons club for children aged 5 to 12, has a festive line-up that I’d happily join as an adult. The Glamping Experience includes crab hunting on the beach, outdoor games, a movie under the stars and sweet treats, while Spy Academy has young agents solving interactive challenges and making their own glow-in-the-dark gadgets.
Older kids and teens aged 9 to 17 can sign up for Camp Manitou, which takes them out on outdoor adventures exploring Oahu’s nature, culture and spirit. Its festive session runs from 20 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, so it covers the whole Christmas-to-New-Year stretch.
Camp Manitou, the children’s glamping, the poke demonstrations and the mixology classes all featured in last year’s holiday programme too, which tells you they went down well.
Hula, fire knives and Hawaiian stories
For me, the cultural programme is what turns this from a lovely beach holiday into something that actually feels rooted in the island. Every week, the #FSWayfinders series brings together cultural practitioners, artisans and storytellers for small workshops and conversations about Hawaiian art, history and traditions.
The acclaimed hula hālau Ke Kai O Kahiki performs too, with live Hawaiian music, hula and fire knife performances led by Kumu Hula Laʻakea Perry, all set against the Pacific. Fire dancing over the ocean at dusk is about as cinematic as a holiday evening gets. (Four Seasons Maui has been leaning into Hawaiian storytelling as well, with its new Queen Liliʻuokalani garden.)
Two excursions take you beyond the resort. The Nalu Surf Experience is a private surf safari with Native Hawaiian professional surfer Kekoa Cazimero, which is the sort of thing you’ll still be talking about years later, wipeouts and all. Or spend a day on the water aboard Mana Cruises.
Ringing in 2027 under the stars
The season finishes with a New Year’s Eve celebration of food, live entertainment and oceanfront festivities. The resort’s New Year’s Eve plans put the live entertainment at the ʻOhana Pool, with a separate children’s celebration in the Ocean Ballroom, so parents can have a cocktail in peace. There’s also a complimentary New Year’s Eve photography session, which is a lovely touch for families who never manage to get everyone in one picture.
For dinner, Mina’s Fish House is serving a prix-fixe menu on 31 December at US$145 per person, with a choice of starters, mains and desserts. Think ahi tartare, miso-glazed sea bass and ube cheesecake, with a caviar parfait available for a US$40 supplement. Order the caviar. It’s New Year’s Eve.
Book it
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina is at 92-1001 Olani Street, Kapolei. For holiday reservations and the full programme, visit fourseasons.com/oahu or call +1 808 679 0079. Festive dates book up early, so if a Hawaiian Christmas is calling, I wouldn’t leave it too long.
