My husband and I stayed at The Royal Hawaiian for two days prior to a cruise. We were greeted with beautiful leis and were given a cool drink while waiting to check in at the desk. You were seated at a desk and checked in instead of standing at a counter. We were offered an upgrade but declined since we were only stay a couple nights. Everyone was very gracious. We were in the original hotel and absolutely loved it. Our room (garden view) looked out over the front of the hotel. It was a lovely view. Our bathroom did not have any washcloths but we asked for a few from housekeeping - no biggie. Every staff member we encountered was so helpful and always had a smile on their face. There were so many comfortable places to sit and enjoy the outdoors, lots of comfy sofas, chairs, rockers.....
We had booked a Hanauma Bay snorkeling tour with the concierge desk prior to arriving and checked with the concierge when we arrived. We were given a lovely notecard with all the details we would need for our excursion.

The Royal Hawaiian was right in the middle of everything !! Right on the beach, shopping and dining mere steps away !! Everything we needed was within walking distance. We did not use the pool but several people seemed to enjoy lounging around it and, of course, lots of people were at the beach. The Royal Hawaiian had the most relaxing ambiance. It was a little oasis in the midst of all the rush of Waikiki ~ We highly recommend this jewel ~

I seldom give 5 stars, because I'm of the belief that there's always room for improvement.

The Royal Hawaiian is an exceptional luxury establishment. When we approached the hotel, we were greeted with Aloha, smiles and lei! Upon entering the lobby, there is no check-in counter. The process is done seated at a desk with cool tropical fruit juice to drink. Check-in is as long as necessary for a complete understanding of what the Resort has to offer for our enjoyment.

Our accommodations were spacious with 12' ceilings! It was very clean and smelled fresh. The room has much old world charm with every upgraded modern convenience installed. The efficient climate control was extremely quiet allowing for peaceful nights of sleep in a comfortable, fine linened, King Size bed.

When the Housekeeping and Groundskeeping Staff always greeted us with smiles and a big Aloha, you somehow can't help but feel special! Everyone, from the Porters and Parking Valets to the Management Team, is very well trained in hospitality as well as their duties.

I'd recommend The Royal Hawaiian to anyone who appreciates service and luxury at its finest!

stayed at the maluhia suite with the wife and 2 kids. it's a suite with 2 bedrooms (a king and 2 double beds) and a side sitting room. it was great to walk out to a ocean view every morning. the kids ate free at breakfast (option of french toast, eggs and bacon, pancakes, etc., plus freshly squeezed juices or milk). the free continental breakfast for adults (for spg platinum members) was also nice. i wouldn't stay anywhere else in waikiki.

I'm struggling with the Royal Hawaiian. I booked my stay close to a year ago and was really looking forward to the visit. In addition to being very specific about my expectations I got "the run around" as I got close to check in. Ultimately we were treated great, but I'm somewhat embarrassed by the lengths I had to go to to have my expectations met.

Multiple phone calls and multiple emails shouldn't be the norm - regretfully that was my experience.

I've stayed at several Luxury Collection properties around the world The Royal Hawaiian could benefit from talking to their colleagues in New York City and Mexico. Customers shouldn't have to go to the trouble I did just have our expectations met. I was livid by the time I arrived. Management ultimately made things right but as mentioned before, the process wasn't pretty.

We've stayed at several SPG properties on Waikiki - it's a bummer that The Royal Hawaiian doesn't live up to its reputation.