Considering staying at the Royal Hawaiian? Here’s my full Royal Hawaiian Hotel review for anyone who has booked this iconic pink hotel in Honolulu.
Let me just say right off the bat that if you aren’t a fan of colors, particularly pink, then this post may not be for you. But — I really hope you’ll stick around, because travel posts are my favorite and this particular post might just be my best of all time – our Royal Hawaiian Hotel staycation.
Dane is always really good about planning fun surprises, so when he told me we were staying at The Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu for a night, I was PUMPED! Today I am sharing everything you need to know before you go and book a room at The Royal Hawaiian for a night — or a week, or a month 😉 It’s a seriously stunning property, so if you are trying to plan a trip, today’s Royal Hawaiian hotel review is for you.
Royal Hawaiian Hotel Review
The Royal Hawaiian is an iconic pink hotel along Waikiki Beach in downtown Honolulu that is not only beautiful, it’s packed with great history. Fun fact: After the bombings at Pearl Harbor during World War II, The Royal vacated its guests and rented out the entire place to the Navy for $17,000 a month for soldiers to recover from war efforts.
How amazing, right? I’m left wondering why the military ever got rid of it…!
Today, it is a favorite for tourists, locals, celebs and notable figures who want to wake up to the sounds of ocean waves and the cool sea breezes. My only question is: who wouldn’t want that? If you’re impressed by the pretty pink exterior, you’ll be totally wow-ed by the inside!
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel: What To Know Before You Go
Dane booked the top floor of the Mailani Tower, which was a special treat for me, because I lust over aerial beach photos all day long on Instagram, so I was able to snap until my happy heart was full. If you think I included a lot of these shots in this post, you should see my memory card. The Royal Hawaiian has views from nearly every corner of the property, but I would highly recommend the Mailani Tower.
Upon check-in, we were both lei’d and given a bag of homemade banana bread muffins — so delish!
Everywhere you turn in the hotel you’ll see pink — robes, napkins, flowers, curtains, chairs, floor panels — there’s no escaping it. While the thought may seem visually unsettling to some, in person it really does look fantastic. The hues come together so nicely to create a happy pink palate.
After we unloaded our suitcases in our room, we went straight for the poolside Mai Tai Bar for lunch and refreshments. Lobster Rolls washed down with a couple of Tropical Itch beverages were exactly what we needed. In fact, if I could just have that menu on speed dial for future reference, that would be great, too.
The Royal Hawaiian
After lunch, we spent a good bit of time walking around the grounds and looking at all the details of the hotel. It may seem boring to some, but we love history and admiring the details that make the design come together, especially when everywhere you turn looks so majestic.
The gift shop sports every pink accessory you could ever dream of! We picked up some golf balls for both of us and a Spirit Jersey for me – bright pink, of course 😉
We spent the rest of the day hanging around the pool and enjoying the beach before hitting up the complimentary pau hana (happy hour) for Mailani Tower guests. Endless champagne and snacks for 2.5 hours? Sign me the hell up! In my opinion, this is what makes the Mailani Tower worth booking. The drinks were delicious and it was heavy appetizers, so we were not complaining!
After our pau hana, we ventured into Waikiki for dinner before heading back to our suite and hitting the hay.
We set our alarms for early the next morning so that we could get up and watch the sunrise from our bed. Umm…holy amazing! Sidenote: In my next life, I want a house where I can watch the sunrise or sunset from bed. See? I’m not picky.
It was seriously so beautiful! We got to see surfers paddling out for their first sets of the day and even saw a cruise ship coming in to dock. We took advantage of waking up early and hit the gym downstairs before anyone else woke up.
We also received complimentary breakfast for our stay in the Mailani Tower (hello awesome), so on our way back from the gym we loaded up on fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade granola. Oh…and lots of coffee 😉 With caffeine in hand, we headed out to the beach where we parked ourselves in prime real estate for the day. Getting a good spot on Waikiki Beach is a feat, so I was pretty impressed!
Royal Hawaiian Waikiki
All too soon it was time to check out and head back to our normal lives, which if I’m being totally honest IS NOT BAD, but…it’s no Royal Hawaiian Pink Palace! We will definitely be back to this magical place one day…
A Few Things To Know Before Your Royal Hawaiian Hotel Stay
-Book early. This magic metropolis books up pretty quickly, especially during peak season.
-Get a spot at the pool BEFORE you go to breakfast. We sort of missed the boat on snagging a chair early. You can use on of those fancy pink and white striped towels to save it!
-There is a gym in the basement that gets the job done! It’s sort of hidden, but it’s there. It’s worth the find, too, because en route you can see some of the amazing historic artifacts and photos from decades past.
-The robes. Seriously. I don’t think I can say enough good things about those plush puppies. Even if you’re not a robe person, just put it on and feel the buttery softness.
-The location is in PRIME Waikiki real estate. It’s central to bars, restaurants and has the best view of Diamondhead on the island.
-Be prepared for a daily resort fee (it covers wireless internet, self-parking), as well as a fee for renting beach chairs and umbrellas.
-The hotel is owned and operated by Starwood (who has now merged with Marriott), so if you are part of a hotel loyalty plan, you can get/use points!
Have you ever stayed here? Are you as obsessed with it as I am?
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy Our Stay at Turtle Bay Resort or Our Stay at The Surfjack. For more hotel suggestions on Oahu, be sure to check out my Ultimate Hotel Guide To Oahu for everything you need to know about booking a hotel or resort for your next trip 🙂
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