Hawai'i entered a new era of tourism on March 11, 1901, when the Moana Hotel opened in Waikiki.
The Moana, Waikiki's first major hotel, was built for $150,000 by English businessman Walter Peacock as additional steamship lines brought more tourists to Honolulu. The 75-room, four-story hotel was then one of O'ahu's biggest and most elaborate buildings.
Its first guests, a group of more than 100 Shriners, paid $1.50 a night. Each room had a bathroom and telephone — cutting-edge amenities at the time — and the hotel was equipped with O'ahu's first electric elevator.
Once known as "The First Lady of Waikiki," the Moana hosted many celebrities and notable figures, including Edward, Prince of Wales; Amelia Earhart; and Frank Sinatra. The "Hawaii Calls" radio shows were broadcast from the Moana Banyan Court for more than 30 years.
The Moana went through many changes through the years, including the addition of two floors and concrete wings in 1918 and a $50 million, award-winning historic restoration in the late 1980s. The hotel is now the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, with 793 rooms.
The Moana was the main hotel on Waikiki Beach until the Royal Hawaiian Hotel opened Feb. 1, 1927. The six-story, 400-room structure known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" was the brainchild of E.D. Tenney, president of Castle & Cooke and Matson Navigation Co., and Matson manager William Roth. The Royal Hawaiian was built to cater to wealthy visitors who were to arrive here on a new luxury passenger ship Matson was building, the Malolo.
During World War II, the Royal Hawaiian was leased to the Navy and became a rest and relaxation center for the Pacific Fleet. The Navy returned the hotel to Matson in October 1945, and the Royal Hawaiian re-opened to the public in February 1947. Over the years, that hotel has grown to 528 rooms.
Both hotels are now owned by Kyo-ya Co. Ltd.
