We stayed at the RH for 3 nights in late June 2007 on the advice of friends who had stayed there in 2005. We booked a tower room and asked for a high floor, quiet area. We were given a 5th floor room at the end of the corridor. The room faced Waikiki west so we did not have a view Diamondhead, etc., but it sufficed.
(At check-in, after a grueling 12-hour jaunt from the East Coast, the front desk said "the computer was down' when I re-asked for a floor higher than the 5th.) Room was average, mattress was
in need of revision, but the A/C and quiet worked well for us. Really, really loved the pink sheets and ultra-pink towels. Sunday breakfast buffet was nice, especially the refills of guava juice, and well, the view is to die for! Mai-tai bar service a little uneven, but who cares when you are sitting on the most famous beach in the world! We found all of the service folks in the bar and restaurant to be welcoming, albeit we had friendlier welcomes on the "outer" islands. Room service menu (after an exhausting day at Pearl Harbour and the Missouri) was average. We had a great meal at Duke's at the Outrigger next door (make reservations).
(We asked to see a room in the historic section, and loved that too for future considerations.) RH is in a relatively quiet area, set back from the hubub of downtown Waikiki. Lotsa action on the beach side--luaus, wedding receptions, Outrigger Hotel singers etc.-- all part of the experience at staying in one of the premier spots on Waikiki. Overall, we loved the gardens, common areas:lobby lounges, etc. and the beach (sorry, I am guilty of nabbling some chairs early and using them all day). And the pink. We plan to return in 2009, and may make a week of the RH!

As seasoned travelers and frequent Hawaii visitors (we are the top level on both Hilton and Starwood, and Platinum on Hyatt) we have admittedly come to be quite demanding in our choice of hotels. But when you pay the big bucks for a well known, and almost revered Hawaiian hotel like the "Pink Palace," you expect a little more...read on.

We were told we were upgraded to an ocean view because of our Platinum starwood status. Although you could see the ocean, it was a poor view overlooking large green pipes in the foreground, and a small window (befitting the small room). The room was dinky, and shockingly dirty. This Sheraton was in one of the worst if not the worst conditions we have seen. The carpet was stained, the wallpaper was in disrepair, there were water stains by the air conditioning outlets, the bathroom had not been dusted. The shower was curtained, and was missing the normal curved out shower rod we have come to expect with the Starwood chain. While showering, you constantly were rubbed against by the wet shower curtain because the tub was so small. I wouldn't have dreamed of taking a bath because the room was so dirty.

To be fair, the hallways and grounds are lovely and charming. The doors to the rooms are carved and gorgeous. But although we had booked a five-night stay, we checked out after one day and moved to the Hilton Hawaiian Village (which was heaven -- check out my review of this property if you want).

We did complain about the room, but it was clear from the response of the front desk that they really didn't care. The employees and management of the revered Pink Palace have become complacent. Until they change their tune, our advice is STAY AWAY.

I have just returned from a seven night stay (June 25-July 2, 2007) at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach. I was traveling with a friend and we weren't looking for a slick and modern hotel with all the gadgets and amenities. Our preference is always for an old, well-established and maintained hotel with history, character and charm, and the Royal Hawaiian has all of this in abundance. But that's not all . . . this was our first visit to Hawaii and as newcomers we were anxious to experience Hawaiian culture and that additional feature that we understood to be the "Aloha Spirit." From the moment we arrived, greeted by lei, smiling doormen, bellhops and gracious receptionists, we felt this spirit and, in fact, encountered it the entire week, not only at the hotel but in our travels around Oahu.

The hotel itself is a magnificent, pink, moorish-inspired structure built in 1927 with an orginal section replete with ornate towers and interesting architectural details, and a later-built high rise addition.The lobbies, corridors and verandas are open and were evidently built to capture the trade winds, those fragrant cool breezes that wafted through the hotel on even the warmest days. All is lovely and gracious. Gorgeous tropical flower arrangements and numerous potted orchids are placed in hallways and corridors. Scores of diligent workers can be seen sweeping, vacumning, polishing, mopping and dusting, along with gardeners presiding over the lush array of tropical foliage on the extensive hotel grounds. Pick up a brochure in the concierge's office and take yourself on a self-guided tour of the hotel gardens as I did, and you will come away with an appreciation of the beauty, abundance, fragrances and variety of Hawaiian flora. I especially remember the intoxicating perfume of the gardenia trees that framed a doorway I passed through each morning on my way to breakfast in the Surf Room. Also on this pathway you can find bananas, bunches of them, still on the trees, Ti leaf plants and a potted pineapple plant.

The Surf Room is one of the Royal Hawaiian hotel dining facilities overlooking Diamondhead and Waikiki Beach where you can have your choice of either continental, a la carte or buffet breakfast. The servers are warm and friendly and do their part to keep the "Aloha Spirit" alive. The only weak link in any of the Royal Hawaiian facilities was, in our opinion, the Mai Tai Bar, where, on repeated visits for drinks, snacks and entertainment, we had difficulty getting and maintaining the attention of the servers. However, that didn't detract from the beach front location and the seascape views of sand and aquamarine ocean, equally impressive at anytime of the day, from dawn to sunset and beyond. In fact, one afternoon a double rainbow appeared, framing Diamondhead and dipping into the whitecapped surf. As if the view wasn't enough!

Our room was in the original hotel on the 5th floor with lovely views of lush gardens, waving palms and the high rise buildings of Honolulu, with a backdrop of beautiful racing cloud formations billowing over the mountains from the windward side of the island. The room was charming, traditionally furnished, well air-conditioned and quiet. Just as we like it. When we sunk down each night into the comfortable beds and pulled the silky pink sheets (embossed with the Royal Hawaiian signature moorish tower logo) up to our chins, all was well with the world.

For us, as we will certainly return to Hawaii in the future, there will be no other place to stay but The Royal Hawaiian, with its casual yet elegant ambience, with not one iota of stuffiness. We believe that we experienced the "Old Hawaii" in all its charm and warmth, one of the reasons that Hawaiian culture intrigues and enchants travelers from around the world. The Royal Hawaiian has managed to capture and bestow this intangible element upon guests, which for me, in summary, is the "Aloha Spirit."

The historic pink palace is such the epitome of Waikiki. Sadly, the lady needs some work. The pool bar/restaurant has little selection...and a $12 quesadillo and 3.50 lemonaide is a bit much. Little bar help at pool. Pool closes at 6pm! Unthinkably early for a Hawaiian beach. Private beach chairs close and get LOCKED up at 6 as well. PLEASE. For what you pay per night. 300 and up, this is ridiculous. Gardens are nice, but nothing super special. Stores so so, but I like the Hawaiian quilt store...very unique and Hawaiian.