Mauna Loa Lounge, Mayfair Hotel, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada (restaurant) - Locating Tiki

T TabooDan Tiki Socialite Coast of BC now in Crowsnest, AB., Canada Joined: Jul 18, 2004 Posts: 691	T TabooDan Posted posted on Wed, Feb 20, 2008 11:15 PM Name:Mauna Loa Lounge, Mayfair Hotel Type:restaurant Street: City:Portage La Prairie, Manitoba State: Zip: country:Canada Phone: Status:defunct Description: This place has been mentioned very briefly in a few posts but didn't really have too much information out there. Here's some information I have collected so far. The Mauna Loa Lounge was located in the Mayfair Hotel located in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada (Which is basically above North Dakota). I am not sure of the opening date but it does seem to be early the sixties but can not confirm this yet. I can tell you that the Hotel burned down along with the Mauna Loa Lounge in 1969. The Mauna Loa Lounge seemed to be a pretty authentic Tiki/Polynesian establishment. There was lot's of bamboo, sea grass matting on the ceiling along with glass floats, tropical themed wall murals, plastic plants, tapa cloth, various weapons and carved masks lined the walls. It looks as though there may have been a waterfall or pond as well but can't be sure yet. The Mauna Loa Lounge, along with the Mayfair Hotel, was owned and operated by a local entrepreneur named George Hill who also had a few other (More to come on this in a minute) businesses. George Hill was the son of a prominent Portage druggist who was quite successful. I have seen very few things from this location of the Mauna Loa but I will share what I have here. The following is the only postcard I have ever seen so far and it really does show a great shot of the Lounge and what it looked like. This postcard is dated July of 1965, just four years before it burnt down. It sure would be interesting to see the rest of this place. Especially since this shot shows some pretty cool decor. I wonder what the bar area looked like?? The following is a matchbook cover from the Mayfair Hotel featuring the Mauna Loa Lounge (From the collection of Mimi Payne). You can see the logo Tiki on the matchbook. This is the same Tiki holding the bamboo cup with straw and garnish that is on their hard to find stir stix. I guess in this case you're not finding too many items from here because it's existence was wiped out by fire. Sometimes when a Restaurant closes, you'll find that they sell off the items or one day, years later, a bunch of stuff turns up somewhere and alot more things get circulated. But maybe in this case, most items were probably destroyed or not worth saving in the fire. I still gotta find out about what happened at the end of the Mauna Loa. Like I got nothing else to do!!! An interesting point about this location of the Mauna Loa is it's connection to Mexico City's Restaurant, The Mauna Loa. On the back of the above postcard, it reads "When in Mexico City For Exotic Food & Floor Show, Visit The Original Mauna Loa 172 Hamburgo". Okay, now remember back in the beginning I said the 'owners other businesses'? Well, George Hill is not really popular for his Hotel or the Mauna Loa Lounge, he is known for his type of glass work. In the 1950's or early 1960's, George started a glass manufacturing company called Seetusee. Seetusee was a glassware manufactured in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. It was inspired by Mexican painting on glass but was perfected by George Hill and a partner, Foss Giffin. Kind of interesting how he lives and works very far from Mexico City but does Mexican inspired glass art and also has a Lounge that has the same name and is completely Polynesian inspired just like the location in Mexico City?? Even the postcard from his Lounge tells you to go visit the Mauna Loa in Mexico! Kind of going out on a limb here but I would have to say that George went down to Mexico and saw some of the art that was being done down there and decided to bring it up North. Maybe on his repeated trips down South, fell in love with what he saw at the Mauna Loa and being the business entrepreneur that he was, decided to open a lounge of the same name and atmosphere here in Canada. Just a hunch but I would say I am on the right track. Now I just gotta get this theory ironed out and cemented down for yah!! One more bit of information I have found is on the glassware itself. All Seetusee pieces are unique as they were hand painted, cured and carefully sealed with a pigskin backing with a distinctive finish of gold paint that sets them apart from Mexican pieces. The colors are mixed, exciting and vibrant and have stood the test of time. Each of the huge variety of shapes are identified by a number (with or without an 'M' prefix) stamped on the pigskin backing. The brand (Seetusee by Mayfair Glass) is also named on the backing, either in the form of a stamp or via a sticker label. I do not collect glass art but I have been told that these designs are very beautiful and are becoming quite collectible. I would be very interested in seeing some of this glassware. I wonder if anything was done for the Mauna Loa specifically?? It would only make sense to me as they probably served alot of drinks in that Lounge and they had to serve them in something!! Mahalo, TabooDan [ Edited by: TabooDan 2008-07-15 21:19 ]

Name:Mauna Loa Lounge, Mayfair Hotel
Type:restaurant
Street:
City:Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
State:
Zip:
country:Canada
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
This place has been mentioned very briefly in a few posts but didn't really have too much information out there. Here's some information I have collected so far.

