Hawaii
Elvis slept here: Inside the luxurious Waikiki resort he made world-famous
Elvis loved spending time in Hawaii. – Photo courtesy of Public Domain
Elvis loved quite a few things: luxury cars, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and Hawaii. The King of Rock and Roll spent nearly 20 years of his life visiting Hawaii, and more specifically, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, an iconic resort that’s still open today — and brimming with fellow Elvis fans who want a glimpse into the King’s past.
The resort has an elite roster of famous fans who’ve roamed its halls, from Barack Obama to Ronald Reagan to Michael Jackson. But Elvis is regarded as the superstar who put this hotel on the map, having filmed “Blue Hawaii” on its property in 1961 and returning frequently over the course of two decades.
As you can imagine, the hotel has embraced the iconic connection. Visitors can explore the resort’s timeline wall, which features photos of Presley during his stays, information about the star, and memorabilia from his various visits.
Elvis regularly stayed in the Rainbow Tower. – Photo courtesy of Hilton
Why did Elvis Presley love this hotel?
Initially, the Hilton Hawaiian Village served as the filming location for Elvis’s movie “Blue Hawaii.” There aren’t many reports on why Elvis loved this specific hotel, but it’s the only one he stayed at while visiting Hawaii (which he did quite a bit).
Kathleen King, an art gallery owner on Waikiki Beach, met Elvis in 1966 while he was filming the movie “Paradise, Hawaiian Style.” She told Elvis Information Network that he was always happy to sign autographs, but fans were extremely cordial, leaving the star to enjoy his vacation after meeting him.
“That is one of the reasons Elvis kept returning to Hawaii — he wasn’t hassled or bothered by the press or the fans,” author Sanja Meegin wrote, following her research into the area.
Meegin did quite a bit of research into the star’s Hawaii ventures. She found a telegram Elvis sent to the Honolulu Star newspaper in 1957, ahead of his first visit to the resort:
“I know I will enjoy your islands. Like to surf and swim. Getting good tan on board. Have read about Hawaiian hospitality and am eagerly looking forward to same,” Elvis wrote.
Hawaii allowed Elvis to escape the attention from his daily life. – Photo courtesy of Public Domain
Inside Elvis Presley’s favorite hotel room
When he stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in 1957 and 1961, Elvis stayed in the Ali’i Oceanfront Presidential Suite on the 14th floor of the Rainbow Tower.
In the ‘60s, Elvis was known to rent out the whole floor for his entourage. These days, the Ali’i Presidential Suite is available across two full floors (the 14th and 15th). It comes with a number of stunning features, including:
- The ability to sleep seven
- A 285-square-foot balcony
- A large living room
- An entry foyer
- A wet bar
- Premium resort amenities and services
- Oceanfront views
- Security alarms
- Optional: Private lobby check-in
- Optional: Private pool, bar, and fitness center
The King was known to stay in the presidential suite, but you don’t need to book one yourself to step in his shoes. He famously held a press conference prior to the Pearl Harbor benefit concert in the hotel’s Carousel Room. Information about this room is not publicly available, so when you visit, be sure to ask the hotel staff to point you in the right direction.
What other celebrities love this resort?
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is no stranger to superstar guests. While Elvis is among the resort’s most notable famous fans, it has hosted a number of big names.
Michael Jackson stayed at the hotel in 1997 and stayed on the 14th floor of the Ali’i Tower in the Mahele Suite, according to Hawaii News Now.
“We had customers on property day and night,” recalled Lani Bjork, head of security at the resort in 1997. “He came out to the lanai to wave to them and you could hear that wave of Michael, Michael, throughout the evening.”
The resort has also hosted several presidents in the past few decades, including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford.
More recently, Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White filmed an episode of “Wheel of Fortune” at the resort in 2024.
The film “Girls Girls Girls” was partially filmed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. – Photo courtesy of Public Domain
How to experience Hawaii like Elvis
To Elvis, Hawaii wasn’t just a vacation destination — it was a livelihood. The singer loved the locale so much that he incorporated elements of Hawaii into his music, his films, and his own home at Graceland.
Numerous blogs, books, and archives note that Elvis loved Hawaii for its atmosphere, notably its stunning natural features (including its waterfalls and relaxing beaches). There are hundreds of pictures available online of the star enjoying his time in Hawaii. Based on what we’ve found, you can experience Hawaii like Elvis by:
- Sunbathing. The beaches were a huge draw for Elvis, where he was often found sunbathing and relaxing on white sands.
- Visiting the Halona Blowhole lookout: Want to see the Halona Blowhole? Elvis did — check out the natural formation to step into the King’s literal footsteps.
