The Royal Hawaiian
8.4/10
GREAT
Luxe
UniqueHighlights
Historic hotel5-star hotelBeach-frontIconic hotelClassic designRestaurantsSpa
Historic hotel5-star hotelBeach-frontIconic hotelClassic designRestaurantsSpa
Curated byRomanUpdated I’d pick The Royal Hawaiian for a stay right by the beach. The spa is a nice bonus.
More about this place
The Royal Hawaiian is a historic luxury resort whose pink stucco arcades and coconut lawn deliver the most theatrical sense of old Waikīkī.
Heritage rooms trade size and modernity for character; Mailani Tower rooms emphasize ocean views and balconies. Direct beach access, the grove-like grounds, and an iconic mai tai setting make staying here part of the destination.
2 expert tips
RomanHawaii expertOriginal curator notes · check current details.
Ask which wing and view category you are booking because the two room experiences are materially different.
The premium buys history and beachfront presence, while heritage rooms can be smaller than those at newer luxury resorts.
About these tips
These are the original tips from Roman’s Hawaii curation. Personal recollections describe past visits. Check current access, prices, inclusions and booking rules with the venue or operator for your dates.
Things to do around Oʻahu
Fyno’s picks across the area. Some stops need a drive or tour.
- Waikīkī Beach Time is an easy, flexible block for swimming, people-watching, outrigger canoes, and a barefoot sunset on Honolulu’s most famous shore.Suggested time: 2-6h
Waikīkī Beach Time
- Diamond Head Summit Trail is a short, steep crater hike climbs through switchbacks, tunnels, stairs, and early twentieth-century military structures to a sweeping view over Waikīkī, Oʻahu’s south shore, and the Pacific. The route begins…Suggested time: 2h
Diamond Head Summit Trail
Show 15 more placesShow fewer places
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial is a powerful historic visit centered on the USS Arizona Memorial and the events that brought the United States into World War II.Suggested time: 2-4h
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
- ʻIolani Palace is a guided or audio-led walk through the only official royal residence in the United States, with restored state rooms, personal objects, and the complicated final years of the Hawaiian monarchy.Suggested time: 1-2h
ʻIolani Palace
- Hanauma Bay Snorkeling is a protected-reef morning where even cautious swimmers can see reef fish close to shore inside a dramatic volcanic cove.Suggested time: 2-4h
Hanauma Bay Snorkeling
- Mānoa Falls Rainforest Hike is an accessible Oʻahu rainforest walk that trades beach scenery for bamboo, dense tropical growth, and a waterfall at the end of a shaded valley. The route is short by island-hike standards, but frequent…Suggested time: 2h
Mānoa Falls Rainforest Hike
- Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites Tour offers a tour that explores the green valleys and ridgelines used in Jurassic Park, Lost, Kong, and dozens of other productions.Suggested time: 2-3h
Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites Tour
- Kailua & Lanikai Beach Day offers a break from Waikīkī’s energy, trading it for powdery sand, turquoise shallows, and a residential windward-coast rhythm.Suggested time: 4-6h
Kailua & Lanikai Beach Day
- North Shore Surf Towns & Food Trucks is a full-day loop through Haleʻiwa’s plantation-era storefronts, roadside shrimp stands, and the beaches that define big-wave culture.Suggested time: 3-5h
North Shore Surf Towns & Food Trucks
- Waimea Valley Garden & Waterfall is a gentle walk through a storied North Shore valley links a fully paved botanical route, Hawaiian cultural sites, and a waterfall pool at the far end. The experience gains depth from the living…Suggested time: 3h
Waimea Valley Garden & Waterfall
- Polynesian Cultural Center is a large, performance-led introduction to six Pacific island cultures, combining village demonstrations, canoe presentations, dining, and an evening stage show.Suggested time: 6-9h
Polynesian Cultural Center
- Makapuʻu Lighthouse Coastal Trail is a paved ridge walk climbs above Oʻahu’s dry southeast coast to broad views of Koko Head, the windward shoreline, offshore seabird islets, and the red-roofed Makapuʻu Lighthouse below. The lighthouse…Suggested time: 2h
Makapuʻu Lighthouse Coastal Trail
- Honolulu Local Food Crawl is a guided tasting route through the immigrant kitchens and Native Hawaiian staples that shaped the city’s everyday food.Suggested time: 3h
Honolulu Local Food Crawl
- Waikīkī Sunset Sail is the cleanest way to see Honolulu’s skyline, Diamond Head, and the last light from the water.Suggested time: 2h
Waikīkī Sunset Sail
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is a focused visit to the historic Ford Island hangars, aircraft displays and exhibits explaining the attack on Pearl Harbor and Pacific aviation history.Suggested time: 2-3h
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- Battleship Missouri Memorial is a visit aboard the battleship where Japan’s formal surrender ended World War II, with the Surrender Deck, massive gun turrets and restored crew spaces.Suggested time: 3h
Battleship Missouri Memorial
- Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum & USS Bowfin is a two-hour self-guided visit combining a World War II submarine, interactive museum galleries and outdoor exhibits.Suggested time: 2h
Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum & USS Bowfin
Hawaii itineraries with this stay
Expert-curatedDay-to-dayPerfect logistics
