Monday, January 20, 2020
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the pink hotel on the beach in Waikiki, hosts a weekly, sometimes twice weekly, luau.
The two times we have been to this luau, dinner was inside the hotel in a large banquet room with a stage. The only part of the show outside, in both cases, was the fire dance. This year, we paid extra for premium seating to be closer to the stage.
Dinner is served buffet style with the buffet tables outside on the lanai. Patrons in premium seating access the buffet earlier than the non-premium. This night’s dinner was better than before. The food was fresher and the choices better. In both cases, the variety was sufficient that even picky eaters would find enough good food to be satisfied.
While the food was better, the show itself was wanting. There weren’t as many acts and the actors/singers/dancers weren’t as accomplished. They all seemed new to their roles and characters. This shortcoming may solve itself as the cast becomes more experienced and comfortable with each other.
Two years ago, the fire dancer was an extremely accomplished huge muscular man who brought intense energy to his performance. This fire dancer was skilled but lacked the performance ability to make this the memorable experience other fire dancers at other luaus delivered.
Fascinated by the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s glamour and history, we will likely do this luau again with the hope food and entertainment will finally exceed our expectations. Don’t pay for premium seating unless being away from center stage is OK. It just doesn’t provide good enough value.
Hope to see you on the road ahead!