Royal Hawaiian Waikiki Renovation

Glad I got photos of the pink umbrellas and awnings when I was last in the area! Did not know the Shirley Temple was invented at the Royal Hawaiian, or that Kamehameha Schools owns that shopping center next door.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080609/ap_tr_ge/travel_trip_hawaii_pink_palace;_ylt=Ah.3Av5xLSwCohhuFfXPpIQ8sM0F

Waikiki's pink palace to get less pink inside

By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 9, 4:40 PM ET

HONOLULU - The last time this iconic pink hotel was closed for renovations, World War II had just ended and the barbed wire that stretched along the shore of Waikiki had been removed.

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel has shut its doors again. This time, the oceanside 528-room resort is closed until Jan. 1 while it undergoes $110 million in much-needed improvements.

Owners want to return the so-called "Pink Palace of the Pacific" to its heyday several decades ago when it was considered the ultimate in Hawaiian luxury, hospitality and class.

The hotel's distinctive rosy exterior and eye-catching Spanish-Moorish architecture won't change. But the interior is slated for a major facelift and — gasp — will become less pink.

Gone will be the pink tablecloths, pink napkins, pink towels, pink bed sheets and even the trademark pink-and-white umbrellas at the Mai Tai Bar will become history.

It's a bold move by the hotel, which opened in 1927. But hotel managers say they're not entirely getting rid of the pink, just accentuating the pink they have.

"We'll still be the pink hotel. There's no question," said Lisa Morrill, the hotel's director of sales and marketing.

The hotel for years served as the island playground for heads of state, Hollywood stars and the world's rich and famous, from the Rockefellers to the Beatles.

They would come via ocean liner and bring their Louis Vuitton steamer trunks, maids and sometimes even their Rolls Royces.

The "Shirley Temple" drink was invented at the hotel for the child star who visited in the 1930s. The hotel also helped popularize the Mai Tai.

The guest list also includes Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Dean Martin and many other legendary entertainers. Back then, the Royal Hawaiian was the place to be and be seen.

But over the years, the pink lady has lost her luster.

The hotel's breathtaking views of Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean are still unmatched. But the dated rooms now feel like a bed-and-breakfast with '80s-era furniture and floral wallpaper that would make any grandmother weak at the knees.

That will soon change.

While retaining its old island charm and grandeur, the property will look and feel more modern and hip.

Several shops and walls are being removed from the lobby to give the Royal Hawaiian a more open feel with wider views of the ocean and the lush Coconut Grove garden. The rooms will feature native flora and swank furniture.

Service will also be upgraded. Guests will no longer stand and wait in the lobby. They'll be greeted with a lei, seated next to the gardens for check in and offered guava juice and a cold hand towel to freshen up. Guests will then be escorted to their rooms where gentle Hawaiian music will be playing on the CD/iPod player.

There will also be a new pool, private beach cabanas and available butler service.

Hotel rates, which used to be in the high $300s, are expected to rise to average in the high $400-a-night range when the Royal Hawaiian reopens.

The last time the Royal Hawaiian closed to the public was in January 1942, a month after nearby Pearl Harbor was attacked. The hotel was leased to the Navy and served as a rest and recreation center for sailors, who paid as little as 25 cents a night.

The Navy returned the hotel in October 1945, shortly after the end of World War II. Then-owner Matson Navigation Co. spent $2 million to restore the hotel and reopened the property Feb. 1, 1947, 20 years to the day after the hotel first opened in 1927.

This time, the remodel will cost $110 million and is part of the $750 million earmarked for redevelopment of four Waikiki properties owned by Japan-based Kyo-ya Hotel & Resorts LP. The Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikiki, Moana Surfrider and the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani are managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii.

Construction is starting while the adjacent Royal Hawaiian Center, owned by Kamehameha Schools, is just completing a $115 million renovation. Although the center never fully closed because the renovations were done in phases, a grand reopening was scheduled for June 14-20.

Formerly known as the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, the word "shopping" was dropped from the name because in addition to more than 100 retailers, including many high-end designers, the center now offers more, such as traditional Hawaiian cultural classes and entertainment. Also, a 760-seat showroom will open mid-July with "Waikiki Nei," a Cirque du Soleil-type show with an island flair.

The area has historic significance beyond the center and the pink hotel. Known as "Helumoa," it was a recreation area for Hawaiian royalty, including King Kamehameha I after he conquered the island of Oahu. Queen Kaahumanu also had her summer home on the property, which featured a lush grove of 10,000 coconut trees.

The Pink Palace is sold out for the summer, so the guests are still flocking to it.
However, best to stay ahead of the competition and Turtle Bay on the North Shore (particularly the bungalow wing) is now considered the premiere place to stay on Oahu.

On 2008-06-14 13:48, christiki295 wrote:
The Pink Palace is sold out for the summer, so the guests are still flocking to it.
However, best to stay ahead of the competition and Turtle Bay on the North Shore (particularly the bungalow wing) is now considered the premiere place to stay on Oahu.

Actually, the pink palace is CLOSED. It was an unusual move, but the entire hotel is now shut down for the renovation. We'll see what they end up doing. I managed one of the shops in the Royal and they were very tight lipped about what the actual plans were and I understand through the grapevine that they had to make MANY revisions as the ground underneath was not strong enough to support some of what they had planned. This is a 1920s building, and "only in Hawaii" could you just do "whatever the h**l you want to a historic building like this. I tell you, Hawaii has ZERO respect for preseving classic architecture. Seriously, you could never get away with doing what they do here in a few other places I've lived...Charleston & Portland, OR...those cities RESPECT historic architecture.
But I do hope they end up with a beautiful hotel. I can understand updating the inside of the rooms, of course, but the rest seems uneeded.

Ooh. Now I understand. I am actually okay with revising the structure to take greater advantage of the magnificent gardens.

I just wish they would hurry and finish the construction at the Royal Hawaiian Center.

Living in LA and being a member of the LA Conservancy, I totally understand your concern re historical preservation. LA - including the school district LAUSD, has less of a care than Hawaii, unfortunately.

Sadly, both of you are so correct about these areas having no respect for their architectural history. When I heard LA let the Brown Derby go to the ball, that's when I said 'screw LA', never to set foot there again. And Waikiki is just a bunch of cement with a beach in front. We on Oahu have little physically left to share with future generations about such things, and every day something else is going. Tear it down for stupid NikeTown is the mentallity, for decades now.

I feel you.
I haven't recovered from the scare that The International Marketplace might be replaced by yet another mall. It has much more character than Ala Moana.

But regardless of the renovation, be happy the Pink Palace has not been torn down for pink condos.

BTW: Good News: The Derby was saved.