Pseudo-Archaeology · The Archaeology Podcast Network

Live from the Royal Hawaiian! - Ep 159

·26 min·1 clip

The Royal Hawaiian is built in 1927, while the Moana Surfrider dates to 1901, and the host says the ghost stories are misassigned.

1. Pseudo-Archaeology episode 159 centers on the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, and its history as the "Pink Palace." 2. Host Dr. Andrew Kinkala records live from the Royal Hawaiian as the show's presenter and as someone connecting the site to archaeology, preservation, and ghost-story claims. 3. The episode asks whether the Royal Hawaiian is haunted, then uses the hotel's 1927 opening, preserved spaces, and famous visitors to answer that question. 4. The host distinguishes the Royal Hawaiian from the Moana Surfrider, which he says is the oldest Waikiki hotel and opened in 1901. 5. He describes the Royal Hawaiian as built in 1927 with a Spanish or Spanish-Moorish look, including arches, stucco, and a low profile beside larger Waikiki towers. 6. He says the hotel was influenced by Rudolph Valentino and compares that era's movie-driven architecture to the 1920s style. 7. He notes that the Royal Hawaiian tower addition dates to the late 1960s and gives the property a "Mad Men vibe." 8. He reads a February 2, 1927 Honolulu Advertiser headline that says "Hotel Opening Brilliant" and quotes the subheads "Modern ancient Hawaii etched in vivid colors" and "Aloha spirit hovers over great palace." 9. He also notices a 1920s headline reading "Booze and auto put girl on road to ruin," which he cites as a period detail in the hallway display. 10. The hotel's archives include sterling silver pieces, photographs, and an opening-night image that he says resembles a photo from The Shining. 11. He points to photos of Amelia Earhart and says she stayed or appeared in the hotel's history displays as one of the notable visitors. 12. He explains that Earhart's around-the-world flight began with the Oakland-to-Honolulu leg and that a hard landing in Honolulu forced repairs. 13. He frames that Honolulu stop as a moment that changed the route of Earhart's flight. 14. He walks past a historic stairway that looks original, even though it seems to lead nowhere, and connects that to reuse under the National Historic Preservation Act. 15. He says the preserved ballroom has been partitioned lengthwise but still keeps a 1920s character. 16. He ties the haunted feeling to Heiau, Hawaiian ritual platforms, and to visitors misreading old buildings, Hawaiian culture, and small noises as apparitions. 17. The tone is conversational and improvised, with the host pausing for passersby, birds, wind, and restaurant noise. 18. The format is a live walking tour with repeated location shifts through the lobby, hallway history display, ballroom, restaurant area, and Waikiki beachfront. 19. Listeners interested in Hawaii history, historic hotels, or preservation will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a tightly edited, topic-only history segment may skip the live, wandering format.

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