Post #217418 by mbonga on Sun, Feb 26, 2006 12:31 AM

I just acquired an old postcard of the Kona Kai Motel in Anaheim, which had a South Pacific / tiki theme, and I thought I'd put it online for folks to enjoy. I put different sized scans of it here:

http://www.simnia.com/places/USA/CA/OC/A/hotels/Kona_Kai/

This is pure '60s! Note the tikis everywhere, inside and out, the tiki torches, the standard Split-Leaf Philodendron in the planter inside, the gaudy orange bedspreads, the old furniture and TV set, dad at the kitchen table wearing a tie, the towheaded all-American kids... If I obtain any more such cards, I'll post those online, too. Enjoy.

Here's a good article on Googie architecture in Anaheim that mentions that particular motel:
http://www.anaheimcolony.com/googie2.htm
Apparently the motel still exists, but the name and theme/decor have changed, along with all the others. I sure miss those old motels, with their tropical or futuristic themes. Now most of them look totally bland, just like the '80s period in which they changed.

As far as I know, the last vintage motel near Disneyland that has an interesting theme and still has the same look it had in the 1960s-1970s is the Alpine Inn on Katella Ave. That's where I stayed when I last visited that area, and as long as they keep their same '60s appearance (snow, icicles, branch windows, Iceland Poppies, etc.), that will always be my hotel of choice in all future trips.