Post #628617 by aquarj on Tue, Mar 13, 2012 1:26 PM

Just looking back at this thread, maybe a couple things to add regarding the two posts above...

On 2011-10-28 05:03, Psycho Tiki D wrote:
Found these yesterday, didn't realize until this morning they were from the Lanai...

FWIW, I've reached the conclusion myself that these were almost certainly from the "Lanai" in NYC that later became the Hawaii Kai. Discussed here. But that's my take, and still not proven.

On 2011-12-22 08:19, Dustycajun wrote:
Spotted another postcard from the Villa Hotel.

That had a inset photo of a Polynesian floor show that must have been at the Lanai restaurant.

Actually there's a chance that was at the Villa Hotel. I don't have a definite explanation for that inset image. But I do know when I was talking to the oldtimer manager guy at the Villa a few years ago, he mentioned that there was a polynesian cultural group that held a convention of sorts at the Villa Hotel for many years running. I think he said it was a Tongan group. So when I first found one of those postcards, that was the explanation that I imagined. Namely that it's possible this postcard was related to the ongoing relationship the hotel had with the Tongan clientele. Or it's possible that since Emerson Murfee owned both the Villa and the Lanai, and was a fan of polynesian culture, that it was just an idea to have some kind of luau entertainment at the Villa. Or it could still be something at the Lanai, that's not out of the question either.

Well, maybe I haven't cleared up anything at all!

-Randy