The Mauna Loa Lounge was located in the Mayfair Hotel located in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada (Which is basically above North Dakota). I am not sure of the opening date but it does seem to be early the sixties but can not confirm this yet. I can tell you that the Hotel burned down along with the Mauna Loa Lounge in 1969.
The Mauna Loa Lounge seemed to be a pretty authentic Tiki/Polynesian establishment. There was lot's of bamboo, sea grass matting on the ceiling along with glass floats, tropical themed wall murals, plastic plants, tapa cloth, various weapons and carved masks lined the walls. It looks as though there may have been a waterfall or pond as well but can't be sure yet.

The Mauna Loa Lounge, along with the Mayfair Hotel, was owned and operated by a local entrepreneur named George Hill who also had a few other (More to come on this in a minute) businesses. George Hill was the son of a prominent Portage druggist who was quite successful.

I have seen very few things from this location of the Mauna Loa but I will share what I have here. The following is the only postcard I have ever seen so far and it really does show a great shot of the Lounge and what it looked like. This postcard is dated July of 1965, just four years before it burnt down.

It sure would be interesting to see the rest of this place. Especially since this shot shows some pretty cool decor. I wonder what the bar area looked like??
The following is a matchbook cover from the Mayfair Hotel featuring the Mauna Loa Lounge (From the collection of Mimi Payne).

You can see the logo Tiki on the matchbook. This is the same Tiki holding the bamboo cup with straw and garnish that is on their hard to find stir stix.

I guess in this case you're not finding too many items from here because it's existence was wiped out by fire. Sometimes when a Restaurant closes, you'll find that they sell off the items or one day, years later, a bunch of stuff turns up somewhere and alot more things get circulated. But maybe in this case, most items were probably destroyed or not worth saving in the fire. I still gotta find out about what happened at the end of the Mauna Loa. Like I got nothing else to do!!!

An interesting point about this location of the Mauna Loa is it's connection to Mexico City's Restaurant, The Mauna Loa. On the back of the above postcard, it reads "When in Mexico City For Exotic Food & Floor Show, Visit The Original Mauna Loa 172 Hamburgo".

Okay, now remember back in the beginning I said the 'owners other businesses'? Well, George Hill is not really popular for his Hotel or the Mauna Loa Lounge, he is known for his type of glass work. In the 1950's or early 1960's, George started a glass manufacturing company called Seetusee. Seetusee was a glassware manufactured in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. It was inspired by Mexican painting on glass but was perfected by George Hill and a partner, Foss Giffin.

Kind of interesting how he lives and works very far from Mexico City but does Mexican inspired glass art and also has a Lounge that has the same name and is completely Polynesian inspired just like the location in Mexico City?? Even the postcard from his Lounge tells you to go visit the Mauna Loa in Mexico!

Kind of going out on a limb here but I would have to say that George went down to Mexico and saw some of the art that was being done down there and decided to bring it up North. Maybe on his repeated trips down South, fell in love with what he saw at the Mauna Loa and being the business entrepreneur that he was, decided to open a lounge of the same name and atmosphere here in Canada. Just a hunch but I would say I am on the right track.
Now I just gotta get this theory ironed out and cemented down for yah!!

One more bit of information I have found is on the glassware itself. All Seetusee pieces are unique as they were hand painted, cured and carefully sealed with a pigskin backing with a distinctive finish of gold paint that sets them apart from Mexican pieces. The colors are mixed, exciting and vibrant and have stood the test of time. Each of the huge variety of shapes are identified by a number (with or without an 'M' prefix) stamped on the pigskin backing. The brand (Seetusee by Mayfair Glass) is also named on the backing, either in the form of a stamp or via a sticker label. I do not collect glass art but I have been told that these designs are very beautiful and are becoming quite collectible.

I would be very interested in seeing some of this glassware. I wonder if anything was done for the Mauna Loa specifically?? It would only make sense to me as they probably served alot of drinks in that Lounge and they had to serve them in something!!

Mahalo, TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2008-07-15 21:19 ]

Post #362607 by TabooDan on Wed, Feb 20, 2008 11:15 PM