Opened May 20th, 2021.

This modern interior may look a bit spartan next to old school Trader Vic's style venues with their intensely layered and darkened interiors packed with carvings and artwork. Instead, the Ark Royal has lots of white wall space behind the bar and another brick wall painted in white as well -- both reflecting light from high-ceilinged windows in the day time.

However, at night, with swag lamps and other ambient lighting, the interior is moodier, and if it is available, one can always retreat to their "Taboo Room" with its couches, swag carpet, and lauhala matting on the ceiling for a more intimate visit.

The Ark Royal's Mission Statement:

"The Ark Royal is a modern Tiki lounge in Downtown Raleigh, though our name comes from an old ship commissioned in 1586 by Sir Walter Raleigh.

Raleigh, the man, was a scholar, an explorer, and truthfully, he was a pirate. Much of his later life was spent hunting for the fabled City of Gold; El Dorado.

Raleigh theorized, studied, searched and struggled to that mythical city, though the poor bastard was beheaded by King James before he could discover it.

Our lounge is not an ode to Sir Walter Raleigh, rather it is an ode to exploration, adventure and discovery. Our exotic cocktails feature ingredients from many cultures from many regions around the world. This blend of spices, spirits, sweeteners and liqueurs offers fascinating insight into a whole world of history, tradition and flavor.

The style of cocktails we offer are known as Tiki, but originally, they were known as exotic drinks, or as Don the Beachcomber called them; 'Rhum Rhapsodies.'

Tiki is exploration. It is adventure. It is discovery. It is The Ark Royal."

Open since at least 2012.

Tribal Island Tiki Adventure Golf is a mini-golf facility in Little River, South Carolina. It features two 18-hole courses, Tiki Bay and Volcano Valley, with tropical scenery, waterfalls, lakes, and caverns.

Built in 1964.

Not to be confused with the Exotic Isle Apartments in Paramount, California at 8600 Rosecrans Avenue that were built in 1963.

This Alhambra location was lush and populated with tiki carvings, tropical plantings, and water features in its heyday.

The carvings became overgrown and were removed and the name was eventually changed to Jade Gardens, but the A-frame and basic architecture of the site remains intact.

Older photos of this location can be found in Sven Kirsten's Book of Tiki (page 220).

Opened in 1960.

One of the first mall-type shopping centers in -or around- California's capital, SOUTHGATE CENTER was developed by a joint venture of Sacramento's James J. Cordano Company and San Francisco's Blumenfeld Enterprises. The single level, open-air complex was designed by Los Angeles' Chaix & Johnson firm and W.B. David, of Sacramento.

It has undergone many developments over the years and is hardly recognizable today.

Most recognized by tikiphiles for having a Barney West tiki on display outside, which was viewable at least as late as 1984.

Notably, the phallus was removed from the carving, for fear of hurting the delicate sensibilities of shoppers.

Today the entire statue is gone...

The Hawaiian Hut was a pre-tiki venue which opened in late 1936/early 1937, and was originally operated by Tony Guerrero with Bill Ornellas, whose nickname was “Whistling/Whislyn/Whislin’.” Built in 1928, the building had previously housed a series of short-lived cafes and clubs before the Hawaiian Hut came along.

Hawaiian-born Tony appeared in a few films and was married to former child actor Charlotte “Peaches” Jackson. He sold his interest in the Hawaiian Hut by 1940 and the couple moved to Honolulu where they operated a restaurant, The Tropics at Waikiki.

Ornellas’ Hawaiian Hut featured not just mere rain on the roof but an entire tropical storm effect. On July 13, 1942, the hut was damaged by an arson-set fire; it reopened September 2, 1942 and continued here through 1945.

Opened circa 2010.

This was not a classic tiki bar but more like a college/sports bar lightly skinned with tikis and beach decor.

It had both an inside seating area and a back outdoor patio with its own bar.

The interior walls were painted solid colors over the years (light gray or orange) or covered in bare brick (patio exterior). The ceilings sported exposed beams with track lighting. Lots of TVs around the room playing sports.

They placed some inexpensive tiki masks and carvings around, along with a few old surfboards and a Sailor Jerry's Hula Girl Statue, but the overall vibe of the place still screamed college bar or sports bar.

It didn't help that they had a very limited selection of non-craft tropical cocktails and did heavy promotion of their "Shot-Ski" where shots are lined up for several drinkers to lift and drink at once as a group activity off a literal ski.

