Opened in 1980 by Henry Creuzot and named after his wife, Esther.

It was previously a couple of stand-alone hotels that were acquired by the owners, who connected everything by building a huge atrium over the top of the grounds and creating gardens around the pools, etc.

Esther's established itself as a great weekend party destination for the locals because where else could you immerse yourself in the tropics during those harsh Northern winters, short of taking an actual plane trip?

This 126-room-hotel featured tons of plants (especially in its atrium area), skylights, indoor pools with waterslides, and 5 jacuzzis. The main atrium was HUGE, with gardens dotted by bridges, masks, and tikis in addition to the pools and jacuzzis.

As far as decor, they were able to acquire many pieces from The Outrigger (later The Bamboo House) after it closed. Among these was an outrigger canoe and some of the tikis at the entrance to their Tradewinds Restaurant.

Their "Esther's Monsoon Lounge" was sandwiched in between their Tradewinds Restaurant and the main entrance/atrium. It featured Oceanic Arts masks on the walls which appear to have made it through the remodeling to its current incarnation.

Their Tradewinds Restaurant and its Orchid Dining Room also had a large outdoor "gazebo" under a thatch roof overlooking the atrium gardens.

The hotel was later remodeled @2014 and is now a Super 8.

Although it has lost much of its earlier charm, there are still tiki details to be found, and some of the masks remain on the walls.

Chin's was one of the many already established Chinese restaurants that jumped on the Pop Polynesian bandwagon to help bring in customers.

Chin's was the oldest Chinese restaurant in Western New York, established in 1933. Paul G.E. Wong purchased the business in 1949 and ran it as a family business until he retired in 1977. The family continued to run it for several years afterward until the closing in 2018.

They specialized in Cantonese cuisine, but postcards from around 1977 show their exterior lounge and advertising highlighting "Chin's Islander Lounge Chinese Polynesian also American Foods and Exotic Drinks".

Their earlier Red Dragon logo from 1950s menus appears to have been replaced with the Polynesian emphasis.

Today, as of 2025, the space is home to Coco Bar & Bistro (French food and burgers).

Additionally, Chin's appears to have had two younger sister restaurants with the same name at the other end of Lake Erie, in Cleveland, Ohio (one at 3042 St. Clair Avenue and one at 10613 Euclid Avenue).

The South Seas was connected to the Three O Seven Club at 307 W Pike in Long Beach, CA.

Circa 1948 - 1953.

This pre-tiki establishment featured such cocktails as the "Monkey's Tail" and the "Banana Bazooka"!

Opened September 2nd, 2022.

A collaboration between the team behind Liberty Street Bistro—chef/owner Michael Kelly, his wife Alex, and executive chef Maggie Lloyd—along with designer Pat Nunnari and beverage director Jessica Gonzalez. Located in the old Blue Martini space, next door to Primo Waterfront.

Inspired by a visit to the Fuschia Tiki Bar, who also did consultation on the initial cocktail list.

The name "Jet Set" harkened back to the glory days of air travel, with bartender as pilot.

Although there was decor you would normally see in a tiki bar, with lots of tropical foliage and thatch, fish floats, and tiki mugs, there were no carved tikis and the tiki decor was rather sparse by traditional standards set by Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber.

“Tiki itself has its origins in post-war escapism,” Nunnari says. “These guys who came back wanted to think back on paradise. It’s an Americanized sort of thing—it’s kind of fake in that respect, which leaves a lot of room for you to put your own twist on it.”

“It’s very hard to talk about tiki history without the appropriation of cultural iconography, specifically tiki gods, coming up,” says Alex Kelly, another partner in the project. “We get that, acknowledge it, and are not looking to add to the fetishization of Pacific Islander culture with The Jet Set. We have leaned heavily into the idea of mid-century modern air travel. What we aim to do at The Jet Set is focus on the quality of the cocktails our guests will be drinking.”

Best intentions aside, the bar did use plenty of mugs with tiki iconography and one of the most prominent pieces of bar art was a flip-up gate with a western-style painting of a cartoony pin-up native with a bone stuck in her hair (and holding a tiki mug). So, there was a little inconsistency in the application...

There was lots of stuff to love, though. The Jet Set had a very cool 30' aluminum jet fuselage with lit-up passenger windows in their dining area and a large outdoor patio as well. Unlike many tiki bars, they also had a great deal of space to work with and there was plenty of seating.

As time went on, they added to their decor with vintage style lamps and other details. They also became known for their live music presentations.

Unfortunately, they closed September 28th, 2024. No official reason given for closing...

Opened May 12th, 1967 at 12125 S. Lakewood Boulevard in Downey.

The exterior with its rough wood exterior and heavy plantings of palms could easily be mistaken for the old Bahooka in Rosemead or, maybe because of the A-frame opening, the old Don The Beachcomber's/Sam's Seafood in Huntington Beach. But it is neither.

