Waikikian Hotel

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

The Waikikian Hotel, right on the beach & lagoon at Waikiki, was a long-time touristy institution on Oahu. The Waikikian housed the Tahitian Lanai restaurant and Papeete Bar; all three opened in 1956.

The hotel is instantly recognized by its unusual lobby, a dramatically stylized A-frame fashioned from a massive hyperbolic paraboloid, designed by architect Pete Wimberley. Much of the decorative carving and other touches were from Edward Brownlee. The grounds also included tiki-spotted gardens, and the lobby housed a gallery of black velvet Leeteg paintings.

The Waikikian closed in 1996; in December 2008, a 38-story timeshare opened in its place as part of the nearby Hilton Hawaiian Village complex. The new tower is called the "Grand Waikikian."