The Pink Palace of the Pacific since 1927. On Waikiki Beach, the history is the point.
Scored on our six-criterion framework (Romance, Service, Value, Design, Food, Location); the three headline numbers summarize the group. See our methodology.
The history is the point. The Royal Hawaiian opened in 1927 as the second hotel on Waikiki Beach, after the Moana, and was immediately claimed by the wealthy and famous as the address in Hawaii. Its Spanish-Moorish architecture, painted in the coral pink that earned it the nickname the Pink Palace of the Pacific, became the defining image of Waikiki for three decades. Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing, is forever tied to the break in front of the hotel, and the original building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. No other hotel on the beach carries this much cultural weight.
The hotel operates today as The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort under Marriott, and remains open on the beach. It pairs the original 1927 building, the Historic Wing, with a 1969 tower addition, the Mailani Tower. The Historic Wing rooms are smaller but carry the full weight of the building: the pink plaster walls, the arched windows, the original woodwork. Mailani Tower rooms are larger and more contemporary, with ocean-facing views from the upper floors. Across the two wings the resort holds roughly 528 rooms and suites.
Choose the wing before you choose the room. Book the Historic Wing if the reason you are here is the building itself; these are the rooms with the pink plaster, the arches and the sense of 1927, and they are the most romantic on the beach even though they run smaller. Book the Mailani Tower if you want space and a high ocean view, because its upper floors deliver the wide beach-and-Diamond-Head panorama the Historic Wing cannot match. For a honeymoon, the Historic Wing wins on atmosphere; for a longer stay where the view matters most, the tower is the practical pick.
The Mai Tai Bar is the ritual. Set on the beach terrace, it pours the Mai Tai that Trader Vic brought to Hawaii's Matson hotels in 1953, and sunset here with the drink and the view of Diamond Head is one of Waikiki's set-piece moments. Azure, the resort's beachfront restaurant, serves a contemporary Hawaiian menu anchored in local fish from a covered terrace facing the water. The Royal Hawaiian Bakery turns out the property's pink signatures, and Aha Aina is the hotel's oceanfront luau. For couples, the Mai Tai Bar at sunset produces a milestone-appropriate evening at a gentler price than the surrounding five-stars charge for the same view.
It is best for travellers who want the most symbolically loaded stay on Waikiki. For a honeymoon, the combination of history, the beach and the original Mai Tai at sunset makes it the most iconic version of a Hawaii honeymoon, and the Historic Wing is the room to book. For an anniversary, return visits, for couples who honeymooned here or have come for decades, are among the most emotionally satisfying hotel experiences in the Pacific, and the hotel knows how to mark an occasion. It is less suited to travellers who prize the newest rooms or the quietest beach, which is where the honest trade-offs come in below. See all honeymoon hotels → · See all anniversary hotels →
On Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian is the history pick; its neighbours win on different axes. The table sets it beside three Oahu comparisons.
| Hotel | Best for | Character |
|---|---|---|
| The Royal Hawaiian | Iconic Waikiki history | 1927 Pink Palace on the beach |
| Halekulani | Refined, understated service | Waikiki's quiet luxury address |
| Four Seasons Ko Olina | Calm resort away from crowds | Private lagoon, west Oahu |
| The Kahala | Exclusive seclusion near town | Private beach, dolphin lagoon |
Guest sentiment is consistent across recent reviews: the setting, the history, the pink-facade beauty and the Mai Tai Bar at sunset draw the warmest praise, and the beachfront location on the widest stretch of Waikiki is repeatedly singled out. The recurring criticisms are just as steady, and they are the honest cons: the Historic Wing rooms are small and, being nearly a century old, show their age next to newer five-stars; Waikiki itself is busy, crowded and urban, so this is not a secluded-beach experience; resort fees and Waikiki prices add up; and some guests find the two-wing layout means the room you get varies widely in size and feel. These are patterns across many reviews rather than a single verdict. Score it 9.2 for travellers who want Waikiki's most storied address, and look to Ko Olina or the Kahala if you want calm and space over history.
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Because of its coral-pink Spanish-Moorish facade. The hotel opened in 1927 as the second hotel on Waikiki Beach, and its distinctive pink plaster made it the defining image of Waikiki for decades, earning the nickname the Pink Palace of the Pacific.
For heritage, book the original 1927 Historic Wing with its pink plaster and arched windows; rooms are smaller but full of character. For space and high ocean views, book the 1969 Mailani Tower, whose upper floors face the beach.
It operates as The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, under Marriott, and remains open. The property combines the landmark 1927 building with the later Mailani Tower on Waikiki Beach.
Azure faces the beach with a contemporary Hawaiian menu built on local fish, the Mai Tai Bar serves the cocktail at sunset, the Royal Hawaiian Bakery sells its pink signatures, and Aha Aina is the property's oceanfront luau.
Yes. Its blend of Waikiki history and genuine beach luxury makes it the most iconic honeymoon address on Oahu, and it is well practiced at marking anniversaries. The Historic Wing rooms are the most romantic choice.
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