Sheraton Princess Kaiulani -Honolulu, HI

In the heart of Waikīkī—just steps from the surf—Sheraton Princess Kaiulani sits on storied ground once tied to Hawaiʻi’s last royal heiress. By day it’s classic Waikīkī energy (beach, shopping, sunset strolls). By night, some guests and ghost-tour storytellers say the hotel’s older corridors can feel oddly watchful—like the past never fully checked out.

Brief Hotel History

The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani stands on the former site of ʻĀinahau, the royal estate associated with Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani. The estate was demolished in the early 20th century; later, wood-frame bungalows were built for the nearby Moana Hotel, and those bungalows were demolished in the early 1950s.
The Princess Kaiulani Hotel opened June 11, 1955, built by the Matson Line; the original building was an 11-story structure that was among the tallest in Hawaiʻi at the time.
After Matson sold its hotels to Sheraton (late 1950s), the property expanded: a second wing opened in 1960, and the ʻĀinahau Tower was added in 1970—helping create the large, multi-wing resort footprint guests recognize today.

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Haunted hot spots and reported paranormal activity

Unlike Waikīkī’s older “tragedy-linked” hotels, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani’s haunted reputation is mostly folklore and tour-story territory, often framed around the site’s royal connection to Princess Kaʻiulani:

• “Royal presence” lore (Ainahau / Princess Kaʻiulani theme): Some haunted-hawaii writers and Waikīkī ghost-tour pages claim guests and staff have reported odd late-night feelings, sightings, or a “protective” presence associated with Princess Kaʻiulani.

• Public/arts writing that calls the hotel “haunted”: An NEH piece (discussing a work about Kaʻiulani) explicitly references the idea that “Kaʻiulani is haunted,” including a mention of an incident involving someone falling from a balcony at the Sheraton Princess Kaʻiulani. (This is contextual/cultural writing, not a verified paranormal report.)

Haunted hot spots (best “vibes” areas, based on the lore):

• Older wing corridors (original 1955/1960 sections) where people say the atmosphere feels most “classic Waikīkī” and most likely to produce eerie hallway moments.

• Upper-floor hallway areas / elevator lobbies (common places for “footsteps/voices” style stories on ghost tours—though specifics are rarely pinned to one single room publicly).

Most haunted rooms or areas to request at check-in

Because there isn’t a widely agreed “Room ### is the haunted one” consensus in mainstream sources, your best approach is requesting the right section:

1. Ask for a room in the older wings (the original / earlier expansion sections) rather than only the most modern tower inventory.

2. Request a room near an elevator lobby on an upper floor if you’re specifically chasing the “late-night hallway” type of experience (where many anecdotal stories tend to occur).

3. Spend time in transitional spaces at night (quiet hallways, lobby approaches) if you’re investigating—those are the zones ghost tours often point to when discussing Waikīkī hauntings.

Recent guest reviews

On major review platforms, guests mostly talk about location, beach access, and value. Direct “I saw a ghost” style reviews are uncommon for this property.

That said, there are occasional recent mentions of “haunted” in guest reviews—often referring to events/attractions rather than paranormal activity. For example, one TripAdvisor review mentions the hotel having an “amazing haunted house.”

If you want, I can dig further and only pull quotes that are truly first-person paranormal (e.g., “I heard footsteps,” “I felt a presence”)—but they tend to be scattered in forums/threads rather than on big booking sites for this hotel.

Ghost Rating: 6/10 — strong story hook (royal estate / Princess Kaʻiulani legacy) with tour-lore momentum, but fewer widely published first-person encounter reviews than the most famous haunted hotels.

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