Tiki Bars
Aku-Tiki - Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez, Mexico (Closed)
Open at least as early as 1963.
The Aku Tiki Restaurant Club was located on the Costera Miguel Alemán, in the Club Deportivo subdivision, almost at the beginning of Icacos beach. It was designed by Dick Meyers.
The Aku Tiki was later incorporated into the grounds of the Holiday Inn Acapulco in 1970. This Holiday Inn was recognizable for its round tower, which still endures despite name changes. It was later rebranded as the Hotel Calinda and is now, as of 2025, called the Hotel Amares Acapulco.
The Aku Tiki closed in 1972 to give rise to the construction of the Torre Playasol complex, today Torre de Acapulco, adjacent to the Hotel Amares Acapulco.
Kon-Tiki Ports - Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
Opened August 6th, 1962.
This restaurant was operated by Steve Crane Associates, which also operated the Kon-Tiki chain, and the Luau in Beverly Hills. It was in the Sheraton-Chicago; this building had begun as the Medinah Athletic Club, which was exclusively for Shriners.
The hotel closed in 1986 for renovations and that was the end of the Kon Tiki Ports. The hotel reopened in 1990 as the Inter Continental.
There was a Kon-Tiki Ports in Boston as well. These locations featured themed rooms modeled after Singapore, Papeete, Saigon, and Macau.
Kon-Tiki Ports - Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Closed)
This was a Steve Crane Associates restaurant, part of the same group of restaurants as the Kon-Tiki chain, and the Luau in Beverly Hills. It was in the Sheraton-Boston at Prudential Center.
There was a Kon-Tiki Ports in Chicago as well. These locations featured themed rooms modeled after Singapore, Papeete, Saigon, and Macau.
Kon-Tiki - Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio, United States (Closed)
This restaurant, part of Steve Crane's Kon-Tiki chain, was in the Sheraton-Cleveland hotel on Public Square.
In 1961, Sheraton converted the Bronze Room to the Kon Tiki Restaurant.
This Kon-Tiki location closed in 1976.
The hotel is now the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, part of the Tower City Center mixed use complex.
Freaky Tiki Tattoos
Kenner, Louisiana, United States (Closed)
This was a tiki-themed tattoo parlor that was open at least as early as 2009. The location is now home to Love Lost Tattoo since about 2013.
The Tiki Nook
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States (Closed)
This was located in the Trade Winds West Motor Hotel. It originally was the Club Trade Winds restaurant.
The Tiki Nook's owner and operator? Former Claremore police officer and artist Morse Purkey.
Mr. Purkey passed away in 2007.
Kon Tiki Inn
Pismo Beach, California, United States
The 40-room hotel opened in 1974 and expanded to 86 rooms in 1985.
If there were once any tiki elements at this site, they appear to have been long removed.
This hotel used to hold Trader Nick's, but in 1999 Trader Nick's was closed.
The old Trader Nick's location was home to a seafood restaurant called Steamers from 2000 to 2016. From 2017 to 2020, this location was home to a restaurant called Flagship, which appears to have been unable to withstand Covid closures. Flagship was replaced by Vista Steak and Seafood (current as of 2024).
The Tiki House
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1980 and closed in 2013.
This location did have a bamboo trimmed bar and some tiki decor but it had more of a roadhouse atmosphere and was known for being a live music venue.
They closed due to rising rent.
Kon-Tiki Museum
Oslo, Norway
Opened in 1950.
The Kon-Tiki raft used in Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 expedition across the Pacific is on view here, along with artifacts and information from all of Heyerdahl's many explorations. Associated with the museum is the Institute for Pacific Archaeology and Cultural History, which continues Heyerdahl's research.
Thor Heyerdahl passed away in April 2002.
Kon-Tiki - Montréal
Montréal, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
This restaurant, the first of the Kon-Tiki chain owned by Steve Crane and his second restaurant after the Luau in Beverly Hills, opened in 1958 and was in the Sheraton-Mt. Royal. It closed in 1981. Some of the decor from here went to the Jardin Tiki.
Jardin Tiki
Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montréal, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
Jardin Tiki opened on February 14, 1985, and was founded by Douglas Chan. Chan had worked at the Montreal Kon-Tiki, and had also opened the nearby Tiki Dor.
Jardin Tiki was a large, open, and extravagant space -- a mid-century building that had been a car dealership. It was filled with many large hanging lamps and other decor that came from the Kon-Tiki (which had closed in 1981). There were water pools complete with turtles, and bridges to cross them. Large cane chairs provided glamorous seating for all. As grand as this all sounds, its most distinctive feature was the natural light: while most classic tiki bars are dark, windowless caverns, Jardin Tiki was full of natural sunlight from the windowed ceiling, giving a bright airy feel usually avoided in Polynesian restaurants.
Jardin Tiki closed on Saturday, March 28th, 2015, and was later demolished for new development.