JOHN-O's Las Vegas (& Honolulu pg 8) Thread - General Tiki

J JOHN-O Tiki Socialite Dogtown, USA Joined: May 16, 2008 Posts: 2721	J JOHN-O Posted posted on Thu, Sep 3, 2009 11:12 PM Here's a before and after history of Las Vegas Tiki. I know this is old hat for the Tiki hardcore but newbies might find it informative. 1960 - The Aku Aku Room opens at the Stardust hotel. Admire the Aku Aku's giant Moai (carved by Eli Hedley) and African spear sign juxtaposed with the Stardust's fabulous mondo atomic signage. I think it's one of the most iconic images of early 1960's Las Vegas and is definitive "Tiki Modern". I was too young to have experienced this place but the Aku Aku's interior was recreated for the film "Casino". I don't know how accurate that was but maybe some of TC's senior citizens can comment. The Stardust was blown up in 2007 for Boyd Gaming's new resort, Echelon Place. All construction on Echelon Place was put on hold last year due to the down economy. What a waste of a perfectly good hotel casino !! They should recreate the Stardust's 1960 exterior instead of building yet another generic hotel/casino/shopping complex. That would be cool !! ---> 1963 - Don the Beachcomber opens at the Sahara hotel. Unlike the Aku Aku, pictures of this place are pretty scarce. As you can see from the postcard image that I poached off this site, almost the entire 2nd floor was dedicated to the restaurant. Eli Hedley did the Tikis for this place too. The current theme for the Sahara is Nascar racing (??). ---> 1970-2000 - A 30-year Tiki void with the exception of a small footprint at the Tropicana. 2001 - Las Vegas neo-tiki begins with the opening of Taboo Cove at the Venetian hotel. Lot's of cool carvings by Bosko (who grew up in Rosemead, CA just like me). This place got off to a good start but then went "disco" when it tried to cater to the club kid generation. Taboo Cove lasted for almost 4 years and then was reinvented into a porno-themed nightclub. The current space is occupied by the the uber-popular club Tao. You won't see any Aloha shirts in this place but you will find one of the most smoking hot looking crowds in Vegas (if the doorman deems you worthy enough to enter). ---> 2007 - Trader Vic's opens at Planet Hollywood. And then closes within 2 years. Even for Vegas, that's fast. I didn't care, corporate Tiki sucks. Sammy Hagar is opening a branch of his restaurant Cabo Wabo here. ---> 2008 - Frankie's Tiki Room opens. Along with Forbidden Island in Alameda CA, this has to be the most perfect realization of neo-Tiki to date. Bamboo Ben, who is Eli Hedley's grandson (!!), did the design. In 2020, Frankie's will be purchased by Sammy Hagar who will appropriately reinvent it into Sammy's Fern Bar. Don't be depressed, this is the natural lifecycle of Tiki. ---> As you can see, nothing stays the same in a place like Las Vegas. The following however is a JFK-era exception that I recently discovered. Here's a postcard image of the Tod Motor Motel as it looked in the early 1960's vs. today. The exterior has hardly changed and is one of the few Las Vegas Googie-style vintage motels where you won't get shanked by a crack whore. Maybe they should put a big Tiki in the front. ---> Stay there while you can. [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-12-15 11:46 ]

Here's a before and after history of Las Vegas Tiki. I know this is old hat for the Tiki hardcore but newbies might find it informative.

1960 - The Aku Aku Room opens at the Stardust hotel. Admire the Aku Aku's giant Moai (carved by Eli Hedley) and African spear sign juxtaposed with the Stardust's fabulous mondo atomic signage. I think it's one of the most iconic images of early 1960's Las Vegas and is definitive "Tiki Modern". I was too young to have experienced this place but the Aku Aku's interior was recreated for the film "Casino". I don't know how accurate that was but maybe some of TC's senior citizens can comment. The Stardust was blown up in 2007 for Boyd Gaming's new resort, Echelon Place. All construction on Echelon Place was put on hold last year due to the down economy. What a waste of a perfectly good hotel casino !! They should recreate the Stardust's 1960 exterior instead of building yet another generic hotel/casino/shopping complex. That would be cool !!

--->

1963 - Don the Beachcomber opens at the Sahara hotel. Unlike the Aku Aku, pictures of this place are pretty scarce. As you can see from the postcard image that I poached off this site, almost the entire 2nd floor was dedicated to the restaurant. Eli Hedley did the Tikis for this place too. The current theme for the Sahara is Nascar racing (??).

--->

1970-2000 - A 30-year Tiki void with the exception of a small footprint at the Tropicana.
2001 - Las Vegas neo-tiki begins with the opening of Taboo Cove at the Venetian hotel. Lot's of cool carvings by Bosko (who grew up in Rosemead, CA just like me). This place got off to a good start but then went "disco" when it tried to cater to the club kid generation. Taboo Cove lasted for almost 4 years and then was reinvented into a porno-themed nightclub. The current space is occupied by the the uber-popular club Tao. You won't see any Aloha shirts in this place but you will find one of the most smoking hot looking crowds in Vegas (if the doorman deems you worthy enough to enter).

--->

2007 - Trader Vic's opens at Planet Hollywood. And then closes within 2 years. Even for Vegas, that's fast. I didn't care, corporate Tiki sucks.

Sammy Hagar is opening a branch of his restaurant Cabo Wabo here.

--->

2008 - Frankie's Tiki Room opens. Along with Forbidden Island in Alameda CA, this has to be the most perfect realization of neo-Tiki to date. Bamboo Ben, who is Eli Hedley's grandson (!!), did the design. In 2020, Frankie's will be purchased by Sammy Hagar who will appropriately reinvent it into Sammy's Fern Bar. Don't be depressed, this is the natural lifecycle of Tiki.

--->

As you can see, nothing stays the same in a place like Las Vegas.

The following however is a JFK-era exception that I recently discovered. Here's a postcard image of the Tod Motor Motel as it looked in the early 1960's vs. today. The exterior has hardly changed and is one of the few Las Vegas Googie-style vintage motels where you won't get shanked by a crack whore. Maybe they should put a big Tiki in the front.

--->

Stay there while you can.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-12-15 11:46 ]

Post #481329 by JOHN-O on Thu, Sep 3, 2009 11:12 PM