CHARACTER
The Royal Hawaiian is a Marriott Luxury Collection resort, located on the sands of Waikiki. It offers 528 rooms between the Historic Wing and the newer Mailani Tower. The hotel, which opened in 1927, is commonly referred to as the “Pink Palace of the Pacific.”
The resort is located on the south shore of Oahu, in the busy area of Waikiki, with a magnificent view of Diamond Head.
SETTING
It is on this section of Waikiki that you will find most of Oahu’s hotels and resorts. The Royal Hawaiian resort is situated in a superb location, right in the heart of Waikiki, close to multiple dining venues and high-end shopping. This oceanfront property is great for soaking in the rays, building sand castles, surfing, and paddle boarding.
OUR PERSPECTIVE
We used our American Express Platinum card to purchase 1 night at The Royal Hawaiian resort. The perks of the AMEX card offered a suite upgrade, early check-in, 4:00 p.m. late check-out, $100 property credit, and breakfast. Oh, and, we received our annual $200 credit for the hotel stay – another perk of this card. Average price during Christmas for a king guest room facing the garden in the historic building is $825/night. Prices at other times of the year are about $435/night.
One side of the resort faces the ocean, the other side offers views of the garden, or in some cases, no views. The property is well maintained with beautiful landscaping. Just off the lobby area are 7 or 8 rocking chairs perched on a wide verandah overlooking the quiet garden area. This was a lovely, peaceful place to rest and people watch. We spent an hour or so here after check-out and before heading to the airport. Sitting areas are located throughout the hotel to provide a respite from the sun and the noise of Waikiki.
Beach
Speaking of sun, you will definitely want to make it out to the beach and reserve in advance an iconic pink umbrella and lounge chairs. They are fun and whimsical, but it was no surprise to learn none were available. Again, it was Christmas and the hotel was packed. There were tons of tourists taking up nearly every square inch of the beach.
There is also a small pool area, but when we walked by no chair space was available. Instead we decided to put our bags down on the beach and go for a swim. The water was cool, but in a refreshing kind of way. Be careful if you wade out without swim shoes. There are rocks you can’t see underneath the waves and they will jump up and bite you! Please do not go home with bruised toes, or worse, something broken!
ROOMS
At check-in we were upgraded to a king guest room (300 sq. ft.) with a partial view of the ocean. Given the hotel was nearly sold out, we were pleased with the room. This room had the standard hotel amenities – coffee maker, small fridge, and bottled water.
The bathroom was small with one sink and a walk-in shower. In the closet we found two white and pink striped robes, which were so much fun, I had to go and purchase one! The wall behind the headboard was covered in soft pink wallpaper, while the rest of the room was decorated in soft beige and brown colors. Overall, the room felt like we had stepped back into a gentler, quieter time.
FOOD & DRINKS
After we checked out our room, we headed directly to the Mai Tai Bar, where we quickly ordered 2 cocktails, followed by a small plate of ahi poke and truffle fries. Delicious. It was busy and the wait staff were hustling to keep up. They did a great job considering the number of people they were trying to serve. By this time, it was late afternoon and we decided not to eat dinner.
The next morning, we ate breakfast at Surf Lanai, which is open from 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. I ordered the Signature Royal Hawaiian Pink Palace Pancakes, and Brad ordered the Classic Eggs Benedict. Our food was good and I would definitely eat here again. We did not get to experience the evening restaurant, Azure. We tried to make dinner reservations several days in advance, but the restaurant was sold out for the evening. Perhaps next time. Before we left, we had to try a Pink Palace cocktail, a concoction of Old Lahaina rum, Coco Lopez, Grand Marnier, pineapple juice, and grenadine. Perfect way to beat the heat.
SERVICE
As a Titanium Elite member of the Marriott Bonvoy program, the service was excellent. Between our Marriott status and the American Express Platinum card we were treated very well. Our flight to the mainland didn’t leave until nearly midnight, so having the late check-out was fantastic. The hotel stored our luggage while we ate dinner at a local sushi restaurant.
CONCLUSIONS
Who should stay here?
Stay at the Royal Hawaiian Resort if you are looking for a relaxed space that sits in the middle of a lot of hustle and bustle. If you want to have multiple choices of restaurants and access to high end shopping, this resort will fit your needs.
Who should not stay here?
Don’t stay if you are looking for wide open spaces to stretch out and stare at the ocean with an unobstructed view. The vibe within the hotel and the garden area is tranquil, but venture beyond and you will find a chaotic kind of vibe. I did ask locals if this kind of chaos was normal along Waikiki beach or was it just because of the holiday. They said, “It is always that way.”
If you have any questions about staying at
The Royal Hawaiian, please contact us at
We’d love to hear from you!
Comments are closed.