Post #250475 by PremEx on Wed, Aug 23, 2006 11:19 PM

I used to drink and dine at this Don's at the Royal Lahaina Resort several times a year for many years during the 1970's and perhaps even into the 80's. It was a fantastic full Don The Beachcomber restaurant and bar serving mainly Cantonese food with a Polynesian/Hawaiian flair. Like the original Don's in Hollywood. It was a first class restaurant and very popular in those days.

Many years ago I visited the Royal Lahaina as sort of a "for old times sake" tour, and was surprised how little had changed at this property. The old "Foxy Lady" disco had been turned into banquet space, but that was no loss. The big loss was that Don The Beachcomber was closed and I was told gone for good. Peaked inside through a side door and most of the furniture and Tiki stuff was gone and it was being used for storage...mainly for the adjacent Luau. A very sad sight.

Fast Forward to today when I decided to visit the RL again and was surprised to see the wooden letters "Don The Beachcomber" back up. But I didn't think it would actually be operating again!

Well...it was and it wasn't. It's now just a hallow shell of it's former glory. Mainly a cocktail lounge only. The original bar is still there, but the old wood floors, much of the Tiki, and much of the furnishings are gone. Some of the old booths are still in there, but most of the seating is just tables and chairs.

There is some Tiki still in place however, as the photos in one of the previous posts show. But it's nothing like it used to be. Gone was all the great Tiki ceramic glassware and bowls and huge tropical drink menu from the original Don days. A short pre-mixed menu of a handful of standards is all that is served. Pretzels if you ask for them are all there is to eat. No more great Pupu platters. No more full dinners served in a wonderful tropical setting with live Luau music drifting in.

As we sat there sipping one of those yellow/brown premixed Mai Tais from nice bartender Brandon...the "Premier" Luau guests were brought in by bus and filled the place and a long line formed for drinks.

So while it was rather sad to see this once great and proud Tiki Bar and restaurant turned into such a state...it was still great to see her being used again...even if she's just using the old Don The Beachcomber name and not much else.

Regarding it's closing...all the plans that are on display certainly show this building being demolished and replaced by new buildings and facilities. And the Front Desk staff said it would be bulldozed. But in talking to barkeep Brandon...he said that he heard that they might keep this building and so there might be some hope for keeping it in some form or another.

It was kinda funny that when I reminisced about the 1970's to him and how grand the place used to be...Brandon laughed and told us that when his parents heard he would be working there...they mentioned that they used to dine and drink there all the time when they were dating and after they married and how funny it was that their son now would be working at that very bar!

As for the current state of hotel renovations go...the entire tower is now closed and being renovated. All the guests are currently staying in the old cottages scattered throughout the grounds. Very few guests staying there during this phase of construction. Those cottages will be a thing of the past too...as new hotel buildings will soon replace them.

This was such a first class hotel in the 1960's and some of the 70's. It was sad to see her become so tarnished over the years. But it looks like she'll be shining again after all the improvements. Just hope that Don's is still there after all is said and done.

[ Edited by: PremEx 2006-08-23 23:23 ]