A breezeway in The Royal Hawaiian hotel.

You know you've checked into paradise when you're greeted by a phalanx of pink-attired hotel staff members serving freshly squeezed fruit juice, an oshibori towel, and fragrant flower leis. Welcome to Hawaii. More specifically, welcome to The Royal Hawaiian.

Originally opened in 1927, the resort known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" reopened in early 2009 after closing for a seven-month-long first-class face-lift spearheaded by WCIT Architecture and interior design firms Philpotts & Associates and Henriksen Design Associates.

Retaining the hotel's historic integrity while maximizing its modern luxuries, today's Royal Hawaiian is truly a mix of past and present. The historic (and highly recognizable) pink facade still warmly welcomes guests. Rooms and suites (528 in total) remain charming-yet-updated reminders of the hotel's past. Orchid-lined corridors lead to generous gardens punctuated with palm trees and lush flowers. Private cabanas and sunset-pink deck umbrellas beckon from around the Royal Beach Tower pool.

"The Royal Hawaiian's rich historic context laid the basis for our design," says architect Robert K. Iopa. "We recaptured spaces that were previously renovated and converted them back to the functions they once served--interior spaces that provide shady respites and cool breezeways that make the most of the Royal Coconut Grove and Waikiki Beach."

Welcome to paradise! For more info, go to the Royal Hawaiian Web site.