Next week I'm staying at the Royal Hawaiian for the second time.

This is possibly not the best hotel in town, but for me, it works well. When we booked, the entry room prices were by far the lowest. By the time I'd booked into a Tower room to get a lanai and oceanfront, the price is STILL $300 lower than the entry room at the new Four Seasons, and $150 less than the entry level rooms at Halekulani.

I'm unusual in that I like the energy of Waikiki, but when you walk into the Royal Hawaiian grounds, the crazy just goes away. I do love walking to the bars and restaurants, and also being right on the beach, but also being in a calmer hotel. The Sheraton between Royal Hawaiian and Halekulani is a zoo by comparison!

The service though, is not the best! If you know that, and can live with it, it's possible to have a good time here. Check-in is often the worst experience, since you can't really skip that part.

We are visiting the Tower for the first time since they re-branded it and added a separate experience, so we'll see how that helps the service level, particularly the check-in part