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The Royal Hawaiian – Hawaii Travel Guide

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes

I have been DYING to share all these photos with y’all!  The kids, mom and I had the most wonderful time at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki Beach.  Here’s everything we did, all the outfits I wore (linked), but most importantly, all the wonderful memories we made! 

The Royal Hawaiian – Hawaii Travel Guide

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes

First of all, the Royal Hawaiian is absolutely breathtaking.  It’s an all pink building stretched along Waikiki Beach.  You can even see it as you’re flying in.  It’s more commonly known as the Pink Palace of the Pacific.  I’ve wanted to visit this hotel since reading Shark Dialogues five years ago.  Here’s what you need to know about this beautiful resort:

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes

  • It’s a five star resort. 
  • It’s FAMOUS!  Built in 1927, it’s housed celebrities and political figures the world over.
  • This year is it’s 90th anniversary.  The hotel has great deals and fun events all year long.
  • If you’re an interior decorating fiend, you will LOVE everything about this resort.  The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior. 

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes

Speaking of the interior, I know some of you may be worried about staying in an older hotel.  Not to worry, the entire place had a makeover back in 2010, including the new building of the Mailani Tower.  The Mailani Tower is the VIP section of the resort, complete with ocean-facing suites and complimentary breakfast, coffee, and happy hour.  But don’t get me wrong, every inch of the Pink Palace is deluxe.   

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes
The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes

We arrived at the Royal Hawaiian with an ecstatic “Aloha”, lei’s for the whole family, and fresh pineapple juice.  Then we were ushered up to our room, where we were greeted with our bags already unloaded, crisp air conditioning, the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on, and a view of the gardens.  We immediately changed and ran down to the beach, where the kids let loose and played until sunset.

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes delicious drink royal hawaiian The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes

The next day we played all day, moving between the beach and the kid pool and slide at the Sheraton Waikiki.  The Sheraton is right next to the Royal Hawaiian and houses a great kids’ area, along with a light show at night.  That night, however, we were lucky enough to be guests at the famous Pink Palace Luau.  We were serenaded with traditional Hawaiian songs and dances, as well as a sensuous buffet and open bar.  We had a fantastic time! 

sweet baby in a bikini
boy on a boat snorkeling

I can’t decide if the luau or snorkeling the next day was more enjoyable.  We took a ride to North Shore for a day trip of snorkeling and fun.  The crew was so knowledgable and sweet. Several of the gentlemen even helped with the kids so we could jump in and see the turtles, coral, and colorful fish.  I’m not gonna lie, I’ve wanted to swim with sea turtles my whole life so I was pretty ecstatic!  But my favorite part was watching Hudson interact with everyone on the boat.  He made best friends with the captain- who let him drive, and then he fed the fish that were swimming around the boat and went crazy with excitement!

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes pineapple fun drink hawaii
delicious food surf lanai royal hawaiian

The rest of our trip was spent lounging on the beach, swimming at the Sheraton, or shopping at the many fun shopping centers surrounding the hotel.  Hudson and Henley just soaked it up.  I think we all needed the relaxation, long naps spent snuggling, and lots of fresh air and sunshine.  OMG and the food ya’ll.  The food is SO good.  You must do: 

  • Breakfast buffet at Surf Lanai- get ALL the things
  • Lunch at the Mai Tai Bar- the wings and caesar salad were divine
  • Dinner at Azure- can’t go wrong with anything on the menu
  • Breakfast or Lunch at Kai Market- there is SO much food to choose from!  Definitely hit the desserts up first.
  • Lunch or Dinner at Rumfire at the Sheraton- again anything you order will be great.  Mom loved the pork tacos!

The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes The Royal Hawaiian - Hawaii Travel Guide by Jessica from Happily Hughes baby and haku crown and the haltered thread

28 thoughts on “The Royal Hawaiian – Hawaii Travel Guide”

  1. Looks like so much fun! I love seeing yalls adventures. I love, love the matchy matchy mommy and me dresses!

  2. My husband and I want to go to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary! I hope we do end up there.

  3. Lynn Harkleroad

    You do a FABULOUS blog and the information is awesome. I will definitely add this resort to our bucket list. Hopefully we will get there soon. Beautiful pictures and a beautiful family. Keep all the information coming.

  4. I have always wanted to go to Hawaii! Royal Hawaiian looks beautiful and your daughter is too cute for words!

  5. I have never been there but I sure hope to make it some day. You captured it so well in your photos.

  6. Sign me up for a vacation to the Royal Hawaiian. Everything from the accommodations to the views to the food and drinks looks amazing. Looks like your family had a wonderful time.

  7. What an awesome travel guide! I think it’s amazing that you got to go to Hawaii, it remains to be one of the most beautiful places one can travel to. Thanks for the tips on what to do!

  8. It does look very beautiful there. And your baby is adorable. I just remember having my worst family vacation in Hawaii so I would hesitate to go back to that island at least.

  9. Such a stylish holiday in paradise! You and your mother are gorgeous, as are your children. Looks like super fun had by all.

  10. Wow! Beautiful pictures. Love the flower crowns – so pretty! I’m dying to go to Hawaii but I’m way too scared to fly that far with my two kids. I can just imagine how that flight would go! ?

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