Best Western Aku Tiki Inn, Daytona Beach, FL (hotel) - Locating Tiki

T TikiTomD Grand Member (6 years) Flagler Beach, FL Joined: Sep 20, 2009 Posts: 700	T TikiTomD Posted posted on Sat, May 28, 2011 7:52 PM PatTiki and I were cruising in the Ormond Beach area today and decided about mid-afternoon to stop someplace for lunch. Since Julian’s Restaurant was nearby and the sign said open for lunch, we pulled in, only to find out that they had changed their hours and are now only open for dinner. So we cruised further southward to the Aku Tiki Inn’s Trader’s Restaurant and Lounge in Daytona Beach Shores. In late 2007, GatorRob posted a nice photo log from his visit. I’m pleased to say that the tiki elements of the place, including Witco carvings, survive to this day, though a bit more weathered. The inn’s iconic sign, driveway and entry... Here’s the lobby area adjacent to Trader’s Restaurant and Lounge... The entryway to Trader’s from inside the inn... The exterior sign and entry to Trader’s... Inside the restaurant and lounge... Memorial weekend business was good at the inn, though we were early for restaurant activity. Pat and I inquired about rum specialties of the lounge and were offered Rum Runners or Bahama Mamas. The bartender also offered Mai Tais and Zombies, so we took a big gamble and ordered the Zombies. They were served in chimney glasses, but were not the Zombies of our experience. With pineapple juice, orange juice, Triple Sec, rum and fresh fruit slices, they packed just enough spirit to make a passable rum punch. We ordered simple lunch fare and were surprised by truly enormous char-grilled hamburgers on toasted buns with the works… really great burgers. Lounge music was 1960s hit songs and the outside view was the inn’s oceanside pool... Not exactly a tiki immersion experience, but a pleasant place with quite a number of visual tiki elements. -Tom

PatTiki and I were cruising in the Ormond Beach area today and decided about mid-afternoon to stop someplace for lunch. Since Julian’s Restaurant was nearby and the sign said open for lunch, we pulled in, only to find out that they had changed their hours and are now only open for dinner. So we cruised further southward to the Aku Tiki Inn’s Trader’s Restaurant and Lounge in Daytona Beach Shores.

In late 2007, GatorRob posted a nice photo log from his visit. I’m pleased to say that the tiki elements of the place, including Witco carvings, survive to this day, though a bit more weathered.

The inn’s iconic sign, driveway and entry...

Here’s the lobby area adjacent to Trader’s Restaurant and Lounge...

The entryway to Trader’s from inside the inn...

The exterior sign and entry to Trader’s...

Inside the restaurant and lounge...

Memorial weekend business was good at the inn, though we were early for restaurant activity. Pat and I inquired about rum specialties of the lounge and were offered Rum Runners or Bahama Mamas. The bartender also offered Mai Tais and Zombies, so we took a big gamble and ordered the Zombies. They were served in chimney glasses, but were not the Zombies of our experience. With pineapple juice, orange juice, Triple Sec, rum and fresh fruit slices, they packed just enough spirit to make a passable rum punch. We ordered simple lunch fare and were surprised by truly enormous char-grilled hamburgers on toasted buns with the works… really great burgers. Lounge music was 1960s hit songs and the outside view was the inn’s oceanside pool...

Not exactly a tiki immersion experience, but a pleasant place with quite a number of visual tiki elements.

-Tom

Post #591218 by TikiTomD on Sat, May 28, 2011 7:52 PM