The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki

We have stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel many times in the past and this is one of the great "Big Three" at Waikiki Beach. While we did not stay in the room on this visit, we attended a large gala dinner which included the banquet room and overflowed into the garden area overlooking the beach. The Royal Hawaiian has not changed at all with all the stately elegance, first rate service, impressive public areas and a prime spot on the beach. While banquet food is always suspect, the Royal Hawaiian catering was exceptional with well prepared and presented food, excellent food servers and great audio-visual facilities. The event was enjoyed by all. It is a wonderful place to have dinner and if you can enjoy one of the rooms that face the ocean, it is a treat.

Room was spacious and nice.

Pool could be better. Hotel needs maintenance.

Beautiful 'pink palace' in a prime location along Waikiki Beach. Felt like a dream staying in the Ocean View Room in the Mailani Tower with incredible views. Grounds were delightful to walk in day and night. Felt less 'commercial' than other hotels along the beach.

I just loved this hotel, loved the atmosphere, people so friendly, great service and I loved the gardens and the shops were right on my door step

An elegant old Hotel steeped in history Great location on Waikiki Beach but surrounded by beautiful gardens which makes it feel away from all the hustle and bustle of Honolulu

Food could be more Vegetarian friendly - limited choices for me but would probably suit most diets

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Going in order, let's start with the perfect location. Beachfront on Kalakaua Ave, the RH is within easy walking distance to all the best dining, shopping and entertainment. The property is simply stunning, situated on the best swimming beach (Royal Hawaiian Beach) on the larger Waikiki Beach. In between the beach and Kalakaua are the lush gardens - a truly peaceful place to breath in the warm, tropical air. If you crave a great location but are averse to large crowds, both the gardens and the various lobby areas provide tranquility in abundance. Now for the rooms - this is an historic property, opened 99 years ago. If you're expecting modern luxury you'll need to select a different property that, by the way, won't have direct beach access. If, however, you relish stays at historic properties and are delighted by distinctively detailed architecture and design, the RH is for you. I strongly recommend any room in the Historic Wing as the Mailani Tower definitely presents as less unique and occasionally has a musty smell, despite the gorgeous views. The furnishings are stunning, incorporating bold tropical patterns in signature pink with green and darker accent colors. The chairs are all extremely comfortable and the bed is the best hotel bed we've ever slept in - lots of support but pillowy soft. Bathrooms are tight, but Malie toiletries and great water pressure and towels make using the bathroom a delight. The signature fragrance of the hotel, made by Aromas With Aloha, is a gorgeous tropical floral focused on tiare flower and you'll want to smell it long after you leave. This is the best hotel fragrance ever and imo will never be topped. As for noise, in the rooms of the Historic Wing there is none. The doors, hand carved and original to the hotel, are solid wood and incredibly heavy. Walls are thick and in the many times we've stayed we've never, ever heard our neighbors. The lobby areas (there are 3-4 distinct indoor but open air lobbies across the property) are relatively quiet outside of check-in time and the beach facing lobby is often empty. The architecture in this particular lobby is a favorite of mine, and the walls are loaded with art, Hawaiian history, artifacts on loan from the Bishop Museum and memoribilia from 99 years of RH history. The Mai Tai Bar can get very noisy, but it's convivial and never raucous. The beach, of course, is quite noisy during peak swimming/sunning hours; however, early morning it is blissfully still and deserted, allowing for solitary views of the sunrise over Le'ahi. This is a daily must-do on all our visits and may be the only time we have the beach to ourselves. Let's talk service next! The front desk and concierge staff here are best-in-class, warm, welcoming and return kindness tenfold - if you remember that you get back what you give they will shower you with aloha and go out of their way to make your stay one you'll never forget. If you're rude, that's on you. The valet staff are also incredible. The port a cochere is gorgeous, with a garden of its own including several ancient and huge banyans which are lit, in pink of course, at night. Arriving feels like an event. On this visit we rented a car for a few days and drop-off and delivery of our car was always incredibly quick and accompanied by several bottles of water. The valets asked where we were headed each time we went out and suggested locally owned restaurants, shops, beaches and parks for us to check out while we were out and about. Amenities differ depending on your Bonvoy status, so I can only speak to the ones we receive. Complimentary breakfast (the Pink Pancakes are just iconic!), treats from the Bakery (the snowball and guava croissant are my faves, my husband loves the banana muffins and chocolate croissant), champagne toast at the Mai Tai Bar and other perks which change often but have included free use of a GoPro for a day are all things we've been gifted by the hotel as part of the amenities package. And the Malie bath products? Utterly luxurious. Let's wrap up with value. For us, because this property fits our preferences perfectly, the value is excellent. The location is unbeatable, the design is iconic, the service is unsurpassed. Yes, the Pink Palace is pricey, but ultimately you get back more than what you pay. We will never stay anywhere else in the city.