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The Royal Hawaiian was the perfect spot for our family trip with two young kids (8 and 5), two elderly grandparents, and two parents doing the sandwich generation thing. We've historically stayed at cheaper, less central hotels with the kids, but when we decided to take the grandparents on this trip, we wanted to find a place that would be a bit easier for them to manage. We were thrilled at how well the Royal Hawaiian served our family's needs. Here are some of the highlights and some things you may find useful to know: - - Easy for seniors to navigate. - - Grandpa has memory and mobility challenges, so it was important to us to find a hotel where it was extremely easy for him to find his way to the beach and back to the room. Staying in the Mailani tower was perfect for this (I don't think the historic building would be as easy). Each floor is just one simple hallway, and you can see the ocean when you emerge from the elevator downstairs. All of the rooms have a lanai facing the ocean, too, so even if your loved one has trouble making it out of the room, they can still enjoy a beautiful view of the ocean. On our trip, Grandma and Grandpa were able to rest on the lanai and still enjoy watching their grandkids play in the pool or on the beach, which was priceless for us. - - Kid-friendly - - While the Royal Hawaiian may not be as kid-oriented as, say, Hilton Hawaiian Village, we found it met our kids' needs extremely well. Our room in the Mailani tower had a tub with a detachable showerhead along with a built-in clothesline for drying swimsuits and laundry. Housekeeping always set up our kids' stuffed animals in cute ways when they made up the room. Everyone on staff was really friendly and conversational with our kids in a way that actually surprised me; I'd expected a bit more stuffiness given the elegance of the place! - - Onsite food is easy but expensive; nearby food options are plentiful - - With two young kids and two seniors on this trip, the hangry threat was always looming. The hotel bakery opens at 6am and offers a rotating variety of amazing pastries for breakfast; we never encountered a line longer than 5 minutes. The onsite casual restaurant, Mai Tai Bar, was key to keeping the peace on a few occasions! It's walk-in only, but we never had to wait more than 10 minutes even during a spring break week. The food and drinks are actually quite good here, but beware: the kids pasta is somehow $24 and it's really just a bowl of buttered pasta!! (The lobster roll and the frozen mojito are worth their weight in gold, though, so don't despair). We went on a Thursday evening and got a glimpse of the fire dancers at the hotel's luau, which was extra special. Cheaper food options are abundant nearby, too. We enjoyed udon and onigiri at STIX Asia, the Asian food hall in the basement of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, and ramen and acai bowls at the Kuhio Avenue Food Hall in the back of the International Marketplace. The Royal Hawaiian Center has a food court too, though we didn't go there. You can also easily walk to several ABC stores, Mitsuwa Marketplace in the International Marketplace, or the Waikiki Market for a week's worth of snacks and picnic supplies. - - Incredible beach - - I'll admit that I've always been a bit of a Waikiki Beach skeptic because it seems like it gets SO crowded... but that was before I had kids who wake up at 5am! We had the BEST time at the beach between 7am-12pm before it got crowded. The waves are gentle but still fun, and there's a bit of a protected cove on the Sheraton side that's even gentler (though honestly also dirtier - amazing if you're a beachcomber, but be prepared to see a fair number of hair ties in the water!) Two endangered Hawaiian monk seals actually hauled up in this cove during our visit and were there all day - a truly magical and unforgettable experience! PRO TIP: At least right now (April 2024), you can book a beach set (two lounge chairs and an umbrella) online in advance. This means you don't necessarily have to stand in the first-come first-served umbrella line at 7am. You can book the hotel's dedicated loungers for $70 a day - these are lined up right in front of the Mai Tai Bar rather than at the waterside, but you can select the exact placement of your chairs ahead of time. You can book the waterside loungers for $95 a day through Waikiki Beach Services, but placement is still first-come first-served, so if you want one in the front row, you still gotta be in that line starting around 6:30am. The Waikiki Beach Services team staff both areas, and they are the BEST. Extra thanks to Darryn for answering all my questions and helping the grandparents with their umbrella every time the sun shifted! (And if you're questioning my sanity spending $95 a day for two loungers and an umbrella, let me again remind you that I was traveling with two young children and two elderly people and it was like paying $9.50 an hour for a storage locker for everybody's snacks and bandaids and glasses AND insurance against whining about the sun and heat. It's some of the best money I've ever spent!) - - Incredible pools - - Some people do complain about the Royal Hawaiian's pool being small, but with the beach as close as it is, it seems like a reasonable size to me. What's more: it's heated, so it's honestly perfect for kids and for anyone who just doesn't want to freeze in a cold pool on a spring day. They also have a nice hot tub. When we booked, we didn't realize we'd also have access to the larger pool complex at the Sheraton next door. Those pools are very cool - they have a naturalistic lava rock design, and they have two waterslides! - but they are also very COLD! Probably amazing on the hottest days, but we spent most of our time in the (also very beautiful) hot tubs! - - No room service - - There's no room service at the Royal Hawaiian right now, but they do at least have in-room coffee makers and electric kettles! We would have loved room service, though; I hope they bring it back one day. - - Clean and well-maintained - - We did not observe any cleanliness or maintenance issues during our stay beyond the fact that they're constantly sweeping up sand in the colonnade between the pool and the main lobby, which is hardly surprising. We did not see any cockroaches or rats (and we looked! we have a kid who is fascinated by rats!). There are the usual curious finches and the occasional white pigeon who might stop by your lanai if you're eating something that leaves crumbs.

