Lanai is Not a Pineapple Plantation

[Kathie Fry]

The tiny island of Lanai has been known as the "Pineapple Isle" since Hawaiian Pineapple Company president James Dole bought the entire island in 1922 for about $1 million. A large portion of Lanai was devoted to growing pineapple until the 1980's when it starting becoming no longer profitable to grow pineapple in Hawaii. Castle and Cook acquired Lanai in the 1930's and in 1985 Lanai passed into the control of David H. Murdock when he purchased Castle and Cook.

Pineapple is no longer produced on Lanai, except for local consumption, and today the island's main economy is tourism. Even so there are only 3 hotels on Lanai. The island's two luxury hotels are the Manele Bay Resort, a beach, spa, and golf resort and the upcountry Lodge at Koele, a golf resort in a pine forest. There is also a charming, moderately priced 10-room hotel in Lanai City called the Hotel Lanai, with a popular restaurant called the Lanai City Grille. The Hotel Lanai was built in 1923 by James Dole as a lodge for visiting Dole Plantation executives. It was the only hotel on Lanai until 1990.

- Kathie