THE HISTORY OF
THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation
680 Iwilei Road, Suite #690, Honolulu, HI 96817
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Copyright 2003-2010 Historic Hawaii Foundation unless otherwise noted
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History of the Land
For centuries, the land beneath the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Helumoa, has been an mportant place to Hawaiians. It was the stage where royal courts ruled, the supernatural appeared, an invading army landed and where royalty lived and relaxed.
Maililkukahi, ruler of Oahu, relocated the seat of government from the ewa plains of Oahu to Waikiki as the royal seat of government. Kakuhihewa, Maililkukahi's descendent six generations later encountered the supernatural rooster, "Kaauhelemoa" who flew from Palolo valley and landed at Waikiki to challenge Kakuhihewa by scratching the ground, according to legend. The place was then named "Helumoa" which means "chicken scratch."
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Kamehameha V also built a residence at Helumoa (pictured, left). After his death, Helumoa was left to Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani, who bequeathed it to Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Through Princess Pauahi's will, the land became a part of Kamehameha Schools (Bishop Estate), which still owns the land today.
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Kakuhihewa felt that the appearance of the supernatural rooster was an omen, so he planted a grove of trees, which later multiplied into an estimated 10,000 coconut trees. King Kamehameha I, ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom, established a home named "Kuihelani" in the Helumoa coconut grove.
In the 1890s, the property was leased as a seaside annex to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel located at Richards and Hotel streets. In 1907, the Seaside Hotel opened on the property, and was later acquired by Alexander Young's Territorial Hotel Company, which operated the Alexander Young hotel in downtown Honolulu.
Photo: Hawaii State Archives
King Kamehameha V's residence at Helumoa. Photo: Hawaii State Archives
