Caliente Tropics, Palm Springs, CA (hotel)

I picked up and old oversized postcard from the Tropics in Palm Springs.

A view of the A-Frame

The pool area with Tikis.

The purple-ness of the Congo Room.

This is something you don't see very often, a view of the Wine Cellar at the Tropics. Check out the cave roof!

DC

Nice score DC, I have been looking for that PC for ages .

Indeed, never seen that one! Here are some more nice shots of "The Cellar" Bar:

And here's Woohoo's photo of the filled-in downstairs entrance to this mysterious archeological site, unearthed by the recent renovation work:

Let's get some shovels and dig!

and this ?

...SOMEBODY that lives in the area has to help them out with this !...a tapa pattern ...ANYTHING but THIS! lol

[ Edited by: TIKIVILLE 2011-07-18 11:33 ]

[i]On 2011-07-18 11:20, TIKIVILLE wrote:

Does this photo indicate that the lobby has moved to "the Tropics" space?

Yes, the lobby HAS in fact re-located to the Tropics space, though it no longer looks as it does in that photo.

I was just there today and spoke with the friendly desk-manager, Michael, who told me that the lobby is now permanently located in what was the former "art gallery" section of the Tropics restaurant, and a very nice looking lobby it is, with red and earth tones predominating, with a variety of tikis and tiki wall-art in abundant evidence, and an overall vibe that is a synthesis of MCM and Tiki, ala Shag.

However, there's a cavernous empty feel to the rest of the space, especially where all the restaurant booths sit forlornly empty and unused in an otherwise white, featureless space.

And when I asked about the bar (not currently in operation and with what looked like a shower curtain blocking the entrance!), Michael told me the plans were to have it up and running by the first of the year. (Well, we can always hope -- but for WHAT, given the bar's recent history?)

Anyway, it's sad that for a place with such a rich history and so much remaining POTENTIAL, it always seems to be limping along with small improvements and changes made at a snail's pace. However, with all its ups and downs over the years, the Caliente Tropics still should not be allowed to die a slow, ignominious death. Of course, in the current economy I suppose it's impressive enough that the place is still open for business at all!

Cheers :tiki: :drink:

Found a matchbook cover to this wonderful historical place that does not seem to be posted. Here is some tiki love for the Tropics.

I am Glad they fixed the A frame up front,but I am still shocked by how the rest of the place looks. If you look a little deeper then the basics of the great pool area it seems like the rest of the place is falling apart.

This tiki says it all.......photo 1 2008 (Tiki Caliente 1) Photo 2 2010 (Tiki Caliente 2) Photo 3 Yesterday

Rory "WILDSVILLE MAN" Snyder

http://www.tiki-caliente.com/

[ Edited by: wildsville man 2012-03-26 21:31 ]

A clear case of Tiki-Zombification, I'd say!

Just stayed here last week and was surprised by the restaurant/bar space. Not tiki but looked swanky-esque. I asked when the restaurant/bar would be ready. They said it's ready, been ready, just needs someone to rent/run the space. Said whomever rents it has to run the restaurant and the bar. They've had people that wanted to run the bar but not the restaurant. They have new management and have had several inquiries about the restaurant in the last couple of weeks. Soooo we'll see what comes of that.

When you pull into the parking lot the little bldg on the left, I'm assuming old lobby(?), was all ripped up. She said they're turning it into a gym. When I'm tiki-ing I'm not thinking about treadmills but that's just me talkin'.

Enjoyed seeing all the tikis and the landscaping looked good. Wished there was some music playing while we floated in the pool though. I mean some lady had her iPad out there playing Poison, but not really what we had in mind.

Just as the sun started going down, the misters in the reef bar came on....wasn't that hot and no one in the bar, but ok.

We also stayed at the Orbit In down the street. They don't have a bar or liquor license but they give out free drinks at 5 everyday. Caliente Tropics should totally do something like that! Free Mai Tais at 5 who's in?
I'm preaching to the choir I know. I suggested that to the front desk girl, she just shrugged her shoulders, like I dunno, I guess, sounds cool.

