Post #226925 by naugatiki on Sun, Apr 16, 2006 7:13 AM

I too was fortunate enough to visit that place when the polypop craze was in its roots and made the Tahitian Lanai my new favorite watering hole. I remember first mentioning it to a coworker and he said it was a nice place, but bring your friends with you because everyone there will be at least 30 years your senor. I had no trouble with this since I was so tired of this alternative music that was everywhere at the time. Everyone there was very welcoming and I even got the pianist to play Quiet Village several times with folks surrounded it humming along. The only tiki mug available then was a white coffee cup with the logo on printed on it, I still have mine. I liked the huts that dotted the swimming pool best where you could hear the music but not be assaulted by it.
It seemed almost every month the papers said it was going to be torn down and a day later the management denied this so even when the time came for it to close you could never sure.
But a few weeks before the auction I paid a visit to the front desk wondering if the tiki lamps (which each room had) were for sale and he led me to a room with a few left and told me the maids took most of them home. So somehow I balanced 7 of them on my moped and made it home. Like the building these were also in neglect and had the cheapest worn Woolworths lampshades on them, half of them had the original plugs and wiring that needed replacing. Later I found out I got there minutes before a dealer hit the place who bought the remaining 2 Ku lamps (At this time those desks were stacked up in the parking lot waiting to be hauled away.). He also snagged the tiki masks and I bought a set of them for $6, and showed some scones, shell lamps and a few Waikikian bags that were so old the seams came apart when you opened them.
This place maybe long gone but it certainly left behind a lot of artifacts.