If you like pink, this is the hotel for you: review Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach

If like me when you were a kid you played Hotel and absolutely wanted to own the hotel on Waikiki Beach, you can't help but book your stay in Hawaii at this hotel located in the heart of one of the world's most iconic and famous beaches. A property that, mainly due to its pink color scheme, has been an icon since it opened in 1927.

From the moment you step out of the cab and into the lobby, it feels like you've flown back in time: the original body of the hotel retains that spirit, and everything is done to enhance its nearly 100 years.

Reservation

Like all good things it is of course expensive, but in Hawaii everything is more expensive. I I booked by taking advantage of the FHR program, one of many benefits featured in my American Express Platinum.

I also could have booked using points from the Bonvoy program (this hotel is a category 7) and it would have been one of the last opportunities to take advantage of the fixed table, but at that time I had large amounts of points to use.

Booking with FHR provides a number of benefits which translated into $ saved me about 180$ over the two days of my stay, in addition to also getting a free room upgrade that alone was worth another 60$ per night.

The final cost was 465$ per night. With this stay, I thus accumulated about 10 thousand Bonvoy points and, having booked through the Amex travel portal, I was able to take advantage of the Membership Rewards promo by putting as much as 10 MR per euro spent in the box.

Summing up, thanks to FHR, I got: free breakfast, room upgrade and 100$ to spend in facility, credit valid not only in restaurants, but also in the SPA and other hotel services, including tips. As well as many points from both Bonvoy and Membership Rewards.

Location

When you take a cab just tell the driver that the destination is the Pink Palace And will know exactly where you want to go. This facility belongs to the Luxury Collection by Marriott, a brand that, unlike W or other more fashionable brands, identifies luxury hotels with a soul and a story to be told and experienced.

It is an island of peace in the heart of Oahu, Hawaii's largest. Traffic permitting, it is 40 minutes from the airport. The cost of an UberX was 60$, while by cab I spent 38$ + tip.

There are several entrances, the cab took me from the main one, we then passed by the Sheraton Waikiki, also a Marriott group property bordering the Royal Hawaiian.

Check-in

Upon arrival you are greeted by staff who also take care of your luggage and you are escorted into the lobby. You can immediately see that you are entering a perfectly preserved and improved historic structure.

It feels like the Caribbean or Thailand, there are no doors but the structure is a giant building where the pink stucco transports you back in time, as does the furniture and all the elements of the hotel.

As a Gold Marriott member, status included free of charge in American Express Platinum, you do not have great advantages, but booking through FHR all benefits add up And then yes, the living room gets better.

The attendant explained all the benefits included, handed me a voucher to take a free item from the hotel bakery, and walked me to my elevator.

The room

Unfortunately, my upgrade from a base room still did not take me to the rooms in the original structure, but to one of the towers built over the years that have grown this Royal Hawaiian.

My room, number 5000, on the fifth floor, overlooked the sea and the hotel pool, with an incredible view of Diamond Head, the island's volcano.

The room reflects the standard of these hotels. The king size bed with a super topper was really great, like sleeping cuddled up on a cloud.

I live by the sea, in Liguria, so I am accustomed to the constant noise of the undertow, here the sea in Hawaii is louder and more lively even without a burr of wind. All within the norm, given that we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and not the Mediterranean, but it is a noise I had never noticed, probably augmented by the fact that the buildings allow the sound to bounce off and thus prove louder.

The decor of the room is traditional, actually looking a bit agé, but that's there since we are in one of the oldest hotels in all of Hawaii.

The treat is offered in the bathroom with a state-of-the-art, state-of-the-art Japanese toilet seat. Present are all the functions that only those who have been to Japan can appreciate and understand.

Also waiting for me in the room was a delicious surprise. A small plate with an array of chocolates prepared by the hotel's pastry chefs, some inevitably with a "pink" filling

Also an alert about a party that was going to be there the next day that would cause traffic and travel disruptions, as if one would want to leave such a place.

Services

The hotel is large, but not huge. It is directly on Waikiki Beach. It does not have a bathing establishment, partly because they do not exist here. The first part of the beach outside the facility is reserved for hotel guests, behind a rope that separates it from the free beach. If you want, you can also ask for a beach umbrella, pink of course.

Guests are provided with sunbeds, only flaw at 5 pm it is "dismantled". With the sun still high, in my opinion it is a little early to close.

One of the hotel pools, the smaller one my room overlooked, also closes early, at 6 p.m.

The arcade that connects the main structure with the hotel towers holds a small harem inside. An oasis of peace where yoga classes are held and where guests can retreat to read a book or relax lying on the grass, away from everything and everyone.

There is a spa and a small gym. Wanting something bigger, guests can also enjoy the amenities offered by the nearby Sheraton Waikiki, such as the huge pool with waterfalls and slides.

Food & Beverage

This hotel is the realm of Mai Tais, and it is impossible not to try at least one by the pool or lying on a sun lounger. Be warned, however, everything at this hotel is expensive, so be prepared to shell out at least 20$ plus tip for one of these beautiful glasses complete with parasol, cherry pineapple and lime slice for decoration. It is in these cases that having 100$ to spend allows orders to be placed more lightly.

Breakfast is served in the Surf Lanai restaurant, overlooking Waikiki Beach. If the time difference has kept you awake, the best thing you can do is go down to admire the sunrise and the surfers in the sea, sit in the restaurant and enjoy breakfast.

No buffet, but a la carte menu, of course everything is expensive. If you own A status of at least Platinum in the Bonvoy program you have continental breakfast offered (empty croissant, yogurt and a doughnut or whatever passes the house) and access to a selection of "discounted" dishes.

I chose the Short Rib Benedict, 38$ plate and a 7$ pineapple juice. Breakfast provided by FHR and thus included in American Express Platinum benefits.

PS To understand how expensive everything is, just think that two slices of toasted white bread, served with butter and a small jar of jam was the only thing excluded. The cost was 5$+tax, but I used my 100$ to spend at the hotel during my stay, so I didn't pay it out of pocket.

There are also other dining options in the resort such as the Bakery, Mai Tai Bar, and the Azure restaurant, which is in fact the name Surf Lanai takes at night and serves mostly seafood dishes. Again, if you wish, you can access the restaurants at the nearby Sheraton, charging the fees to your room bill.

In conclusion

It is truly an island of peace in the midst of modern buildings. It is not a hypermodern resort like many in Hawaii, not a designer hotel like the W, but a property that has made history in Hawaii, and if it has been here for almost a century...that means many people like it.

Waikiki beach breakfast alone is worth the price of the ticket, of course it is also possible to make a reservation at a different hotel, stop by Starbucks and go enjoy it on the beach, but it is not the same thing.

Would I go back there ? It depends. Since there are at least a dozen other facilities in the area to see, I'm not so sure, partly because it's not every year you get a weekend in Hawaii.

This is just one of many reviews you can read on our site. Every Wednesday we publish a review of a lounge airport, while every Friday you can read the review of one of our flights or a hotel where we stayed.

• fine hotels + resorts