Royal Hawaiian Sheraton Waikiki Watch This Before You Book - Attractions
Royal Hawaiian Sheraton Waikiki Watch This Before You Book - Attractions
Transcript
00:00Just got back from a trip to Oahu and we were able to stay at a hotel that I've
00:04wanted to stay in for over 20 years. The Royal Hawaiian, also known as the
00:10Pink Palace of the Pacific. However, there are a few things that I wish I'd known
00:14before booking here and I wanted to share those with you. So stick around for
00:17that important information in just a few. I will also be covering the Sheraton,
00:21Marriott's sister property next door, and why I think for some people it might be
00:26a better place to stay. So one night, a few years back, we walked through the
00:30Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and wandered right onto the grounds of the
00:34Royal Hawaiian Hotel that sits just behind it. The hotel green space and
00:38landscaping kind of blends into the back of the shopping center. At the time we
00:42didn't go into the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, just walked around the area and I
00:46remember thinking how cool it would be to stay there, especially since it's
00:49right in the heart of Waikiki. We then walked over to the Sheraton and
00:53realized that they didn't even have a beach behind the hotel. It's just a
00:57break wall. Say what? On Waikiki Beach and there's no beach? Who would stay here?
01:03So when it came to booking, I didn't even consider the Sheraton, but I didn't know
01:08what I didn't know. Fast forward to our current trip and upon check-in, you find
01:13out the Royal Hawaiian guests actually share amenities with the Sheraton. This
01:17includes the two nice pools the Sheraton has. And the Sheraton guests use the
01:22beach in front of the Royal Hawaiian, although technically it's not the Royal
01:26Hawaiian's beach because all beaches in Hawaii are public. And the beach access
01:30is right in the middle of both hotels.
01:34So this put a whole different paint job on things because both of these hotels
01:38are very different. The Royal Hawaiian is a five-star historic and iconic hotel
01:43built in 1927 that is part of Marriott's luxury collection. The whole property
01:49sits on 14 acres and is rich in Hawaiian history. During World War II, the US
01:55Navy leased the entire property as an R&R destination for the Pacific Fleet.
02:00And then later in 1947, the property was reopened to the public. There are 528
02:06rooms and suites, ranging from a basic room in the Mailani Tower to a
02:13mid-level historic room, which is what we stayed in. There are 34 suites on
02:18property, and 18 of which are oceanfront. I can't speak much about the basic rooms
02:24or suites, but I can say that the historic room we stayed in was very nice,
02:27spacious, and comfortable. We didn't have much of a view, but that wasn't a big
02:32deal. The room had high ceilings, an average but adequate bathroom, and a
02:38nice-sized closet. There was even a big desk to pile all your crap on, and it
02:44felt even bigger than the picture show. Another unique thing that I noticed is
02:48that every room had a big decorative wooden door. You don't see things like
02:52that too often. Heading into the main building, you can feel the history here.
02:57And they do offer a free historical tour every Tuesday and Thursday. The main
03:04building consists of one long hallway with the reception on the northern end
03:07and the beach on the southern end. The long hallway is lined with small, mainly
03:14high-end stores that I didn't find very appealing. There are two branches off the
03:22main hall. The one on the east side leads to the elevators, gardens, and the Royal
03:26Hawaiian Shopping Center. And the one on the west side is the roundabout where
03:30you pull up when you first arrive, or for valet parking. As you enter the hotel
03:36from the gardens, there's a little sitting area on your right, and on your
03:40left you'll find the coffee bar and bakery. That's only open 6 a.m. till noon.
03:43I noticed a yoga class going on every morning when I came down to get coffee.
03:48I'm not sure where you sign up for that, or if it was a private class. The back of
03:53the hotel by the beach seemed like such a waste of space. There's a large grassy
03:58area when you walk out, but it was always empty. I know they have events
04:02like weddings and a luau every Monday and Thursday, but it just felt like a
04:06missed opportunity and made the hotel feel a little dull. As you walk to the
04:12beach entrance, there was an area for chairs, but really didn't feel like
04:15five-star luxury. Kind of felt more like a run-down apartment complex, just with
04:20better views. A quick note, parking for both hotels will cost you $35 per day
04:25for self-parking in an often cramped parking structure next to the Sheridan,
04:29and $45 for valet. To get to the Royal Hawaiian Pool, you can take the long
04:33scenic route along the gardens and the outside hallway adjacent to the interior
04:38lobby. You'll find some other small shops along the way and eventually end up at a
04:42junction to go back into the open space to the left or to the upscale restaurant
04:47past which is the small hotel pool, which seems more like a giant bathtub than a
04:51pool. We didn't spend any time here.
04:56Heading around back again, down a sidewalk with some lush tropical
05:00vegetation, you quickly come upon the hotel's Mai Tai Bar, which was okay,
05:04nothing special. We had a few drinks and appetizers, listened to some live music
05:11here. You'll pay between $17 and $19 for a small mixed drink, and with the tip you
05:19might as well figure $20 a drink. Local beers will run you about $9.
05:27Go ahead and scan this QR code if you're interested in seeing the different
05:43dining, drink, and menu options. You can rent chairs, umbrellas, paddle boards, surf
05:48boards right on the beach here, but what we do is call Hawaii Beach Time and rent
05:53our chairs, umbrella, and boogie boards for about half the price as everywhere
05:57else. They deliver and pick up right from your hotel and you can take them
06:01anywhere you want to go on the island. Can't beat it. You can also jump on one
06:05of the catamarans for an hour-long day or evening cruise that dock right on the
06:09beach by the hotel. Now moving over the Sheraton, there's a totally different
06:16vibe and way more going on over here. I prefer the layout here even though the
06:21hotel has no beach. There is a large open-air lobby that stretches from the
06:25front to the back and is lined with unique stores. There are pool tables,
06:32shuffleboard, and there are comfortable chairs spread throughout the lobby. It
06:37definitely seemed like there were far more food options as well, not just high
06:41end expensive stuff. They have pizza, ice cream, beachside dining day and night. I
06:46found the food and drink prices here to be about the same as the Royal Hawaiian
06:50and there's even a convenience store right in the lobby which is always nice
06:54to have close by. There are two pools here. One is giant and has a water slide
06:59and the other is an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. That seemed to be
07:03more for adults. I haven't been inside any of the rooms or suites here but they
07:08look fine online and I know the hotel went through a huge renovation back in
07:112010. Being a four-star hotel, they can't be that bad. After all, we don't really
07:18come to Hawaii for the rooms. So if you prefer peace and quiet and just want to
07:23relax with a lot less kids around, then the Royal Hawaiian will suit you just
07:27fine. But if you want to be where the action is, have more amenities and food
07:31options, then the Sheraton is a better choice. And when we come back, we will
07:36more than likely stay at the Sheraton.