Florida Hawaiian/Tiki Resorts - Collecting Tiki

HH Hurricane Hayward Grand Member (1 year) 16 miles from The Mai-Kai Joined: Jun 07, 2008 Posts: 1905	HH Hurricane Hayward Posted posted on Mon, Nov 24, 2008 1:47 AM On 2008-10-06 17:11, Dustycajun wrote: Here is the close up of the Palm Beach Hawaiian. There was a large Tiki that used to be located in front of the building were all of the overgrown vegetation is now. Might be worth a look-see behind the hedge. There was also a nice Tiki on top of the hotel sign along with a big parrot and a cool outrigger and Tiki shack in the foreground of the sign. Our rediscovery of the Palm Beach Hawaiian is not over yet. In fact, it's just beginning. Thanks to TabooDan's curiosity, I headed back down to the Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn to see if I missed anything on my first visit. After discovering no visible signs of the building's tiki past, I admit I neglected to venture into every nook and cranny. I just figured a facelift such as this would leave no artifacts behind. So I approached with little hope of finding anything. This first photo is from a similar angle as the one above (which probably was taken in the mid-'60s shortly after the motel's opening) ... There's nothing left at ground level except for the bubbling pool (see below). The owner later told me he doesn't know what happened to the original sign. And it's clear that the carvings or ornaments at the top of the A-frame had been removed, which I confirmed upon closer inspection ... It appears they didn't even bother to smooth over the remnants of where they attached to the facade ... Now, here's where it gets interesting. Venturing into the overgrown vegetation, I gazed up on the wall, expecting for find nothing more than traces of long-removed ornaments. I saw a maintenance shed, then did a double-take ... Yes, two proud tiki masks still in their original location on the front wall ... The one on the right was very much obscured by foliage and looked a bit ragged ... But the one on the left appeared to be in good shape considering its been there for some 45 years and has probably received minimal care. The fact that it faces away from the ocean and is shielded from the winds and salt-water spray by the building could be its saving grace. Let's take a closer look ... The owner confirmed that these carvings have been there since the inn was built. The manager said they remain on the building due to their sentimental value. It's nice to see an establishment that retains a link to its past, even though its kept shrouded in shrubbery. I'll try to post more updates as I further investigate the history of the Palm Beach Hawaiian. I hope to have more conversations with the owner about the inn's past and also his future plans.

On 2008-10-06 17:11, Dustycajun wrote:
Here is the close up of the Palm Beach Hawaiian. There was a large Tiki that used to be located in front of the building were all of the overgrown vegetation is now. Might be worth a look-see behind the hedge. There was also a nice Tiki on top of the hotel sign along with a big parrot and a cool outrigger and Tiki shack in the foreground of the sign.

Our rediscovery of the Palm Beach Hawaiian is not over yet. In fact, it's just beginning. Thanks to TabooDan's curiosity, I headed back down to the Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn to see if I missed anything on my first visit. After discovering no visible signs of the building's tiki past, I admit I neglected to venture into every nook and cranny. I just figured a facelift such as this would leave no artifacts behind. So I approached with little hope of finding anything. This first photo is from a similar angle as the one above (which probably was taken in the mid-'60s shortly after the motel's opening) ...

There's nothing left at ground level except for the bubbling pool (see below). The owner later told me he doesn't know what happened to the original sign.

And it's clear that the carvings or ornaments at the top of the A-frame had been removed, which I confirmed upon closer inspection ...

It appears they didn't even bother to smooth over the remnants of where they attached to the facade ...

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Venturing into the overgrown vegetation, I gazed up on the wall, expecting for find nothing more than traces of long-removed ornaments. I saw a maintenance shed, then did a double-take ...

Yes, two proud tiki masks still in their original location on the front wall ...

The one on the right was very much obscured by foliage and looked a bit ragged ...

But the one on the left appeared to be in good shape considering its been there for some 45 years and has probably received minimal care. The fact that it faces away from the ocean and is shielded from the winds and salt-water spray by the building could be its saving grace. Let's take a closer look ...

The owner confirmed that these carvings have been there since the inn was built. The manager said they remain on the building due to their sentimental value. It's nice to see an establishment that retains a link to its past, even though its kept shrouded in shrubbery.

I'll try to post more updates as I further investigate the history of the Palm Beach Hawaiian. I hope to have more conversations with the owner about the inn's past and also his future plans.

Post #420569 by Hurricane Hayward on Mon, Nov 24, 2008 1:47 AM