This place is an understated elegance. It is consistently top shelf. I think it is my favorite hotel in the world! The level of service and amenities are beyond reproach. The Mai Tai bar is wonderful. The restaurants are wonderful. The beach chairs and beach services are fabulous.

If this is the "best" Honolulu has to offer , I shudder thinking about the rest. Here's a point-by-point description of our disappointing stay at this 'iconic hotel'. Check-in / Check-out at Reception : First & foremost , there was no separate desk for Bonvoy elites. While check-in was relatively smooth , check-out was a textbook example of "preferential treatment". There was only one lady staff member at the desk , and she was so "starstruck" by a caucasian couple checking-in that she found even our "presence" to be raining on her parade. When our turn came , not only did the over-enthusiasm / chirpiness / smiles disappear , she actually put a "COUNTER CLOSED" signboard in front of her ( which indirectly meant "the entire reception is closed" ) . When I politely requested her to process my check-out ( as I was getting late for my flight to Tokyo ) , she bluntly SNAPPED back saying "I am busy on the phone". Luckily , a very courteous gentleman / colleague of hers saw the last minute or so of this appalling misbehaviour , and volunteered to help us out. This incident in itself is enough to dissuade anyone from returning back. Rooms : Both our rooms were in the Mailani Tower on the 12th floor , and all thanks to our Gold Elite status , upgraded to an "Ocean Corner" & "Premier Ocean King" room. The first impression was good , and the fabulous views of Waikiki were worth every penny spent. But this joy was shortlived. Just a few hours after checking-in , we spotted a MASSIVE COCKROACH in our room. And if someone coming from a tropical country like India calls it "massive" , you better take his word for it. The housekeeping was called , and they were able to retieve it. But there was no apology whatsoever , nor an offer to change the room. On closer inspection , the balcony of our "Ocean Corner" room had visible cracks , and one can sense that it's gradually drooping. A big safety concern indeed. Another safety issue worth highlighting : Any random person ( example : Uber Eats deliveries / etc. ) can freely walk right till your room / floor , with no check at all. Mai Tai Bar : Lively. But the service is erratic , with frequent change of servers. Asking for your check is a struggle in itself , as your server would be busy with another table. After a very patient wait of 15-20 mimutes , you'll inadvertently walk down to the bar to sign / pay yourself. As mentioned in my reviews before , we find the concept of "obligatory percentage tipping" at luxury establishments repulsive , but still succumb under peer pressure. Paying gratuity for the mediocre service here was hurtful to say the least. Beach : Yet again , "preferential treatment" at its best. There was a desk handing out beach towels , with atleast 5-6 attendants. There wasn't a concept / requirement of a queue , and everyone would simply approach the desk directly. Sadly though , we did not come in this bracket of "everyone" , and the ringleader of the attendants would "school" us to stand in a non-existential line. Just seconds later , any caucasian guest coming in would be handed over the same beach towel without any stipulations. Staying at The Royal Hawaiian was sadly not a memorable experience for us. I might stay here again , only because of its iconic value & the panoramic views the rooms offer.

Stayed for two nights in March 2023 in the original tower. Rooms are on the small side, but that is to be expected for a hotel built in the 1920s. The robes were nice, the amenities in the bathroom were great, and if you could look past the size, the rooms were comfortable. The pool is very small and hard to get a chair. Although they did have an attendant walking around to assist which was a nice touch. The next resort I stayed in Oahu needed that and it wasn't offered. The Mai Tai bar is great, delicious (but expensive) drinks. Got the coffee and pastries at the coffee shop. The coffee was sub par, the next day I preordered at Vintage Island Coffee instead and had a much better coffee. The two best parts of this hotel are the location and the activities. The resort is set back from the street, right on the beach so much quieter. Hard to find if you don't know where to look, but in the best way. Close to everything. The activities were amazing. I was only there for two nights and took a tour (not the best), made a bracelet, made a lei, took hula lessons (so good!), took a yoga class, and learned about Hawaiian weaving. All included with the stay. This really added to our trip and helped justify the higher price tag. Can't wait to go back!

Very good service and very large rooms but they are a little tired. Hotel opened in 1927 as one of the initial hotels but the rooms could use a renovation. We only stayed one night but had good service and a two connected rooms, both with a large living room.