Overall I liked it just wish it had a little more life to it. I get the same feeling when I stay at a La Qunita. Ya just check in, take a swim if ya want, go to bed. A bar and restaurant would definitely add some life.

Some images of the hotels days of yore hung around the lobby would be cool. There's no info on the history of the place. I saw something like this at Hotel Valley Ho in Phoenix. I thought it was pretty cool.

Also weird there was no notepad or pen in the hotel room. First time I've seen that...err haven't seen that. Wished it had some kind of guest directory in the room.

I took some pics of the restaurant and bar that I plan on posting.

So who wants to pool their money and get that restaurant and bar up and running??? :)

[ Edited by: TxTikiGirl 2012-05-29 13:38 ]

Good to hear about the refurbishment. An August 2012 review on TripAdvisor indicates that there are no operators for the diner yet.

Here's hoping someone invests in it, although I can understand that the bar is lower overhead with higher potential profit. Also, in the next block or so East, an established Japanese (I think) restaurant closed, so I could understand that one would could think this location would face the same challenges and want to invest in an eatery located in the village, with its foot traffic. On a brighter note, it seems poised to be a tropical-themed wedding reception venue.

[ Edited by: christiki295 2012-08-20 22:12 ]

Picked up this ad from 1964.

A question for Rory?

The ad has a rare reference to the Pico-Rivera Tropics - Never seen a piece of paper from this place.

And a matchbook with a different outrigger logo.

DC

I came across this Ash Tray recently at a local Yard Sale. It was in a box with a few other Ash Trays and many match books.

Nice ashtray! Here is an old postcard I just got showing the pool area.

DC

Love those "Sundrella" umbrellas! I looked through the previous pages, and noticed that some good images are not posted in this thread (though elsewhere). Here's a shot I took not too long ago:

The Tropics (now Caliente Tropics) being one of my earliest Tiki-loves this must be rectified. With the upcoming Modernism Week next month, let's walk down memory lane a bit:

In 1989, when I was still pretty Tiki-ignorant, right at the beginning of my quest, I managed to document the fabled Tiki saloon doors to the Reef bar, carved by Leroy Schmaltz (as well as the signage):

The other side:

It can safely be said that these kind of discoveries solidified my conviction that this curious art form deserved to be documented. They disappeared sometime in the 90s, nobody knows what happened to them. I forgot what the interior of the Reef looked like then, all I remember is it was dark, and certainly did not look like THIS any more, when it was the Congo Room:

Over a decade later, after the Book of Tiki had convinced new proprietor Casey Jones to keep the Tiki theme, he found the two Witco street lamps that can be seen way in the back corner of the bar shot above. They had been stuffed behind a vending machine in the hall way to the Reef, and he gave them to me:

Now these poor fellas must be the most unloved Witcos ever, because after having them up in my bed room for a few years, they were replaced by the more appropriate Witco "Primitic Man and Woman", and languished in my basement for a long time. Until, after offering them to a few friends with no takers, I liquidated them during my recent vending ventures :cry:

Now here is a fun Before And After: When I photographed the iconic pool Tiki in 1992, it still had a gas line running up its back to what used to be a Tiki torch:

I thought it was amazing then, but little did I know what it once looked like in all its tall, palm root glory!:

This Tiki....

...had its own little plaque,

...which, a rare occurrence, gave credit to O.A.' s Ed Crissman, with "Carvings by Crissman" stamped in small type on the bottom. It has disappeared since I photographed it. Here's Ed's business card:

And last not least, to explain the matchbook DC posted on the previous page and the ashtray above...

...here are some shots of the original sign in its "outrigger sail" shape, one of the coolest sign concepts in Tikidom in my opinion:

...which of course was long gone by the time I found the place.

