Built around 1967.

The Kala Kai Motel (not to be confused with the Kala Kai Apartments in Los Angeles) was situated at the western most end of Grand Avenue, in the Pacific Beach section of San Diego.

From their postcards:

"Located half way between colorful San Diego and famous La Jolla. Rest in a gracious Polynesian setting on the blue Pacific. A short five minutes to Fishing, Boating and Water Skiing at Mission Bay - or - off pier Fishing. Shopping and Dining. Just steps to sunning on the warm sands of the Beach and delightful swimming in the surf. Or enjoy our musical pool and sundeck overlooking the Ocean."

As can be seen in the photos below, they did have some tikis on the grounds, a moai head fountain with clamshells by the pool, and some tiki masks and other Polynesian artifacts decorating the exterior walls overlooking the pool.

Last photo shows flooding of the motel in 1983.

The motel closed in the 1980s and today this area is occupied by The Ocean Park Inn.

This was actually the second Tahitian Hut opened in San Francisco.

It was open around 1947, soon after the original location on Broadway closed that same year.

Opened at least through 1966 and the outside mural and sign are still visible today as of 2025.

This location opened around 1960 and advertised steaks, burgers, and seafood, as well as Cantonese Cuisine and tropical drinks.

The inside featured a nice courtyard with palm trees, lava rocks, and a waterfall using giant clamshells. Beside this was a large unique standing tiki also replicated on their napkins.

Closed some time prior to 1970.

This location later became the site of a Hungry Tiger Restaurant, a Bobby Mcgee's (circa late 70s-early 80s), Ellis Island Restaurant, and then Lucy's Bayside Bar & Grill (circa 1992).

Today the entire site has been developed and no traces of the old restaurant are left.

Built in 1963.

Comprised of 37 units. The property is a two-story, garden-style building situated on .75 acre of land near the northeast corner of Tampa Avenue and Saticoy Street.

The building is rather spartan in appearance and other than the cool lettering on the front, there is little to distinguish it.

This is why the apartment was chosen as the filming location of the 1984 film, "The Karate Kid" featuring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi.

The director wanted a bleakness to show why the Daniel LaRusso was so miserable in his new home. They emphasized this by taking the apartment's otherwise well-kept swimming pool and emptying out most of the water and leaving some dirty water in the bottom with an abandoned children's inflatable. Today, the pool is looking good again, but due to the cutting back of vegetation around the complex, it looks bleaker than ever.

This location had their soft opening at the end of August 2025.

Nestled right beside the entrance of LA’s Oldest Bowling Alley, Highland Park Bowl.

Metered street parking is available, and there’s also a parking lot just behind the building.

Run by Bobby Green and the 1933 group.

In keeping with the speakeasy theme established at the West Hollywood location, you must figure out the secret entrance...in this case, look to your left for your old sailing buddy, and play a little shell game for entry.

Once inside, the interior is decorated much like the West Hollywood location, with a plethora of fantastic swag lamps hanging from the ceiling, as well as lit netted glass fish floats, thatching, tapa cloth, actual carved tikis, and a large outrigger canoe suspended from the ceiling as well.

Opened August 1st, 2025.

Located in the basement of pop-culture-themed emporium Stage Nine Entertainment—home to one of the largest authorized Disney Fine Art galleries in the country.

This underground speakeasy occupies a vault-like, 300-square-foot space (that’s about the size of a one-car garage) in the historic “What Cheer House” building.

Can hold up to 21 guests.

Decorated with a variety of movie props and reproductions, including full sized animatronic poles from Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, the golden Chachapoyan Fertility Idol shown in the beginning of the first Indiana Jones film, a section of the dart trap wall from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and a full sized haunted dive suit holding a glass bell jar that covers one of Johnny Depp’s rum bottles from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

A $95 per-person admission price includes an immersive 90-minute experience (The live entertainment lasts approximately 60 minutes and they then allow for approximately 30 minutes of open exploration time afterwards), two cocktails, a Dole Whip and a lanyard for your collectible pins (a new one available for each successive visit). Hawthorne’s Hideout is also available for private parties.

Built in 1961.

This 2-story apartment complex has 8 units (16 beds and 16 baths) and is located at 4166-4168 Udall Street in Point Loma Heights, San Diego, CA 92107.

It once featured an impressive tiki in front. Now gone. However, many of the other details still remain, including wood pylons, rock landscaping, and the original sign lettering on the building.