The Sandpiper's logo porthole can be seen on the front door in one of the photos below. Looks like the top of a tiki head sticking up right behind the engine of the drag racer but hard to tell.

They served steak, seafood, and European dishes.

The space was immense, but the interior was carefully divided into more intimate dining areas for a labyrinth effect that those who are familiar with the old Bahooka in Rosemead probably remember getting lost in.

The main dining room was designed like a 19th century whaling ship with a massive mast and yardarm. Its walls, like those throughout the restaurant were covered in brightly varnished yellow woods, including Pecky Cypress containing numerous holes which resemble those pecked by birds. Pecky Cypress is hard to come by in the modern era and when you spot it somewhere (like in the interior of The Tonga Hut in North Hollywood) you can rest assured you are in a vintage interior.

The sandpiper also had a gigantic outdoor luau garden which accommodated 200 and had 20-foot waterfalls.

Black and white photos below show a drag racer posing outside the Sandpiper circa 1967, the year the restaurant opened.

The old Sandpiper building is no longer there anymore. Looks like the closest commercial property would be Bill and Steve's Foreign Auto at 12121 Lakewood.

The previous restaurant had a bad fire in 1954, killing 2 employees, then another fire on January 28 1961, which destroyed the building during the end of a Polynesian themed remodel of the previous restaurant.

They kept going, however, with their original plans, and the Polynesian remodel was completed. Saxony South Seas opened in early September of 1961.

From an October 25th, 1961 review:

"The Saxony South Seas boasted authentic South Seas decoration, including 48 carvings of various sizes from exotic places such as Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii. Behind the bar stood a massive 1300 pound Tiki idol, while the back bar was inlaid with mother of pearl - 3000 pieces - all hand inlaid, weighing 65 pounds. The manager Richard Tierney said the restaurant incorporates what the management considered the best elements of famous Polynesian restaurants throughout the country. 'We used native materials, imported trough a San Francisco agent, then refined the atmosphere to what we thought would be attractive to our Milwaukee patrons.' The restaurant sat 170.

Leon Garces was the Filipino chef who came from the Beachcomber's in Chicago. 'The forte of the bar, of course, is rum drinks. Most come in exotic containers, such as the Tonga, called a sorcerer's blend and served in a ceramic miniature Easter Island figure. The Volcano is served in a real coconut and consists of gin, brandy, rum and pineapple juice, garnished with an orchid.'"

This elaborate South Seas theme only lasted 3 years until 1964 when the restaurant changed back to serving "American" cuisine...

Today, as of 2023, this site appears to be home to The Shul Center, a synagogue.

Opened February 2022.

They tout themselves as being the first and only tiki bar in Colorado Springs, but Tommy Wong did have an Island Restaurant in Colorado Springs (not much evidence remains today). Still, for today's customers, this is definitely the only place in town.

Audriana Crane co-owns Shrunken Head Tiki in Colorado Springs along with local entrepreneur Joe Campana.

They were inspired by visiting Golden Tiki and Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas and wanted to bring something like that to Colorado Springs.

The main entrance is a door between Oskar Blues Grill & Brew and Bell Brothers Brewing entrances. There’s an elevator or stairs to take you down.

The focal point of the bar is a bubbling fountain with a fog machine and greenery.

The center bar has swings for seating and a whimsical Light Brite peg game.

The back bar has skulls embedded into the divider walls.

Drinks are served in an assortment of tiki mugs.

The Palm Springs Hotel was one of the city's earliest hotels, although there is little information left about it today. It was located at 265 N. Palm Canyon Drive and appears to have been around since at least the 40s. Probably before.

Through the 1950s, it was known for its Coral Tree Restaurant, which featured French-inspired food, and whose interior featured coral-colored booths with lots of tropical plants and a leaf-patterned carpet.

The Luau Restaurant looks to have been a 1940s pre-tiki establishment that was replaced by the Coral Tree. Difficult to say. Only the occasional menu turns up but judging by The Luau prices, it was probably before the Coral Tree and perhaps there are some traces of the old Luau when looking at interior shots of the Coral Tree below.

Today, this space has been entirely rebuilt and nothing of the old venue remains. It is now home to the Hyatt Palm Springs (the half which also has public self-parking).

However, you can still walk across the street from the Hyatt to where the current Tonga Hut Palm Springs offers Pop Polynesian escape to today's customers.

Opened March 30th, 2017.

Navy Strength is a proto-tiki, tropical, and travel-influenced cocktail bar with a full kitchen.

Just to elaborate on ""proto-tiki" -- their decor is minimalistic without the layers of tiki carvings and art you might find at more traditional tiki establishments. They do not claim to be a tiki bar, but certainly tiki influenced. They do use tiki mugs and there are some small carvings and pieces throughout.

