For those of you who frequent the island of Waikiki, then perhaps you noticed something just a bit different while you were there – a landmark hotel on the island was getting the equivalent of a visit to a plastic surgeon.  By that, I mean that the hotel was getting a total makeover.

The hotel in question?  None other than the landmark hotel known as the Royal Hawaiian, aka “The Pink Palace of the Pacific”.  And what a makeover it got.  Let’s start with the exterior.  The $85 million renovation included an exterior with a totally different palette of colors – white, cream, magenta and greens dominate the landmark – which were designed to give the hotel a more contemporary feel.  Whether the mix of colors is a bit much is definitely up for discussion, but nonetheless, it seems like color overload to me.

That aside, the Royal Hawaiian definitely needed a facelift.  They closed back in June 2008, and the owners of the hotel, Kyo-Ya, had the good sense not to mess with the exterior very much – ensuring that it had the faux-Moroccan feel to it.  It is the inside that is night and day different.  When you enter, you will notice – especially if you’ve been a customer there – that the pastel pink has been replaced by this “hot pink”.  Kind of when you change the contrasts on your big-screen TV – it kinda blinds you.

But there were some good changes, as well.  The lobby, once cramped in the overall scheme, has been opened up to the city-side lawns; as a result, it seems more open and airy.  And yes, more changes.  The main ceiling had that “hot pink” hue to it.  You’ll notice while there that the Helen & Suzanne store – which specialized in jewelry – was absent.  They have since the renovation relocated to an outlet mall. 

Also add to the mix some new restaurants, a new spa and a cool pool which is shared with the Sheraton Waikiki next door that has a waterslide for the kids.  In the overall scheme of things, the vast majority of changes are cosmetic in nature and would take some getting used, especially if you’ve been there before.  Kind of like the Hollywood starlet who goes in for a facelift and looks like they have lost the character in their faces.  That’s not really a slam on the Royal Hawaiian; I am just saying that the cosmetic changes will take at least a visit to get used to.  But it would be nice if they went back to the pink that once was there.

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