Tiki Bars
Canoe House
South Pasadena, California, United States
Previously Wild Thyme Restaurant, Canoe House opened in January 2012.
The restaurant design layout features a canoe hanging from the rafters as you would expect. They also have several very nice tiki lamps throughout the building, paddles, Hawaiian art prints, and at least one large Papua New Guinea tiki mask.
Big screen TVs at the bar and throughout the restaurant kill the island ambience somewhat but it brings in a sports crowd.
Food is sort of Hawaiian fusion -- not as high-end as a Roy's -- although you can get herb crusted mahi mahi -- but with a wide variety of sandwiches, burgers, and tacos it feels more like a Hawaiian-styled Applebees.
They have a very limited cocktail menu and don't feature traditional tiki cocktails, but do have an island style mai-tai made with Gosling's and Malibu rum as well as pineapple and orange juice.
The restaurant also has a very nice outdoor patio with a fire pit.
Lava & Tonic
Wichita, Kansas, United States
Lava & Tonic opened in Spring 2019 in Wichita, KS.
The front is rather plain and unmarked in true speakeasy fashion. Look for the Donut Whole and the Hopping Gnome Brewery, it is sandwiched in between.
The Polynesia Apartments - Canoga Park
Canoga Park, California, United States
The Polynesia was built in Canoga Park in 1962 by Mr. Max Resnick, a Southern California apartment builder.
The property measures 25,840 square feet on a total lot size of 29,992 square feet with 27 units with a total of 49 Beds and 28 Baths.
Unlike most tiki apartment complexes, The Polynesia did not have an A-frame at the entrance. Instead, it had an interesting arrangement of large beams decorated with exotic patterns to provide an entrance canopy.
The Polynesia still stands and the mural on the front of the building remains.
However, the decorated canopy beams have long since been removed, about the time of the Northridge Earthquake (1994 or so). Beams on the other side of the building give some idea of what was there.
Del Rosa Isle Apartments
San Bernardino, California, United States
This site is right next door to the Del Rosa Palms Apartments at 2640 Del Rosa Ave and they were probably two sides to the original complex which was envisioned as a sort of Hawaiian Village. They are often mentioned together or interchangeably in apartment listings or other posts.
Opened on May 3rd, 1964, the complex advertised itself as having 71 one, two, or three-bedroom and efficiency units, a putting green, badminton and shuffleboard court, and 2 swimming pools.
This was also the former home to 15 large tikis, some weighing up to 5000 pounds, by local tiki carver Ramar, but they are now long gone. Little is known of Ramar beyond this location.
The Del Rosa Palms has an A-frame entrance in front, but the Del Rosa Isle has an even more impressive A-frame building back by the pool, that is HUGE, with 10-12 original lucite swag lamps hanging from the rafters (the flower blossom variety in multiple colors). This A-Frame was probably meant to be more of an open entertainment area or pool house before, but today the lower half has been walled off to use as a laundry facility and there is a stairway leading up to the top which is a rather bare patio area.
Del Rosa Palms Apartments
San Bernardino, California, United States
This site is right next door to the Del Rosa Isle Apartments at 6262 Del Rosa Ave N and they were probably two sides to the original complex which was envisioned as a sort of Hawaiian Village. They are often mentioned together or interchangeably in apartment listings or other posts.
Opened on May 3rd, 1964, the complex advertised itself as having 71 one, two, or three-bedroom and efficiency units, a putting green, badminton and shuffleboard court, and 2 swimming pools.
This was also the former home to 15 large tikis, some weighing up to 5000 pounds, by local tiki carver Ramar, but they are now long gone. Little is known of Ramar beyond this location.
The Del Rosa Palms has an A-frame entrance in front, but the Del Rosa Isle has an even more impressive A-frame building back by the pool, that is HUGE, with 10-12 original lucite swag lamps hanging from the rafters (the flower blossom variety in multiple colors). This A-Frame was probably meant to be more of an open entertainment area or pool house before, but today the lower half has been walled off to use as a laundry facility and there is a stairway leading up to the top which is a rather bare patio area.
Mona Kai Apartments - Culver City
Culver City, California, United States
The Mona Kai Apartments were built in 1965 on Sawtelle Boulevard in Culver City, CA. They feature a large A-frame entrance.
It doesn't appear that there is any other surviving tiki decor.
There is also a Mona Kai Apartments in Goleta, CA but it is not clear if there is any connection other than the use of the name.
Mona Kai Apartments - Goleta
Goleta, California, United States
This apartment complex features 4 A-frames in front and is 2 stories with 21 units.
