The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki

The Royal Hawaiian is a beautiful, historic property right in the middle of Waikiki. Despite the central location, it feels surprisingly calm and quiet. The building is well preserved, full of character, and the grounds—including a lush, well-kept garden—add to the relaxing atmosphere. Rooms are comfortable and thoughtfully laid out. I appreciated the quiet A/C, convenient closet, full desk and seating area, and especially the elegant wooden doors. Bedding was great, and everything was clean and well maintained. The pool (shared with the Sheraton) is large and great for swimming, even with a lot of kids around. The hotel also has a nice collection of historic photos and artifacts that give it a strong sense of place. A couple of small misses: housekeeping didn’t restock the complimentary water after the first day, and breakfast only starts at 6:30 AM. That was a bit disappointing since I had early starts and have stayed at the Laylow nearby (also a Marriott) where breakfast starts at 6:00 AM. Overall, a great stay—relaxed, refined, and full of character. I would definitely return.

This was an amazing hotel stay. The location: out the back door is the beach, out the front just steps away from shopping, dining and night life. No need to rent a car. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We stayed in the historic wing in a garden view suite. It was spacious and comfortable. While we didn’t rent beach chairs the line started well before the desk opened at 7 and it looked like they sold out by 8:30. Overall a great stay!

Unfortunately, I disregarded the negative reviews about this hotel - I feel like we had a good time in Hawaii despite (definitely not because of) this hotel. This hotel could be great, but it isn't: Cons: - Front Desk: The front desk overall is not welcoming or even pleasant. There was one exception, the agent we met first was very nice and helpful, however, the agents thereafter told us that she had no authorization for the information she provided to us and they would not honor it or answer any of our questions. There was a guest service agent who was extremely condescending and dismissive to our family. This was hands-down the worst customer service we've ever received at a hotel and would deter me from ever staying at this hotel. - Bugs: There was a bug in the bed the first night we arrived (gross). - Stains: There are stains all over the mattress, walls, ceiling, and throughout the bathroom. Whether it's blood, coffee, or something else - I don't want to know. We were also in the newer tower, which is supposed to be nicer, but it was still musty. - Housekeeping - I don't know whether this is good or not (although they did not wipe clean the stains in the room); they never cleaned our room. A housekeeper did ask us around 3:00pm one day if we'd like for her to make up our room, but that's an odd time and we were already feeling done with this hotel, so we declined. It doesn't appear that there's any turn-down service at all, though. - Bell Desk/Luggage - They included someone else's bag in our luggage delivery. These workers were actually very pleasant and helpful (included in "Pros," below), however, they didn't realize they delivered someone else's luggage to us until we took it down to them to return it. - Laundry - We filled out the laundry form and called guest services so that it could be picked up. The agent who answered my call was confused and kept telling me that the hotel doesn't do laundry. She gave me directions to the laundromat. Eventually we arranged for a laundry pickup. Pros: - Cafe - There is an on-site cafe and the employees there are super nice and welcoming. This was the best service we received by far of anyone else at the hotel. - Bell Desk - Although they did accidentally deliver the wrong bag to us, the employees themselves were very nice and pleasant overall. - Marketing - The marketing team must be really good; there's Royal Hawaiian themed merchandise, etc. and it makes you feel like this hotel could be really great. In reality though, it feels more like a motel with extraordinarily poorly trained employees.

Arrived a day early and was offered to book a room under the premise that I wouldn’t need to check-out the next day until my next room was ready and that my luggage would be transferred to my new room - sounded perfect. The person checking me in, Louise (sp?), was very friendly and great and indicated that my next room should be ready early due to the previous occupant checking out late the day I arrived and that I should check with the front desk around 12 pm the next day. The next day I checked with the front desk as instructed just before 12 pm and was promptly informed that I needed to checkout of my room immediately because a new guest was set to arrive and they wanted to ensure that guest was taken care of - apparently current guests who have an upcoming reservation in a higher tier room are not as important. The customer relations manager, Michael, then proceeded to very rudely inform me that any miscommunication was my fault and that he would not be telling me anything else about my new room because he would hate for me to experience any further miscommunications on my end - not exactly the warm and fuzzies you would expect as a loyal Bonvoy member. The hotel itself is located in a great area and the nearby amenities are great in terms of being in Waikiki. I am still waiting of course for my new room but my previous room that I was kicked out of is in the same Mailani tower, which is supposed to be updated. The room is very small, smelled musty / smoky and dated in terms of appearance. The rest of the staff I’ve encountered have been generally pleasant. But for the cancelation fee at this point, I would cancel and stay next door at the Westin or Sheraton.

Finally had the opportunity to to stay at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The hotel and service did not disappoint. We stayed in the Apaka suite, garden view in the historical wing. The general manager, Benjamin from Florida, was extremely accommodating. The room was spacious, with beautiful views of the ocean partially and hotel entrance. Valet service exceptional, the men would bring our car timely each time we requested it. Highly recommend staying here and can’t wait to come back.