And on goes the saga of the Tropics, with its many twisted turns and ups and downs of not only one but THREE dedicated Tiki event organizers being chased away by the hard-ass majority owner, the most recent one being yet another grave disappointment. The place lingers on, and is still, in spite of all the misgivings, one of THE sites to see for the Tikiphile in Palm Springs.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2013-01-05 10:23 ]

Thanks Sven, I love the Saturday "Locating Tiki" class! Also DC, thanks for keeping LT moving along. OGR

Bigrbo,

Thanks for posting all of those photos. GREAT shots of the old Outrigger sign! I don't remember seeing those before. That explains the sail logo on the front of this old brochure.

The A-Frame

The amenities

The sail logo was also used in this ad.

Some more postcards from my collection.

The classic painting.

A frames

The pool and Tikis

The lanai lawn and cabanas

This was one of the first Tiki places I explored with my kids.

DC

Aaahhh, completing the "Locating Tiki" thread on the Tropics! :)

Something I did not see here yet and belongs here is the weird story of the builder and owner of the Tropics Motel chain, Ken Kimes (here his logo on a tile still in each shower of each Motel room):

...and his pathological criminal wife and son, Sante and Kenneth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sante_Kimes

This relationship was Ken Kimes' downfall:

"She frequently offered young, homeless illegal immigrants housing and employment, then kept them virtual prisoners by threatening to report them to the authorities if they didn't follow her orders.[4] As a result, she and her second husband, alcoholic motel tycoon Kenneth Kimes, spent years squandering his fortune on lawyers' fees, defending themselves against charges of slavery."

...but he wasn't exactly an innocent either:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/women/kimes/7.html

That is some history,Sven..Thanks!
Has anyone stayed at the motel recently? what is it like today?

The thread would not be complete without the crazy Kimes story!

I picked up another Tropics brochure from the not to distant past when it embraced its Tiki heritage. Given the references to TIki Oasis 4, this would have been from 2004-2005.

One of the pages inside.

The Reef Bar with some Derrik art, a photo from Tiki Oasis 4, and a Bamboo Ben celebrity sighting!

Bow Wow Hukilau and a nice looking room.

The full brochure.

Some Close ups.

Here is a little nod to the history of the place.

The A-Frame

Classic Car show.

Another photo of Tiki Oasis 4.

The grounds and the Outrigger conference room.

It's too bad that the ownership decided to go in a different direction.

DC

Txtikigirl, hilarious! And spot on. Been there a few times. Count me in on the 5 o'clock free Mai Tai and opening up that restaurant/bar.

On 2013-02-23 21:42, tikikim wrote:
Txtikigirl, hilarious! And spot on. Been there a few times. Count me in on the 5 o'clock free Mai Tai and opening up that restaurant/bar.

Are you referring to the Reef bar?

Another oversized postcard from the Tropics.

I don't remember seeing the Tapa Outrigger hanging from the A-frame entrance before.

The pool, ahh that pool. This could be a scene from next month!

DC

This past weekend at Tiki Caliente 7 at he Caliente Tropics, 5 new shields by Bosko were added to the hotel grounds, completing the project that was started years ago with the Easter Island shield and ten suspended by the previous owners. This rededication ceremony was really a highlight of the weekend. There are other little touches happening around the Tropics as well. I don't know the full details, but it sounds as though the newest owner has an interest in the upkeep (perhaps recognizing the current interest in the style). Anyway, here's some current photos from the Caliente Tropics.

The existing Easter Island shield.

I even got to use the little bar off to the side of the restaurant for my rum symposium. It was a great space to be in.

I have full resolution versions of most of these photos on Flickr in my photo stream.

kevin

Here's a nice old tourist photo of the A-Frame circa 1963.

DC

I found some interesting historical info, photos & articles in the Desert Sun on the Palm Springs Tropics recently, seems to have been the place to be in ’63!

Photo from November 23, 1962 showing the installation of a Ed Crissman carved Root-Ball Tiki.

On March 21, 1963, the Sun helped hype the Tropics grand opening by devoting 4 full pages with photos, stories and advertisement's!

You could get the latest Hawaiian fashions and other gifts at the Tropics Hotel.

Pancakes, Steaks & Cocktails were served at the hotel.

Introducing your team owners....

...and their team manager.