Other than this, it doesn't appear to have any other tiki decor.
There are also Mona Kai Apartments, originally built in 1965, at 4600 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles 90230 (Marina del Rey), CA. It is not clear if there is any connection to the apartments in Goleta other than the name.
Tiki Bar - Grau i Platja
Grau i Platja, Spain
Opened in 2010, this is a tiki-themed bar and nightclub in Gandia, Spain.
Marie Antoinette Restaurant & Tahiti Bar
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
Circa 1956-1982.
This restaurant was especially known for its use of Canadian Beauce ceramic tiki vessels (including the much coveted pink Vicious Virgin Bowl with arm up) in its Tahiti Bar.
The Marie Antoinette is today known as Le Marie Beaupré Restaurant.
It was one of a chain of 12 restaurants founded in 1956, of which at least three had a "Tahiti" bar.
Ports O' Call Restaurant - at Ports O' Call Village
Los Angeles/San Pedro, California, United States (Closed)
David Tallichet's Ports O' Call Restaurant, housed in a Polynesian longhouse and surrounded by a forest of tropical foliage in pure Adventureland tradition, opened February 8th, 1961 and proved an immediate success. A lagoon at the entrance, ringed jungle-thick with tropical plants, had a Chinese sampan boat partially sunken in it. Rooms inside were themed to Hawaii (Waikiki), Tahiti, the Hong Kong Yacht Club and a Japanese "Tea Room" - a concept lifted wholesale from Steve Crane's Kon-Tiki Ports chain in Hiltons across the country.
The restaurant sat in the larger Ports O' Call Village -- a seaside plaza that featured souvenir and gift shops, along with restaurants, sweetshops, fish markets and quick-bite eateries. This New England-style seaside village encompassed 15 acres of shops, restaurants and attractions. A meandering promenade of cobblestone streets connects the specialty shops.
More than 40 surrounding merchants were in place when the entire complex held its grand opening on July 13, 1963. When the Whaler’s Wharf section, south of the restaurant, opened in 1967, there were 85 businesses operating in Ports O’ Call Village.
The village drew a good number of people who passed through San Pedro to visit Marineland, a high-profile aquarium/theme park attraction next door, in Rancho Palos Verdes, that closed in February 1987.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, village merchants began to complain about their leases and the upkeep.
By 1984 Tallichet was forced to make some changes and address concerns. The Ports O' Call Restaurant was given a new look and they added a second level with banquet facilities, although the Polynesian theme was done away with almost entirely. Described as "Nautical Victorian", photos of the place which survive online resemble more an 80s retirement home recreation room with bits of tropical decor here and there.
The refurbishments weren't enough and the village continued a slow decline over the years...
The Ports O' Call Restaurant hung on until 2018, when it was forced to close.
Currently, as of 2022, this area is scheduled to be re-developed and has been re-branded as West Harbor (with restaurants, shops, and fresh markets). The $155 million project is scheduled to complete in three phases, with the first phase introducing new restaurants, shops and bars with a finish date of 2024.
Trade Winds Motel - Spokane
Spokane, Washington, United States (Closed)
When the Trade Winds Motel was first opened in 1962, it was considered modern and vibrant with its amazing moai sign flanked by two tiki torches, unique curved structure, kidney-shaped pool and bright colors perhaps more reminiscent of Los Angeles or Miami than Spokane.
The plan of the 4-story building is a graceful curve, with rows of rooms with balconies which face an inner court. It was designed by Donald E. Neraas, a prolific local architect who was noted for his many Mid-Century Modern designs for buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest. The building displays characteristics of the International Style.
But the motel fell into serious disrepair later on its life, languishing for years as an eyesore and shadow of its former glory. The sign was taken down and replaced and the pool filled in.
In 2018, this location underwent a badly needed renovation that improved the property a great deal. As of November 2018, it opened as the Baymont by Wyndham Spokane.
There are several historic Trade Winds features that developers kept intact. Those include the outline of a kidney-shaped pool (now just a filled-in patio), a parking garage, two elevators and the balconies. They appreciated the bones of the structure and have commented publicly that they just don't make them like this anymore. It may not have been restored to its tiki glory but is now a nice modernized hotel on the order of a Holiday Inn.
Kon Tiki Motel - Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California, United States (Closed)
Built in 1958 with 46 rooms.
Costa Mesa’s Kon Tiki Motel was the New Harbor Inn for a time up until about 2017/2018 but is now the Mesa Motel.