Royal Hawaiian vs. Sheraton Waikiki With Kids: Same Campus, Two Very Different Stays
Dusk over Waikiki from the Sheraton — the Royal Hawaiian in the foreground, Diamond Head in the distance.
We landed in Honolulu after a red-eye — the four of us, two young boys — and got to the Royal Hawaiian around midnight. The power was out. Not a flicker, not a tripped breaker: the hotel would be out of power most of the night. That is not how you picture the first night of a Hawaii trip. But what happened next is the reason I'm writing this review. How we got there is another story.
The Sheraton Waikiki: our first night
The Royal Hawaiian moved us next door to the Sheraton Waikiki for the night, and honestly, it ended up being great for our needs after the long flights. It's much more modern — modern bathroom, plenty of charging areas, clean — and the views are amazing: Waikiki beach and Diamond Head in the distance.
The downside for us is probably the size. It's a big hotel, and with two young kids that means more walking, more elevator rides, more everything. It still served us well.
One thing worth knowing if you're renting a car: I booked our Avis at the Sheraton on purpose. I wanted to pick the car up at the hotel instead of the airport, and the desk is right there with the car in the garage. We picked it up the next morning and drove straight out. But you need a reservation — they were turning people away without one because cars were limited.
One campus, two hotels
The two hotels sit on the same campus. They share a pool and a parking garage, so moving between them is a walk, not a transfer. That matters more than it sounds like it should when you're moving a family of four and all their stuff.
Back to the Royal Hawaiian: the last day
We came back to the Royal Hawaiian on our final day — a day room before our late flight — to actually experience it.
The Royal Hawaiian lawn — palms, pink umbrellas, and the beach right there.
The Royal Hawaiian is beautiful, historic, and full of character. Our rooms were in the historic section — beautiful, warm, and cozy. The older nature of the building shows in a couple of places: smaller bathrooms, and sometimes inconvenient plug placement when you're trying to charge a pile of electronics. Neither was a dealbreaker for us, but it's worth knowing with kids and their devices.
One more thing from that last day: we got a complimentary suite upgrade. I'm Titanium Elite with Bonvoy, which probably helped — but I think it was also part of them making up for the power outage on our first night.
We ate at the pool restaurant and the food was great.
I'd definitely recommend it for a stay in Waikiki, especially for short stays: the unique beauty of the place makes it worth it.
The hospitality is what I'll remember
I travel a lot. I've stayed in plenty of nice hotels, and most of them blur together after a while. The Royal Hawaiian didn't — because of the people.
The first sign of it came that first night. The manager, Shay, walked us over to the Sheraton herself — at midnight, with two tired kids — and waited with us until we were checked in and headed up the elevator.
Then on our final day, she remembered us. She remembered the boys, too, and their giraffe stuffies. She left a personal note and a loaded complimentary gift basket: a pink bunny stuffie, drink tickets, and more. The note said the pink stuffie — Pinky — could join them.
That's the kind of thing kids remember longer than the hotel. And honestly, it's the kind of thing I remember, too. A hotel can have the best rooms in the world and still be forgettable. This one wasn't, and it was the people who made the difference.
The welcome-back gift basket — Pinky, the pink bunny, front and center.
One honest wrinkle
The free night award didn't transfer cleanly when we moved hotels. Honestly, that's understandable — their system was down along with the power. It took a few weeks of back-and-forth with Bonvoy support, but they eventually made it right. Worth knowing, not worth worrying about.
The bottom line: which one?
Same campus, so you're not really choosing a location — you're choosing a vibe.
Pick the Sheraton if you want modern and easy — big clean rooms, plenty of plugs, great views, and the rental car in the garage downstairs. After a long flight with kids, that ease counts for a lot.
Pick the Royal Hawaiian if you want character and history, and especially if it's a short stay. The rooms are beautiful, the staff are remarkable, and the pink building on the beach is exactly as good as it looks in photos.
We'd stay at either one again. And if you do the trip the way we did — a few days in Waikiki, then up to the North Shore — here's what actually worked for us up there.