The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki

We recently stayed for a long weekend and honestly wished we could have extended the trip. From check-in through departure, the experience was exceptionally well done. The front desk team went out of their way to make us feel welcome, taking the time to ask thoughtful questions about our room preferences, views, floor, and layout to find the best fit. That level of care and personalization is rare and felt much more comparable to a true luxury property such as a Rosewood or Four Seasons than a typical large resort hotel. That same attention to detail carried throughout the stay, and it was clear the staff genuinely cared about the guest experience. As for the property itself, while it is an older resort, it is impeccably maintained and visually stunning. The large pink main building set against the beach and ocean creates an unforgettable setting. One especially unique feature—something really only found in classic grand hotels—is the abundance of spacious, varied sitting areas, lounges, courtyards, and quiet gathering spaces throughout the property. There are so many comfortable places to relax that the hotel almost feels like a destination in itself. It is honestly difficult to fully describe and really has to be experienced in person to appreciate. We attended the luau during our visit and there was a minor issue with the reservation. These things happen anywhere, but what matters is how they are handled. The staff addressed it professionally and graciously, invited us to relax with a drink while they sorted things out, and quickly accommodated us. We ended up having a wonderful evening. Breakfast each morning in the main restaurant was another highlight. The service was not only prompt and professional, but genuinely warm and friendly. Everyone seemed sincerely invested in making guests feel welcome, which unfortunately has become increasingly rare even at high-end properties. Even housekeeping stood out, always greeting us warmly and adding thoughtful touches during turndown service. One particularly memorable example of hospitality came from a bartender at the outdoor bar who took the time to recommend a nearby lounge that would suit both my interests and my wife’s preferences perfectly. The recommendation ended up being excellent and reflected a level of attentiveness and personal engagement that defines true hospitality. We spend a considerable amount of time in hotels and resorts, and this property stands out as one of the very few large-chain hotels we have visited in the past decade that genuinely delivers exceptional service consistently across the board. Credit is due not only to the employees, but also to management for clearly fostering and maintaining that culture of hospitality. We truly cannot think of anything the hotel could have done better. Thank you for a wonderful end to our vacation.

Would definitely stay somewhere else. Absolutely beautiful property and lobby and wonderful location but the rooms seem to have been forgotten. The only upside are the beds, as those are comfortable. I have stayed in hotels ranging from a motel 6 to the Ritz Carlton and Fairmont hotels. The rooms here are definitely at a best western/two star hotel standard. There wasn’t a single towel when we arrived and the towels they gave us are super thin and scratchy. Very outdated, small, and cheaply designed. The number one reason I wouldn’t stay here again though is because THE WALLS ARE EXTREMELY THIN. We can hear everything our neighbors are saying and we were woken at 6 am to the screaming kids next door. They continued to scream and bang on things for the next hour. Really, we can hear everything they are doing. For reference, we are staying in the tower with an ocean view room with lanai.

We picked this resort specifically so we could stay in the historic wing. The ocean view historic room we booked wasn’t available at check in, so they upgraded us to the tower instead. At the time I didn’t really care because I was tired and thought ok maybe the balcony and higher floor will be nice. But omg room 1706 was not an upgrade at all. Yes, the views were amazing. But the room itself felt pretty dated, the mattress had a huge dip in it, and despite being on the top floor it didn’t even have a real balcony — just sliding doors. Later when I was at the pool looking up at the tower, I realized this must be one of the few tower rooms without an actual balcony. The real issue though was the noise. There was this insanely loud vibrating/drilling sound that came and went intermittently throughout the day and night. It was SO loud. Was it the AC? Construction? A ghost? I honestly don’t know and neither did the engineer. Eventually they explained that the winds can cause vibrations on the upper floors. Whatever it was, by day three I genuinely couldn’t take it anymore. We finally moved to a historic wing ocean view room and omg it was better in every single way. The room actually felt special and like the reason you stay at the Royal Hawaiian in the first place. The windows overlooking the beach looked like a literal postcard. I just wish we had spent the whole trip there instead. I honestly do not understand staying in a tower room at this resort. There are so many other hotels in Waikiki in the same price range that are towers but with nicer rooms and actual balconies. The entire point of staying here is the historic room!! Other than that though, the resort itself is beautiful. It’s on the nicest beach, the location is great, and everything is super walkable. The drinks were delicious and the food was actually pretty good (for Hawaii). The pink pancakes at breakfast were cute but also like… $30. We had dinner at another resort nearby that looked much nicer but the food was terrible in comparison. It is expensive though. Even coming from San Francisco, I had sticker shock a few times. The service ranged from super friendly to kind of surly. I honestly don’t care if staff are overly warm as long as I’m getting what I paid for, which is why it annoyed me that nobody really offered much of a solution when we kept asking about the noise issue (not even earplugs.) To be fair though, our server at Azure was sooo nice and the pool drink service was really fast. Also, I have no idea what other reviewers are talking about with waiting forever for umbrellas or breakfast. We asked for a beach umbrella around 9:30am and got one immediately. And the pool is small, but that’s very obvious from the website photos. I prefer Maui or Kauai overall, but if I ever end up staying in Waikiki again I’d probably stay here again — but historic wing only.

You can't put lipstick on a pig. the outside beautiful. inside ? well the rooms are all dated worn and broken. I thought why not splurge and stay here? at 1000 a night the and I toured 4 different rooms, were dark dingy, broken plugs, lamps furniture not all there stained if they were there. the worst pillows and bedding I have even seen. the pillows were flat like pancakes and smelled so bad I had to put 2 towels on them to sleep. immediately got up next morning alarm went off at 5 am couldn't unplug it. .and checked out and went to the ritz Carlton. the only thing good about this hotel is location. its nothing better than a motel 6 now. I have stayed here many times and it keeps gg down the toilet. Moana Surfrider , clean as a whistle ritz is also all three are Marriot.

Did not stay here this visit but will FOR SURE next time. Best Mai Tai in Waikiki. Pink pancakes are worth it! Classy, beautiful hotel with excellent sitting areas and vibe