At Jeryn Braswell's wedding in October 2024, a few of the guests were staff of the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki.
That's because Braswell, a San Francisco resident, grew up visiting the historic hotel. After 25 years, the "Pink Palace" (nicknamed after its rosy pink exterior) has become her second home.
The Royal Hawaiian has been situated along Waikiki Beach for 99 years. In that time, the resort has become an annual gathering place for many families on their Hawaiian vacations, including Braswell's.
Braswell first visited the resort with her grandparents when she was 6 years old, and continues to return at least once a year with family. Her grandparents have been going for nearly four decades, sometimes up to four times a year, and have passed the tradition
down through the family. Her grandparents estimate they have stayed at the hotel over 75 times.
Multigenerational travel can leave a lasting impact on families. According to a May 2026 survey by Road Scholar, more families prioritize traveling together to strengthen their bonds, carve out quality time and create lasting memories rather than just relaxing.
Nearly 40 years of memories
Braswell's grandmother, Lynette Busby, is a well-known guest throughout the Royal Hawaiian. In fact, Busby has a barstool with her name on it at the beachfront Mai Tai Bar — which she calls an honor.
In 1990, Busby and her now-husband took a trip to several Hawaiian Islands with their final stop at the Royal Hawaiian. The couple quickly felt at home, even befriending the hotel manager at the time. Since then, they've gone on vacations with the manager as long-time friends, like to Japan.
"We were hooked," Busby said in an email to USA TODAY. "The Royal would be our special place."
On their next trip in 1997, they attended the hotel's New Year's Eve gala and decided they wanted to form memories with their grandchildren. So the couple brought them along in 2001, with Braswell and her younger sister wearing matching outfits for the party. Braswell remembers being in awe of the pink-colored resort as a child, and how it was festively decorated for Christmas. Those trips hold special memories for her, like going downstairs to have the iconic pink pancakes at breakfast and learning hula for the first time.
Over time, more relatives wanted to join the experience. The group of four quickly expanded to about 14.
The "icing on the cake," as Busby put it, was when her granddaughter decided to get married there.
When Braswell and her now-husband, Trent, were planning the wedding, they checked out venues in San Francisco, but nothing felt right. Then it hit them: why not get married at the Royal Hawaiian? When Braswell told Busby the news, she said her grandmother cried out of happiness. It was another special memory made there.
A second home
The hotel has become a staple in the family's lives. They've created lasting relationships with the staff, from the bartenders to the housekeepers.
"We've met so many incredible people that work there and have become such great friends with them over the years," agreed Braswell.
She's even made friends with other frequent guests from other cities whom she'd keep seeing at the resort. In a way, they grew up together. When she was younger, she even had a pen pal from Japan for a while, after meeting at the New Year's Eve party.
The family keeps returning annually, with Braswell's grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins usually joining the trips. In February, Busby's daughter had a big 50th birthday celebration on the resort's lawn with around 40 friends and family there.
The young couple is determined that the tradition lives on. Braswell is excited to bring her future kids to the Royal Hawaiian so they can make the same memories she did.
"Just getting to be all together in a place, I think I could speak for my whole entire family; it feels like it's just like a second home," said Braswell.
Kathleen Wong is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY. She's the author of "The Conscious Traveller Hawai'i" and is based in Hawaii.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: They first visited this hotel in 1990. Why they keep coming back