Opened in 1964 or 1965 and closed in 1967.

This location was home to Skipper Kent's until at least June 1964.

In 1965, the Bora Bora Club was owned by SF nightclub tycoon George Lavery (43). After a night of hard drinking, a violent fight broke out between Lavery and his newlywed socialite wife, Gail Woodfield Lavery. The young wife shot and killed her husband during the altercation - the deceased had apparently threatened her with bolt cutters during the fight.

The Bora Bora club survived this incident long enough to host the one and only Don Ho in his first mainland appearance(!) in November of 1965.

The Bora Bora was also notable for two giant Barney West tikis on premises:

1) The first one, we have no photos of it on premises at the Bora Bora, but several photos from after the Bora Bora closed and it made its way south to the Redondo Beach Pier (see photo below). Eventually it would come to have a reputation as a "Bad Luck Tiki". The Bora Bora used this as their logo tiki and it was featured on their menu cover.

2) The other Barney West tiki we have photos of being used as a stage decoration at the Bora Bora for live performances. It was famously displayed at Barney West's Tiki Junction in years prior (see photo below).

Hotel Lankershim was a landmark hotel located at 7th Street and Broadway in the Broadway Theater District in downtown Los Angeles's historic core.

Hotel Lankershim was designed by Robert Brown Young for James Boon Lankershim, whom the building was named after. Construction started in 1902 and was completed in 1905. Prior to construction, the land was the site of a vineyard owned by Judge Wilson Hugh Gray.

The hotel had 200 servants, 250 rooms, and 160 baths at its opening, and was considered far superior to the other hotels in Los Angeles at the time.

In 1979, the Broadway Theater and Commercial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Hotel Lankershim listed as a contributing property in the district. Despite this, the building was largely demolished in the early 1980s following structural damage caused by the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. Post demolition, a six-story parking structure was built on the building's remaining first floor, which was converted to retail, and the building was removed from the register in 2002.

The Driftwood Room was a pre-tiki bar and lounge located inside the hotel which flourished in the 1930s.

The Driftwood Room menu below is dated from 1936.

There are no known photos of the Driftwood Room from the time, but photos of the interior lobby of the hotel, probably adjacent the entrance of the Driftwood Room give a sense of the opulence of the time.

This store is run by David Condon and opened on June 14th, 2025.

Here you will find tiki related items, collectible tiki mugs, misc.

The store also carries vintage Hawaiiana, Elvis memorabilia, fountains, artwork, and an epic Titanic display.

Movie memorabilia for sale also, as well as sports cards, vintage Hawaiian shirts, and a bit of Disney.

Adding cool finds daily!

This Pago Pago location (so many unaffiliated locations share the name) was known for its detailed mural on the front of the building.

It was a pre-tiki establishment that thrived in the late 40s and early 50s, serving Chinese and American dinners and "enchanting nectars of the South Seas".

It was certainly one of Marysville's most popular nightclubs. This was, in part, due to their bartender, Louie Ajuria. The chefs at Pago Pago were John and Katie Lim, prominent members of Marysville's Chinese community who were instrumental in developing and continuing Marysville's Bok Kai Festival after World War II.

Many years later, this space was home to Gigi's Nightclub (1990-1996), to the Pub and Grille, to Crocodile Grundies, to Martini's 227 (from 2003-2009), and lastly to Knockouts Sports Bar & Grill (2011).

The historic building that housed the original Pago Pago was destroyed in a fire on September 24th, 2011.

Soft Opening on November 3rd and Grand Opening on November 5th, 2025.

Formerly the home of Mediterraneo and Brews Hall near the city’s popular Pier Plaza.

Owner Patrick Mescall employed several well-known tiki artisans, including Tiki tOny, to create tiki poles and decor for the new venue. Tony did over 60 carvings, including table lamps, bar decorations, and wall decorations.

Interior design completed by the Davis Ink Team.

Most notable is their use of actual lava rock on the exterior and interior walls and the over 125 different colored lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

Mescall is a longtime hospitality operator in the South Bay area, with several bars and restaurants already under his ownership. These include Eat at Joe’s, The Hula Hula Room, The Sportsman’s Bar, The Bounty Room, The Sly Fox Irish Pub, Paddy O’Brien’s Irish Pub, and Torrance Tavern.