Hilton Hawaiian Village & Shell Bar

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

This classic Hawaiian hotel with striking views of Diamond Head near the beach of Waikiki was built in 1955 by famed American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, and was originally named Kaiser's Hawaiian Village. The property began with a few buildings, but rapidly expanded, with soaring towers eventually contributing to Waikiki's skyline. The Rainbow Tower in particular is a local landmark. Kaiser also built a nearby geodesic dome auditorium, the Kaiser Aluminum Dome, where some Exotica classics were recorded.

Hilton purchased the hotel in 1961, and still owns it today.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village and its Shell Bar were also the setting for the TV show Hawaiian Eye, produced by Warner Brothers in Burbank and originally broadcast on ABC-TV from 1959 to 1963. Hawaiian Eye was a "private eye" adventure in modern Honolulu, with murder and mayhem set against the tropical scenery of the islands. The show had a vacation-like atmosphere with plots rum-infused with luaus, surfing, ukuleles, and Navy Grogs. Anthony Eisley and Robert Conrad were the private investigators working from their stylish poolside office. Pretty nightclub singer Connie Stevens performed each week in the adjacent Shell Bar, and Hawaiian-born Poncie Ponce added to the fun as a colorful cab driver. Even the villains on the show each week seemed to be on vacation. The most familiar icon of Hawaiian Eye, however, was the tiki seen at the opening and closing of every episode. The tiki also stood in the Hawaiian Eye headquarters and served as a sort of good-luck charm for the private eyes. See photos below...

There was even a "Hawaiian Eye" cocktail with its own mug on the original menu.

Martin Denny played regularly in the Shell Bar, and for a couple of years Arthur Lyman played here with him.

There is currently no Shell Bar (or other tiki bar here), but you can get tropical cocktails at the Tropics Bar & Grill.

*Original Cocktail Menu shown below.