Their closing was also rather abrupt in 2023, but probably not terribly missed by people looking for an authentic tiki experience.

There have been a ton of bars and restaurants named "Pago Pago" over the years.

This one at 319 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs (some ads say 317) was opened in April of 1945 by Eddie Brandhorst (who also owned a Pago Pago in Long Beach).

It was formerly "The Waikiki" and owned by Joe Felix (at least as early as 1941).

It seems to have had a fire incident early on but was quickly remodeled and re-opened in October of 1945.

This pre-tiki establishment was known for advertising dancing and rain on the roof.

According to the Desert Sun, the petition to allow dancing was approved in August of 1946, so they had to wait for a little while after their initial opening.

The interior was also decked out with a large mural of scantily-clad native women, which the owner defended in the Desert Sun, December 6th, 1946, stating: "Ladies, do not fear for your husbands in the Mural Room. I know how they gaze at the Pago nymphs on the Pago walls—but they’re only painted there. Besides, the painter, Allan Woods, also came from Long Beach, 'a stern, unbending Puritan town.'"

Ownership changed, transferring to Don Artz as early as April of 1947 when he took ownership according to Desert Sun newspaper ads.

It was put up for sale in 1948 after Don fell on ill health.

Later, the site was taken over by Lee Bering and the name changed to "Lee Bering's Restaurant" in 1949, apparently making a break from the tropical island theme.

There were apparently 4 Hula Hut Drive-In locations: Whittier, El Monte, Anaheim, and Fullerton.

They were popular as teenage hangouts, especially for early 1950s hot-rodders.

These pre-tiki joints are described much like Mel's Drive-In in the film American Graffiti, but with a Polynesian theme twist -- and carhops dressed like hula girls.

This Hula Hut in Whittier was frequented by Dean Moon, the famous hot rod pioneer. They even had a car club called the "Hutters" named after the Hula Hut.

Originally opened by Bill Blair and known for its hula sign and sexy menus.

Later purchased and re-named Bill's Drive-In.

This pre-tiki establishment was opened on April 12, 1939 by Niel Murphy.

It was across the street from the RKO Studios backlot. The RKO Forty Acres (1927-1976) was best known as Forty Acres and "the back forty," it was also called "Desilu Culver," the "RKO backlot," and "Pathé 40 Acre Ranch," depending on which studio owned the property at the time.

The Coral Isle featured murals by Frank Bowers, decorative matting, and bamboo everything. The house specialty was chicken dinners.

Harold La Van took over Coral Isle in July 1941 and by this time it had transitioned to serving Chinese food and tropical cocktails. La Van had operated a previous cafe in Venice, the Bambu Hut as well as the Rhumba Cabana in Santa Monica. La Van expanded the Coral Isle in 1944. It was soon taken over by brothers Phil and Lou Stein and their partner Bob Sassner, then Bob Axelrod in September 1946.

In 1956 it became the sophisticated Culver House.

Operated during the 1970s.

This was once the ONLY Polynesian restaurant located in Cape May County.

Blue Hawaii was once the Bavarian Inn and after being the Blue Hawaii, it would become The Thunderbird Inn.

Sadly, the whole property would become townhouses.

A restaurant of the same name and using the same logo graphics was also located in Nashville, Tennessee. No known connection.

November 24, 2021 was Tiki Underground’s last call in its previous Hudson location. The bar moved to this new space at 1832 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 in September of 2022.

“The far side is the side of the volcano the ship ran aground, and the other side is the ship itself,” says co-owner Sean Coffey (Jessie Coffey is the other co-owner).

Arched wooden beams and portholes showing fish at the National Aquarium create the illusion of the design by “Doktor” Bill Lynn, an artist and Kahuna Kings drummer who has played the bar. Lynn made a molten concrete wall with skulls to emulate volcanic rock that backs the thatch roof-covered bar. And a hallway becomes the jungle with hanging plants and a giant skull with glowing red eyes.

“The idea for any tiki bar is escapism,” says Coffey. “You lose track of time. That’s the idea of forgetting about your troubles.”

Tiki Underground tells stories of the tiki movement through gallery-worthy memorabilia, including a large wooden tiki from Cleveland’s former Kon Tiki.

The Mokhana Bar was located in Kokee Lodge at the top of Waimea Canyon, on Kauai.

It has long since been remodeled and no traces of the bar remain, although Kokee Lodge is still running.

The bar had Leeteg paintings on the walls, carved tikis, and served drinks out of coconuts.