Pretty in Pink: Palaces, Sunsets, & Moons
Spring 2026 is feeling Molly Ringwald style — confidently different, a Tempest, inside turmoil with outside glamour.
If you’ve read my previous blog entries, you know I never met an 80s theme I didn’t love. So let’s run with it and talk about one of spring’s prettiest travel trends: Pretty in Pink…Hotels.
I’ve had the pleasure of staying in a few iconic blush beauties already, and let me tell you, they don’t just give you a place to sleep. They give you atmosphere.
The Royal Hawaiian
The Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki is called the Pink Palace of the Pacific and it is everything. Opened in 1927, it has one of the longest hotel histories in Hawai‘i, and you can see it in every detail, especially the guest room doors (every single one is hand-carved). If you want feels that are both legendary and completely transportive at the same time, this is your Grande Dame. It’s pink with purpose, and I love it.
The Don CeSar
This is Florida’s own glorious Pink Palace on St. Pete Beach. Opened in 1928, it has been welcoming travelers for nearly a century. It’s undergoing a multi-year renovation, the prior one having occurred in the 1980s. But it gives you the opportunity to notice the merging of the decades that valued art-deco design. Art Deco is finding its footing again in the 2020s, so put your design knowledge to the test and study which details are original 1920s Art Deco, or 1980s / 2020s Art-Deco Revival.
I have a few more on my list. Have you ever been?
La Valencia Hotel — La Jolla, California: A Mediterranean beauty that got her start in 1926 and has lived many glamorous lives since. She is affectionately called “The Pink Lady.”
Dauphine Orleans Hotel — New Orleans, Louisiana: Haute, Historic, and Haunted. Dating back to 1775, she is quintessential New Orleans with gardens, courtyards, iron balconies and a pink facade.
Grand Galvez — Galveston, Texas: Established in 1911, she is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast and is dubbed “The Queen of the Gulf.”
What I love most about pink hotels is that they don’t apologize for being bright.
Here’s our seasonal permission to be brighter, bolder, prettier, louder, or whatever makes you more fully yourself. We are made to grow and bloom 🌸
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Here are a couple more fun tidbits of pink bloom this season.
Did you know that the Artemis launch coincided this year with the full “Pink Moon?” Named after the early spring-blooming Phlox subulata. This "Paschal Moon" marked the first full moon of spring and signifies renewal.
Finally, 50×50 Travels is also blooming and renewing. On our most recent journey to connect with travelers, we enjoyed a beautiful pink sunset at Cocoa Beach. If you’re in the area we’ve partnered with Discovery Beach Resort as an official 50×50 Launch Point (Its by Cape Canaveral, get it, Launch Point 😉). Stop in and check out our new mini-beach shop in the resort and launch your 50×50 any way you see fit.
Here are a few beachy ideas to get you started. Are you:
The Wave Rider
Catch a wave on a shortboard — or cruise a sandy sidewalk on a longboard. Either way, find your balance in all 50 states.
The Beach Builder
Pure Americana: find a stretch of sand and build your castle in every state you can.
The Space Sojourner
Track the places that make you look up, dream bigger, and chase the next horizon — from rocket launches to starry skies.
There’s no wrong way to start a 50×50, and if it’s pink, even better.
~ Safe Travels
