Post #540762 by bigbrotiki on Sun, Jul 4, 2010 5:05 PM

Ray, what a good example of the fact that architectural preservation is an ongoing effort. Just because a location got saved once does not mean it will last forever. Two, three years down the line, and new owner (who is ignorant of the intrinsic value of a place) takes over, and -Bam- there goes the neighborhood. It takes constant education, reminding, and steady patronage to protect a place.

When I gave my first Lounge Tour of the Palm Springs Tropics in 1994, it was owned by the classic Asian Motel owner family who invested little and did not care about the Tikis (like everybody else didn't, back then) -- BUT there were three more Tikis around, which since then have been stolen or have fallen apart.

Then in 2001, when the new manager/owners Casey Jones and his partner took over the Motel, they named it CALIENTE Tropics because they were going to renovate it in the Californian Mediterranean theme. Luckily, P.S.Modcom founder Pete Moruzzi brought them a copy of the Book of Tiki, and they GOT it, and saw that they had a unique property not like all the other Motels, and so they kept the Tikis, and embraced Tiki Oasis. Unfortunately their high-priced "Boutique" Motel concept did not fly, and they lost their shirt and got booted out by the majority owner (who now owns it). The saving grace since then is that very little has been invested into the place since. That's why Ben and Al put in all their work to decorate the bar and patio for free.

But as the bush overgrowth-story shows: The Tikis are not on the forefront of the owner's mind, they might even be viewed as "dating" the place --just like the lawn huts which amazingly still have the original 60s ceramic lamps. Luckily John Sofio has had the good sense to keep the original wormwood paneling and other outside features of the Reef bar --but there is no guarantee they will always be there. So enjoy the place as long as its there.