It's clear that this Tropics Hotel was beautiful and a very big deal for Palm Springs...

So much so that the Federal Government wanted in on the love fest too...

And it worked out beautifully for the sites land owner as well!

Ultimately, it was the Tropics Polynesian décor that tied it all together, especially the OA supplied Ed Crissman Tiki's.

Question. Where are all of these paintings?

Finally, how could any newspaper article regarding the Tropics be complete without a photo of Mrs. Ken Kimes (this must have been an earlier wife of Ken's). Enjoy!

[ Edited by: A Frame 2016-01-27 18:51 ]

Way to go Anders, mahalo!

Wow Anders, what great stuff! That photo of Ed Crismann carving the pool root ball - man how I'd love to have that in good resolution.

And to see that pic of his 1st wife - what a twisted fate that he ended up with that insane fury Sante that ruined them both! (…not that he was an entirely innocent operator)

I got to visit the home he and his first wife shared (the ones after, with Sante, were torched for insurance scams). It is very much "Tropics Moderne":

Note the platform on the front lawn, which I am certain was once the base for a Tiki….

….probably like this one in the back yard (what's left of it), also carved by Ed Crissman. Here's the backyard as viewed from the Tiki:

When I first discovered the Tropics in the early 90s, a lot of the Tikis were in comparatively good shape, like this one seen in the article above:

That one was just gone one day. Others just succumbed to the inevitable "shrinking", like this big one outside the front office:

On 2016-01-27 17:48, A Frame wrote:
I found some interesting historical info, photos & articles in the Desert Sun on the Palm Springs Tropics recently, seems to have been the place to be in ’63!

Photo from November 23, 1962 showing the installation of a Ed Crissman carved Root-Ball Tiki.

On March 21, 1963, the Sun helped hype the Tropics grand opening by devoting 4 full pages with photos, stories and advertisement's!

You could get the latest Hawaiian fashions and other gifts at the Tropics Hotel.

Pancakes, Steaks & Cocktails were served at the hotel.

Introducing your team owners....

...and their team manager.

It's clear that this Tropics Hotel was beautiful and a very big deal for Palm Springs...  

So much so that the Federal Government wanted in on the love fest too...

And it worked out beautifully for the sites land owner as well!

Ultimately, it was the Tropics Polynesian décor that tied it all together, especially the OA supplied Ed Crissman Tiki's.

Question.  Where are all of these paintings?

Finally, how could any newspaper article regarding the Tropics be complete without a photo of Mrs. Ken Kimes (this must have been an earlier wife of Ken's). Enjoy!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2016-01-30 21:35 ]

WOW! My hat is off too you gentlemen. A fantastic wealth of information. This is the kind of detail and attention to history that attracted me to TC and still makes me hang around. I always learn something new. Thank you all for your hard work.

Great stuff! Thanks for the posts.

DC

Yeah, great info from the period. Thanks for sharing! Nice to learn what all was going on there at the beginning. I especially appreciate finding out more about Ed Crissman since we have 2 of his carvings here at "The Last Resort" (home of the 8FT tikis)

Photo of the root-ball Tiki and the original outrigger sail sign out front of the Tropics from the Palm Springs Historical Society. This turned out to be a great thread.

DC

Sundrella

After looking around on the net for a few hours I found where to buy these.

The Famous 701 Hurricane Umbrella
7 Ft Round

The 701 Aluminum Umbrella has been manufactured since 1956

Now made by

http://www.azumbrellas.com/

http://www.azumbrellas.com/gallery

http://www.azumbrellas.com/about

Ummm...one has to register to find out the price of that thing?

A few ore vintage tourist photos from the Tropics when the Tikis were fresh.

DC

I see that JustinScarred recently posted a video documenting a visit to the Caliente Tropics (after a stop at the Cabazon Dinosaurs), including the Reef:

Epic Tiki Motel in Southern California! Full tour and stay at Caliente Tropics Resort
https://youtu.be/6WCx--oMnns

I am surprised no one has posted anything from this years Tiki Caliente, which has always been one of my preferable Tiki events.