Aha’aina Luau At The Royal Hawaiian Resort

Ah, nothing like a romantic luau to really make you feel like you're vacationing in the Hawaiian islands. I know it's touristy, sometimes gimicky, but luaus let you bask in the glory and beauty of being able to be fortunate enough to vacation in Hawaii. You get dinner, a show, and the most beautiful ambiance. I remember going to my first luau (Paradise Cove in Oahu) on a school field trip in junior high, where us kids had a blast. My first luau as an adult was with my husband on a magical evening when we were sans baby in beautiful Maui. And now this was my third luau this time with our sweet 6 month old baby and my parents. Each luau has been memorable in its own way. While this is not my favorite luau, it was exactly what we needed. It was the only luau within walking distance of our hotel that overlooked the beach. Huge bonus. Most of the other luaus in Waikiki didn't face the ocean. Also, it's situated in the historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel, another perk. Just walking through this gorgeous hotel was fun itself. But most importantly for us, it was so baby friendly. Going into this, I was fully prepared to miss some if not all of the show with baby in tow. Our sweet little almost 6 month old, though little, has a huge pair of lungs. And of course I didn't want to disturb other patrons. We booked a luau anyway because we wanted my parents aka sweet baby's best grandparents, to experience everything on their first Hawaii trip, including a luau. The best part of the luau for me was that there was a nice area in the far back with rocking chairs, away from the patrons but still in view of the show. When my baby was grumpy, all I had to do was grab my plate/drink, take a seat in the rocking chair, and I could tend to my baby while still being able to enjoy my meal and show. This was such a huge unexpected blessing. No angry stares from patrons, baby and mommy get to be away and still not miss out on any of the fun what a win win. I was so happy. The food was pretty good. The first part was a little bento box with fresh fruit, shrimp kimchi salad, potato salad, salad greens, and poi. Very refreshing and easy to eat. It was a nice opening to the full meal. The second part was the entree, which came with giant portions of chicken, salmon, kalua pork, and corn on the cob. I couldn't finish all the food so my husband and dad both happily divvied up all the extra meat. The proteins were all cooked really well. I enjoyed the chicken most. The kalua wasn't dry at all. The salmon was flake off the fork. And finally there was a little dessert cup with some huapai. Not the best luau food I've had. The best was definitely the one in Maui. But this was still really good. Each ticket comes with 2 drink vouchers. We had a grand time enjoying these drinks. The only one who really took advantage of the alcoholic beverages was my dad. He loved his Blue Hawaiians. But everyone else really enjoyed the virgin pina coladas. We had a few extra vouchers in the end so we finished them up by getting a few bottles of water to bring back to our hotel. The entertainment was very fun, lively, and engaging. Of the 3 luaus I've been to, it was probably on the weaker side, but it was still so much fun. It's always fun learning about Hawaiian history, viewing fire dancers and hula dancers, all under a tropical sky. Ultimately, we were so grateful we were able to all enjoy such a wonderful night even with a little 6 month old baby. Everyone, including baby, had a great time. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful night with sweet memories.

If you are visiting Hawai'i, then a Luau is definitely something you want to do. Partly because of proximity but also because it was a smaller sized Luau, we chose the Aha Aina Luau at the Royal Hawaiian hotel. The Luau is outside with the stage backed to the beach front and ocean, providing an excellent backdrop. The service was above par, our server was attentive, professional and pleasant. You have two options when making your reservations we chose the upgrade as it was only a few dollars more. After researching Luau's, one of the recommendations for the Royal Hawaiian location was to request to be seated center or right as there is a restaurant, located on the left side, which can be distracting, I completely agree, and recommend the same. Upon being seated, our server took our drink order. The first plate arrived shortly after everyone was seated, without question the potato salad was the hit of the night. The rest of the first plate was delightful, all of the items were full of flavor with fresh produce. The kimchi seafood salad was a little spicy, but for me that made it even better. The main course or second plate, unfortunately, not pictured consisted of House-Made seasonal pickles, Misoyaki Salmon, salmon, Kiawe Smoked Chicken, Kalua, Pork, Kahuku Corn, and jasmine rice. The salmon was the best of the plate, perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The chicken unfortunately was over cooked and dry, the pork was greasy and not really that great. That is the reason for the four stars and not five. The dessert or sweet plate was very good, not a fan of flourless cakes, but it was tasty. Now to the reason we were all there for, the entertainment. While you're waiting for your first plate, they have several of the cast positioned around and on the stage providing either temporary tattoos consistent with Hawaiian history. Others showed how fabric was made from local tree bark, colored, or printed to symbolize the tribe, island, and other information. The entertainment proceeded throughout the entire meal, which included music, dance, the host gave extensive historical information about Hawaii and how it evolved to what it is today. It was better than I expected and again the why I highly recommend making a Luau a part of your visit. As I have only been to one other luau, which was many years ago, I would highly recommend trying this one if you are staying in Waikiki area.

Is it worth the price? No, but you’re in Hawaii and you need to attend a luau. Premium seats are worth it. The earlier you book, the better seat you’ll get. Everyone was respectful and willing to take pictures. Before the luau started there were activity stations where you could learn about Hawaiian history. I enjoyed the multiple courses of food but like other attendees stated, it isn’t the best. The chicken of last year seemed to be a Cornish hen cut in half. Shredded chicken seems to be on the menu now. Drinks are delicious and free for I believe three drinks each person. If you’re in Hawaii, and especially staying at the Royal Hawaiian, attend this luau.

It was a great experience, all around! Best potato salad ever!!

Exceeded expectations! Despite my food allergies which they graciously accommodated, everything about this restaurant was top-notch. I was expecting typical tour bus quality, but instead my daughter and I had a memorable evening. Thank you, KimJ.