I stayed at the Royal Hawaiian, the famous pink hotel is not worth it

I had a nice trip, but I wouldn’t spend the money to stay at the pink hotel again.

Overall, I spent $530 on my one night stay at The Royal Hawaiian and I don’t think I can justify staying there again.

The location of the hotel was nice, but I was not impressed with my room, which seemed very old. For the same price or a few hundred dollars more, I could stay somewhere with more luxurious rooms, like Disney’s Aulani or the nearby Four Seasons.

Maybe I would have felt differently if I had stayed in the other section of the hotel, the Mailani Tower. It’s decorated differently and I’ve heard from friends that the Tower rooms are nicer and more modern.

Although rooms in the Historic Wing and the Mailani Tower may be comparable in price, a room in the tower was more expensive when I booked my trip.

Even so, I think the best parts of the resort, such as the nearby beaches and mai tais, can be accessed by the general public. I will definitely return to The Royal Hawaiian bar for mai tais, but I will not be staying as an overnight guest again.

This story was originally published on April 4, 2024 and last updated on September 26, 2024.