Classic Hotels Get a New Look

The end of the year brings exciting news from two of my favorite hotels. Oahu’s Royal Hawaiian Hotel, on Waikiki Beach, shut its doors last June to undergo a $110 million facelift. (It’s only the second time the hotel has closed in its 100-plus-year history.) Now, after massive improvements in guest rooms and public spaces — plus sexy new additions like a multilevel resort pool, the swanky Royal Beach Club and an elegant spa with deluxe spa suites — the “Pink Palace” officially reopens for business on January 20, just in time to host to the official Aloha Inaugural Ball in the magnificent Monarch Room. In celebration, the hotel is offering a special Presidential package, which includes a four-night stay, a bottle of pink champagne and two tickets to the ball.

On the opposite ocean, the Caribbean island of Anguilla is happy to report the reopening of one of its flagship properties, Cap Juluca. The resort, a longtime favorite of celebs and jetsetters, closed last August to undergo a $22 million upgrade under the direction of new owner Adam Aron. Improvements include all new linens and bedding in the guest rooms, a fleet of solar-powered golf carts for guests’ use, and two new restaurants, including Blue, which boasts tables and chairs set up right in the sand. What hasn’t changed: the gorgeous Moroccan-style architecture and a setting on one of the Caribbean’s prettiest white-sand beaches.

Both of these hotels are totally honeymoon-worthy, and I can’t wait to visit myself to see their new looks!