If old movies and romantic ballads, black-tie dinners and Champagne toasts, put you in the mood for love, you'll revel in the old-world charm of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Fanned by towering palms and overlooking the blue Pacific, Oahu's luxurious "pink palace," as it is affectionately known, is the perfect valentine or romantic getaway.

Since it opened in 1927, the "pink palace" has hosted Hollywood royalty, including "the king," Clark Gable. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, true-life lovers of the silver screen era, are among the rich and famous who have retreated to the hotel that is an island landmark.

Even the name "Royal Hawaiian" is a reminder that the Moorish-style hotel occupies land formerly used by Hawaiian royalty. Hand crafted doors to guest rooms in the historic building are adorned with the Hawaiian coat of arms.

With guest rooms that offer every amenity plus romantic views, The Royal Hawaiian caters to lovers. Dinner at the Monarch Room is an occasion for pampering service, while you look out at a star-filled sky and the profile of Diamond Head hovering above the sea. Afterwards, there's a hard to resist temptation—a moonlit walk along the white sands of Waikiki Beach, warm surf licking at your ankles. During your entire stay, your most difficult decision is likely to be whether to swim in the pool or the Pacific Ocean.

In his book The Pink Palace, Stan Cohen describes the era of opulence, the "roaring twenties," when guests arrived with steamer trunks in chauffeur driven Rolls Royces, accompanied by their servants. After the long voyage by ship, those fortunate travelers planned to take up residence for a month or more.

As soon as you step under the porte cochére and enter the elegant foyer, you'll receive a traditional lei welcome and a warm "aloha" greeting from a woman who looks as if she just stepped out of a painting by Gauguin. Dark eyes half-hidden by her long black hair, she wears a floor-length dress in a colorful Hawaiian print design.

Set back from Kalakaua Avenue, The Royal Hawaiian exists in a stylish and traditional world of its own. Vaulting Spanish arches open onto the lanai and private gardens that present a picture-perfect opportunity for bridal portraits, and hardly a day passes that a newlywed couple doesn't take advantage of the tropical setting.

Nevertheless, when you're ready to shop for souvenirs, it's only steps to several nearby shopping centers and a wide variety of restaurants. Within minutes, you can take advantage of everything Honolulu has to offer.

The Royal Hawaiian is a vintage valentine with a contemporary point of view.

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