ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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The queen of Waikiki's beachside luxury hotels, the Royal Hawaiian 
Hotel ranks among the most popular landmarks in Honolulu and is 
affectionately known locally as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" or 
simply the "Pink Palace."  Opened in 1927 as a stopping place for 
steamship passengers travelling on the Matson Navigation Company's 
three luxury liners, this elegant boasted rococo lobbies, a theater 
ballroom decorated in Egyptian themes, 400 guestrooms with Chinese 
and Persian carpets along with lanai wicker funishings, and 
waitresses dressed in quaint Japanese kimonos, all set in a 
luminously pink, Spanish-Moorish styled building.  Among the top 
hotels in the world, it has been the playground of royal princes 
and Hollywood movie stars.

The government took over the Royal Hawaiian during World War II, 
using the grand hotel as a rest and recreation center for naval 
pilots and submarine crews.  During this time, the hotel's Japanese 
cultural influences were stripped, while barbed wire was stretched 
all across Waikiki Beach.  After the war, the popular hotel reopened 
with a weeklong gala celebration in 1947.  A refubishing had replaced 
the rococo ceiling and informal wicker funiture with cool monotones, 
mahogany furniture, and tropical prints.  The hotel was bought from 
Matson by the ITT Sheraton group in 1959 and later by the Kyo-ya 
Company in 1975, but it continues to be managed by Sheraton.  With 
the modern boom of Waikiki tourism, the historic hotel with its 
charming gardens and Coconut Grove are now flanked by larger, more 
modern hotel towers.  Sheraton would also add a 16-story modern tower 
to the Royal Hawaiian, bringing the number of guest rooms to 576.  
However, despite the modern changes, the Royal Hawaiian still remains 
a top destination for visitors seeking a more nostalgic experience of 
Waikiki.

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The SCURK version of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a multi-tile image 
consisting of two hotel sections and two beach tiles.  I have tried 
my best to give the false facade on the second hotel section a 
realistic look, though it will be hidden when the two sections are 
combined.  I like to alternate the beach tiles, and I would use them 
as replacements for the small park and the water pump.  Ideally, the 
water pump along the shore will provide simcities with water, while 
the small parks will aid in boosting beachside land values.


Created by Lee Sojot
