Charley toppled the Aku Tiki 's tiki in Daytona Beach

I am very sorry to report the huge Moai that graced the entry to the Aku Tiki Inn in Daytona Beach was damaged by Hurricane Charley and has been removed.

Many of you have seen it in person or seen pictures of it. It was a landmark on A1A.

A maintenance worker told Marian and I they are going to repair and replace it, but I'll believe it when I see it back in place. (A quick check of the maintenance area did not reveal the injured tiki.)

On a positive note, the hotel was just sold to the former owner's daughter, so hopefully she will recognize the importance of replacing it and be willing to spend some insurance claim money on it.

As for the Hawaiian Inn, both of the large lighted signs in front of the hotel were knocked down and broken, but there wasn't much other damage. In fact, Teauila's hula show and luau were performed as scheduled the night of the storm. Afterwards they chain-locked the doors and rode it out. A large gift-shop across the street was destroyed when its glass windows blew out, so it was obviously a good thing they battened down the hatches.

KG

I am so bummed about this.

Aku Tiki was THE first place listed on the Tiki Bar Review pages in 1995 (Islands Room in San Diego, the old Tiki bar in the Luxor in Vegas, and the Chicago Trader Vics and the venerable Pago Pago billboard went up almost simultaneously).

I have pix of myself at Aku Tiki from 1991.

So sad.

More toppled moai...

I suggest a telethon to rebuild the big guy.
Wonder if it meant anything to the locals? This blows. Maybe they'll put up a fckn Walgreens...

That really is a drag...went by there three times in the past couple of years....glad I did now. Hopefully they really will repair it. I assume it's fiberglass; not too hard to fix but a bitch to transport.

A few, not very good, nighttime pictures of the Head in Question-

http://www.sevenpleasures.org/gallery/Aku-Tiki

We were hoping to get back to get some better pictures this fall :(

Sad sadness.

[i]On 2004-08-28 16:20, Kailuageoff wrote:

A maintenance worker told Marian and I they are going to repair and replace it, but I'll believe it when I see it back in place. (A quick check of the maintenance area did not reveal the injured tiki.)

On a positive note, the hotel was just sold to the former owner's daughter, so hopefully she will recognize the importance of replacing it and be willing to spend some insurance claim money on it.

Is there an E-mail address to deluge the new owners.

Does anyone think that one of the founding tiki fathers/persons could write up an estimate of the tiki value and send it to the new owners to increase the replacement value?

Maybe sweeten the deal with a promise of Hukilau guests or advertising?

Looks like everyone in Central East coast of Florida is battening down the hatches again. Hurricane Francis WILL hit somewhere between Saint lucie county to Indian river county with tropical storm winds from Palm beach to above daytona.
Il see you guys later got work to try to do

1991 pic, before the sign renovation...

Here's the picture from the Aku Tiki Inn page in Critiki, showing how it looked as recently as last January:

"Great Rates"
"Exceptionlly Clean"

That's what I need; clean place, reasonably priced.

On 2004-09-01 10:28, tikibars wrote:
1991 pic, before the sign renovation...

I like that most recent version without the face acne(words)! I hope he comes back!!

I told Wayne Coombs what happened and he immediately volunteered to create a new one for them. More proof that TC is always ready to answer the call.

On 2004-09-01 13:24, Kailuageoff wrote:
I told Wayne Coombs what happened and he immediately volunteered to create a new one for them. More proof that TC is always ready to answer the call.

Incredible! The Gods will be amused.