The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a beautiful luxury hotel located on Oahu's Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.  It is part of The Luxury Collection brand of Marriott International.  One of the first hotels established in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian is considered one of the most luxurious and famous hotels in Hawaiian tourism and has hosted numerous celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra plus world dignitaries.  The bright pink hue of its concrete stucco facade with its Spanish/Moorish styled architecture and prominent location on the wide sandy beach have earned it the nickname of "The Pink Palace of the Pacific". 

Its design was influenced by Hollywood film star and legend, Rudolph Valentino and his Arabian movies.  Cupolas were created to resemble Spanish Mission style bell towers.

The Pink Palace of the Pacific opened February 1, 1927 with a black tie gala attended by over 1,200 guests and quickly became an icon of Hawaii's glory days. The hotel was a huge success and in 1928 the islands counted over 20,000 visitors for the first time.

The acclaimed New York firm of  Warren and Wetmore were the architects.  The hotel has 400 rooms, 34 suites and 3 restaurants. The hotel was built at a cost of over $4 million (1927 prices). During WWII, the Royal Hawaiian was used exclusively by the U.S. military as an R&R Center.  During the 1960s, the "Pink Palace" was home to "Concert by the Sea" which broadcast daily through the Armed Forces Radio Network.

On June 1, 2008 the Royal Hawaiian closed for renovation.  It reopened on January 20, 2009.  An extended renovation of the Royal Beach Tower was completed in 2010. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a member of the Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Through the years the "Pink Palace" has appeared in many films and television shows. The hotel was used in the 1931 Charlie Chan film, The Black Camel.  The hotel lobby was used in the 1952 film, Big Jim McLain.  The hotel was mentioned in the 1953 film, From  Here to Eternity by Burt Lancaster's character, Sgt. Warden.  The film took place in 1941 so the reference to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel was in the context of 1941, not 1953 when the film was made.  The film won 8 Academy Awards.*  The hotel was used in the 1962 movie, Gidget Goes Hawaiian. The hotel appeared in the 2022 Hallmark Channel film, Two Tickets to Paradise.  The hotel's exterior appeared in the 1968-1980 television show, Hawaii Five-O.  The hotel appeared in the 1977 Charlie's Angels episode, Angels in Paradise.  The hotel appeared in two episodes of the series, Murder She Wrote with Angela Lansbury.  In 1961 before Elvis filmed Blue Hawaii on the island of Kauai, he stayed at the Royal Hawaiian where he filmed two scenes. Elvis visited the hotel once again in 1973 right after his "Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite Concert".  It is estimated between 1-1.5 billion people around the world tuned in to see "The King" perform.  

Very much like the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel was also privileged to be able to serve our country during WWII.  The U.S. Navy leased the hotel and its grounds during those years.  The entire property served as a respite for exhausted submarine crews and other weary military personnel with a typical stay of twelve days.  They deserved it!  

The people of Hawaii also welcomed President Franklin Roosevelt in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1934.  He was the first U.S. president to visit the, then, territory of Hawaii.  Upon first greeting the fifteen thousand people who came to see the president he said "Aloha from the bottom of my heart".  He was then cheered for more than ten minutes.

Bing Crosby singing with the locals on the beach 

in front of the 

Royal Hawaiian

Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters recorded one of the earliest recordings of the song, Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) in 1950 on Decca Records.  The Hawaiian-themed Christmas song was written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. Bing Crosby was a frequent visitor and golf partner of Anderson.  Anderson played the song for Crosby, who liked it so much he surprised Anderson with the 1950 recording.  In 1955, the song became part of Crosby's famous compilation album, Merry Christmas.  According to Anderson's daughter Pam, the family still receives revenues from all over the world every year from his songs including Mele Kalikimaka. 

*From Here to Eternity deals with the tribulations of three United States Army soldiers played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor .  Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed portray the women in their lives.