Post #122144 by TIKIBOSKO on Wed, Oct 27, 2004 8:04 PM

”I couldn't believe the day I drove by the joint and saw it under construction. I moved away before it was finished. How does it look these days?”

Really great postcards, but what they don’t show of the interior was even more amazing, the Islands used to be the most sophisticated Tiki room west of the Mississippi. It was remodeled by OA in 76 (I think) and they did an unbelievable job, parts of it looked like a primitive futuristic Tiki space craft.
I haven’t been back since the last remodel (Sven didn’t have anything positive to say about it) but there can’t be too much of significance left. The exterior was completely destroyed; it’s just an awful looking strange box. The demolition crew was filling up many 33 yard dumpsters everyday for over a week. The great A-frame that was the side entrance was unceremoniously chopped up with a chainsaw, the lagoon and waterfalls that led you into the bar area, torn out. It’s the saddest destruction of a mid-century landmark I’ve had to watch unfold, because it was in such pristine condition.
There were a great many Tiki poles inside which where supposedly spared but nobody knows where they ended up. The ceiling was full of big fish floats and light fixtures, a large portion of these where auctioned off. All the exterior Tiki pole supports, exterior Tahitian cannibal carvings (originally from the Luau), giant conch shells, tons of lava, Tapa cloth wall coverings, 100’s of OA Tiki posts for the walkways, all dumped. We offered Hanalei management cash for anything they wanted to get rid of and they weren’t interested. Thankfully I happen to know a guy who snuck in after hours and hauled allot of treasures out of their trash containers.
I hate to be such a downer but when I first read this thread I thought there’s something I can contribute too, but all the old memories came flying back.
If you’re new to the area you should take a look, it’s only me who can never go back.

My very best aloha’s

Bosko