The ceiling and adjacent walls do have lots of variated wood planking that puts one in mind of a ship's hull, however, and looking about, you'll spot lengths and coils of ship's rope that makes it seem like you are embarking on some sort of naval voyage. A definite nautical bent as the bar's name would imply.

Their food and drink menu does rotate to some extent, to highlight different countries around the world, so depending on when you visit, you may have very different options. There does appear to be a standard cocktail menu (see below) of tiki favorites, however.

Drinks and food from 4 PM until 12 AM. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

The second attempt to establish a Don the Beachcomber in San Diego was just as short-lived as the first.

It opened in 1980, replacing the Barefoot Bar that had been there since 1962.

Don the Beachcomber did not last long, however, and closed in 1983.

Jack Skirball sold the resort to P&O Enterprises, hotel and cruise ship operators (The Love Boat). The property was renamed the San Diego Princess Resort, and the restaurant became the Polynesian Princess.

The Polynesian Princess closed in 1998.

Today, The Vacation Village Hotel is now called Paradise Point Resort & Spa and there is once more a Barefoot Bar back in place of where Don the Beachcomber's used to be.

This was a 1930's era pre-tiki tropical bar, and it is difficult to know whether this version or the one in Los Angeles came first. Both advertised "Rain On The Roof". They appear to have been owned separately, however, and were not sister locations.

Today, this location is a parking lot.

Opened on March 19th, 2022 in what had been known previously as the old TheaterNOW building.

This venue billed itself as an "Adventure Bar" which incorporated some aspects of tiki decor besides just the cocktails, but also included a Cabinet of Curiosities vibe with artifacts from all corners of the world as one would expect to find in an old-school adventurer's club.

From The Sorrow Drowner:

"Once you cross the threshold, you will be transported into the classic era of Exploration. The Lemurian Institute, a global leader in history and exploration, led by its founder, Edward Bartholomew Wheatley the Third, have assembled a team of the finest adventurers and scholars from around the globe. What happens behind the doors of the Institute has been a question for decades; however, as the old saying goes, 'When the Machairodus Kabir is away, the Indefatigable Galapagos Mice will play!'

Enter The Sorrow Drowners!

This rag-tag group of individuals, nicknamed for their near nightly revelries, keep the Institute running while the Board of Directors are out exploring! Many of these acolytes pine to be in the field but have yet to pay their dues. Instead, they stay behind to research and catalogue the variety of artifacts sent home by the Institutes elite expedition teams and partners worldwide. Due to all the doldrums of lab work, an informal vote was taken and the Sorrow Drowners have decided to open the doors of the Institute to all of YOU! (Truth be told, its mostly because theyd prefer the chance to speak to someone that isnt 2000 years old.) Just dont tell E.B.!

Once inside, you will be welcomed with open arms into 'The Grand Marae', the meeting hall in the Institute typically used for lectures, but sans supervision the dais has been co-opted into a space for members and a variety of entertainers to perform! Books and notes have been pushed into corners to make room for you in the Library and you have been granted access to the secretive Director E.B. Wheatley IIIs office to view his personal collection. Most importantly, they saved you a seat at the bar as they serve up drinks a tad bit stronger than Lemonade!

So prepare yourself, The Sorrow Drowners welcome you!

Owned and operated by The Lemurian Institute, Inc., wholly owned by North Carolina Native Alfred Brian Wheatley and designed by former Disney Imagineer Brandon Kleyla, aka Trader Brandon, whose resume includes attractions worldwide and is perhaps best known for his work on both Trader Sam's Tiki Bars in Anaheim, Ca and Orlando, Fl. You will want to spend hours here just looking at all the artifacts from around the world and to allow yourself to get lost in the story.

'People love being able to escape, to get lost in an experience, and thats what were doing here,' says Brandon. 'Were stepping out of the framework of a traditional Tiki bar and delivering a much larger experience, set in the golden age of adventure. The age of Earhart, Bingham, Carter, and Bird.'

'My whole life, I was always on the hunt for adventure! I havent climbed Mount Everest or Walked the Plains of the Serengeti, but when I couldnt there were movies that could,' says Alfred Brian Wheatley, proprietor of the Sorrow Drowner. 'It was in these films that I found myself enthralled and, when presented with the opportunity to create this experience, it was these films that guided my hand. It is my wish to bring a space permeated with that sense of adventure to Wilmington.'

The Sorrow Drowner will feature a large menu of classic craft cocktails from classic tiki faire to drinks from around the world as well as a menu of island favorites. Select Evenings, the stage will come alive with a Vaudeville Style Revue featuring a variety of acts as well as an interactive cast of wandering comedic characters. Our hope is to provide the city of Wilmington and Coastal North Carolina with an ever-changing experience that youll want to visit again and again!"

NOTE On January 8th, 2025, the owners of The Sorrow Drowner announced their intentions to re-locate their business to California, with promises to document their progress toward this goal online as the process unfolds. Last night open at this location was May 31st, 2025.