The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu is one of Waikiki’s finest grand old hotels. It’s proud to be called the “Pink Palace of the Pacific” and is just as stylish and luxurious today as it was almost 100 years ago. The grand opening on 1 February 1927 marked the start of a new era of travel by the rich and famous to Honolulu.

After spending a couple of nights at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu on Oahu I can testify that it has withstood the test of time. Let’s take a look at what makes it so special.

The History of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu

The original 6-story, 400-room hotel was built in only 18 months at a cost of $4 million – a huge price tag for the time. It earned its “Pink Palace” nickname because of the stucco facade in bright pink complemented by the Spanish-Moorish architectural style. Warren and Wetmore of New York City, the architects, were apparently inspired by the Arabian movies of Hollywood film star Rudolph Valentino.

The introduction of weekly flights to Honolulu by Pan-American Airways in 1936 introduced a new era of opulence at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu. It was an icon of Hawaii’s glory days which ended with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

In the following years, the Royal Hawaiian became a rest and relaxation center for Navy personnel. It was only restored to its pre-war state by 1947 and remained the dominant luxury hotel on Waikiki Beach until the 1960s.

Since then, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu underwent many upgrades. This included the addition of the Royal Tower Wing and the Mailani Tower. The hotel is now a Luxury Collection Resort with more than 500 rooms.

If you like to learn more about the history of the Royal Hawaiian, historical tours are conducted every Tuesday and Thursday at 13:00.

5 Reasons to Stay at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu Today

1. Location, Location, Location

The Royal Hawaiian is spectacularly located on the famous Waikiki Beach. Hotel guests have access to a variety of beach activities and water sports. You can choose to go parasailing, surfing, snorkeling, or simply relax on the sand or next to the seaside pool.

Restaurants and shops of Kalakaua Avenue are only minutes away. Buy yourself an Aloha shirt at Newt’s, Reyn Spooner or Tori Richard. Or vintage-style Hawaiian flip-flops at Island Slipper. At the eastern end of Waikiki, Kalakaua Avenue follows the beach and the parks. And for something else, why not explore the Fort deRussy military reservation?

2. Rooms Fit for Royalty

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu has no less than 528 rooms spread out in the Historic Wing and the Mailani Tower. This includes 33 suites of which 18 have ocean views. If you’re lucky enough, you can stay in one of four Prestige Suites where there is someone to attend to your every beck and call.

All guest rooms feature historic photographs and indigenous objects d’art to remind you of the special place you are staying in. I love the rooms in the historic wing with their boudoir pillows and bold pink and silver headboards. In the Mailani tower, each room offers a lanai experience for private ocean views.

3. Wining and Dining

Of course, the dining experience at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu matches the general 5-star quality and service experienced everywhere on the premises. Recommendations are:

Mai Tai Bar – Sipping on the hotel’s famous variation of the Mai Tai cocktail at sunset is a must while staying at the Royal Hawaiian.

Azure Restaurant & Bar – World-class food in a world-class setting under the Spanish-Moorish canopy on the beachfront. You must order some of the locally caught fish or other fresh seafood.

Surf Lanai – More casual and relaxed that Azure, serving classical Hawaiian dishes. Like the others, it also has a prime beachside location.

4. The Abhasa Spa

You will find no other spa in Oahu in such a beautiful tropical garden setting. No wonder it’s ranked the no. 1 spa in Hawaii. You wouldn’t want to get up after enjoying a hot stone massage. Or how about a detox de-stress massage to get you in the holiday spirit?

Abhasa, which means illusion in Sanskrit, naturally also offers facials, body wraps, waxing, nail, and hair treatments. If you can’t settle for just one, there are some pretty attractive spa packages to choose from.

5. Guest Activities and Entertainment

If you can’t sit still even though you are on holiday, there is enough to keep you busy at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu. A range of sporting and fun activities are organized every day to keep guests happy and entertained. They include:

Yoga classes

Surfing introduction lesson

A traditional Hiu Wai sunrise cleansing ceremony

Flower lei making

Live entertainment at the Mai Tai Bar

Hawaiian quilting demonstrations

Island music, dances, and cuisine at the Aha Aina Luau show

Making your own shell bracelet

Fun Facts about the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu

Several rich and famous guests have laid their heads on the pillows of the Royal Hawaiian over the years. In fact, it was very popular among important statesmen and Hollywood stars shortly after its opening. The first official guest was Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, who would have been queen if the Hawaiian monarchy survived. Other early guests included Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Royal Hawaiian has been featured in many motion pictures from 1931 to 2014. It started with the Charlie Chan film The Black Camel. The 2002 film Punch-Drunk Love and Big Eyes (2014) are the last two in which you will recognize the “Pink Palace”.

Murder She Wrote, Charlie’s Angels and Eight is Enough are three of the popular television series in which the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu appeared.

The Royal Hawaiian is even immortalized in a song. Joni Mitchell refers to it as the “pink hotel” in her 1970 song Big Yellow Taxi.

About Honolulu

Hawaii’s largest city, Honolulu stretches across Oahu’s South Eastern shore, all the way from Pearl Harbor to Makapuu Point. Somewhere in between lies Waikiki Beach and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Honolulu. The name means “sheltered bay” in Hawaiian.

The cosmopolitan city is home to the majority of Hawaii’s population. Nearly one million people or 80% of the state’s residents live here. Despite the fact that it is highly populated, Honolulu was ranked one of the safest cities in the US in 2015.

Honolulu’s climate is moderate and tropical. There is very little variation in temperature during the course of the year. At the highest end of the spectrum, the temperatures reach around 90°F and at the lowest around 65°F. The ocean water is 82°F in summer and 77°F in winter, making it the warmest in the US.

The chances of your vacation being interrupted by rain are slim. The average rainfall in summer is less than half an inch compared to almost three inches in winter.

By: bubblymoments.com