TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Read the reviews prior to our visit. I was a little concerned about the upkeep of the property, but was pleasantly surprised at how clean and well maintained it was. Our room looked like something out of the past. High ceilings and comfortable beds. Bathroom was a little tight, but manageable. Closet was huge. Front desk staff were very accommodating. Since I have a Marriott Bonvoy number and they had availability, we were able to check in early. We found the other staff very nice also. Pool was small, but who comes to Hawaii to sit by a pool. Beach was crowded so we would leave during the day to see other parts of the island. Overall, five stars from us! Mahalo!

This hotel is in major need of modernising. Whilst the grounds and common areas are still somewhat charming the rooms are motel standard and the pool & pool area is not serviceable for the hotel population. I was completely shocked at the standard of the rooms for $1000 per night. They are the worst rooms I’ve ever seen, threadbare and worn. They did move us from one abismal room to a slightly less abismal room but there was evidence of mould, torn bedsheets, ripped shoddy shower curtain. It was completely unacceptable. Staff were generally rude apart from a couple of servers in the restaurant.

We spent five nights at The Royal Hawaiian. It is stunning. We were warmly greeted upon arrival and received a beautiful fragant lei that was unexpected. Every staff member greeted us with "Aloha" throughout our stay. As we were departing, staff members who saw our suitcases wished us a safe journey home. It was lovely. Housekeeping was always observant as we left for the day (so they could clean our room while we were out) and even greeted me by name. The room was spotless every day. When our hot water kettle wouldn't work a new one was delivered within minutes. The hotel has a great location right on Waikiki, but there is a relaxed and quiet ambience as soon as you step onto the grounds. The historic character of the building is beautifully preserved. We enjoyed the free history tour by hotel staff. We stopped at the bakery on site and the Mai Tai Bar. They were convenient and we especially enjoyed the pink theme of the Mai Tai Bar.

I love everything about this hotel. The greeting when we arrived, the view, the restaurant Azure. The room is the perfect size for my husband and I. I love the history of this place and the smell. Easy access to the beach and all the shops around. Just perfect.

This is NOT a luxury property or hotel. While I understand that they want to keep the historic Hawaiian vibes, that can be done with clean rooms that don’t have stains on the curtains, carpets, and walls. The bathrooms in this “luxury” hotel had black mold and sludge in multiple areas and the entire room smelled like mold. The air conditioning blows directly at the bed, so good luck at night trying to sleep. I felt like I was in a motel rather than a 5 star hotel. The only pool on the property is tiny and the shared pool with the Sheraton is absolutely filthy and disgusting. The water was murky and you couldn’t see the bottom of the pool that was only 3 feet deep. In the areas that you could see the bottom of the pool, there was garbage. Being in that area made my skin crawl. Also beware that the beach is a public beach. You have to pay an outside vendor to rent the umbrellas on the public beach… this is not how the property was advertised on the website. The BBB should really take a look at how this hotel is being advertised.