- Renting a speedboat: Elvis was spotted doing all manner of water sports during his 1968 vacation, including driving a speedboat and paddling on a floating device.
- Getting on those water skis: Hawaii’s beaches are the perfect spots for waterskiing, even if you’ve never done it before. Elvis was spotted trying out the sport for himself during a Hawaii vacation.
- Swimming: You don’t visit Hawaii and spend hours on the beach without going for a dip. Elvis has been spotted swimming during nearly every trip he has on record.
- Surfing: As noted in his own telegram, Elvis was a surfer, and he enjoyed practicing his craft during visits to The Aloha State.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.
Half of the elevated deck-level seating on the stadium’s makai side was severed and toppled backward as part of demolition work that began in February.
The other half of the upper makai-side seating is slated to come down Tuesday, followed by similar sections on the mauka side and both end zones, though the concrete foundations for lower-level end-zone seating are being preserved for a new, smaller stadium to rise on the same site.
A private partnership, Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by local developer Stanford Carr, is replacing the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, which opened in 1975 and was shuttered in 2020, with a new stadium featuring up to 31,000 seats.
AHDP is using $350 million of state funding toward the cost of the new stadium, which could be $475 million or more, and will operate and maintain the facility on state land for 30 years with a land lease.
The development team also is to redevelop much of the 98-acre stadium property dominated by parking lots with a new mixed-use community that includes at least 4,100 residences, two hotels, an office tower, retail, entertainment attractions and open spaces expected to be delivered in phases over 25 years and costing close to or more than $5 billion or $6 billion.
Earlier parts of stadium demolition work led by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. included removing four covered multistory spiral walkways leading to the upper level from the ground, and concourse bridges.
Demolishing the stadium is projected to be done by August, according to Carr.
Building the new facility is expected to be finished in 2029.
Hawaii
This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tal-airbnb-one-off-tout-1465b3bde0864117b43761b0d1dd346e.jpg?ssl=1 "This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite")
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The team behind a popular Hawaii-based home renovation show is now facing legal troubles after airing content that shouldn’t have been released, according to the state.
Hawaii’s Attorney General is now involved after HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ showed uncensored images of apparent ancient skeletal remains that were discovered at a Hilo property.
In a now-deleted clip on social media, Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama, along with the production team, discovered a cave beneath a Hilo property where they found the remains deep inside.
Video documented their shock when it was found, with the hosts saying, “There’s bones back here. I got to get out of here. Are you fricken serious? I’m serious dude. Is that a skull?”
Tristyn was seen standing further back, saying “This is terrifying. I’m at my stopping point” before leaving.
Hawaii News Now is not showing the bones, but confirmed with HGTV the episode was filmed in December 2025.
Video didn’t show them touching or moving the remains, and HGTV said authorities were notified after the discovery, the property was not developed, and the site was later blessed.
At the time, police said no crime was committed, and the state AG obtained a TRO to prevent the broadcast of the images in accordance with state law.
However this week, uncensored video of the bones was posted online by the Kalamas and HGTV, and included in the episode, triggering a quick rebuke from the community.
“We don’t kaula’i iwi. We do not lay our bones out in the sun to expose him in this manner,” former Oahu Island Burial Council Chair Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu said.
She also said the release of the images was “extremely disappointing,” saying the damage was already done.
“It is irrelevant that bones were not moved. It is irrelevant that they were not disturbed, per se, because somebody didn’t touch them — but you went into their space and that space becomes kapu space once they have transitioned over to po. And when you do that, we honor that. We don’t disturb them,” Wong-Kalu added.
The AG said they took immediate legal action to prevent the unlawful broadcast of images, pointing to a TRO issued prior to the episode’s release. They also said, “We are aware that the segment aired notwithstanding the court’s order, and we take this matter very seriously. The Department will pursue additional action as necessary.”
Court Documents revealed the Kalamas and producers of the show are now facing four counts for allegedly breaking Iwi Kupuna protection rules.
“If that were our grandparent, would we want them, after they have physically transitioned to po, would we want to share our family in this manner? I don’t think so,” Wong-Kalu added.
HGTV said in a statement, “We take the concerns raised by the community very seriously and are committed to ensuring our programming is respectful and appropriate. We apologize to anyone who found any part of the episode offensive, that was not HGTV’s intention.”
They also confirmed the original episode was removed, and re-edited without the bones included.
Through our communication with the HGTV spokesperson, Hawaii News Now offered the Kalamas a chance to respond directly, but they did not. They did however take to Instagram to address the episode, saying they followed the protocols they knew, and never intended to build there. They stressed their respect for Hawaiian culture and practices.
The investigation remains active.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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