Kona Kai Motel, Anaheim, CA (motel)

Name:Kona Kai Motel
Type:motel
Street:1820 S. West Street
City:Anaheim
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:operational

Description:
I have collected a few items from the Kona Kai Motel that was located next to Disneyland in Anaheim.

Here is a postcard of the early version of the motel.

Now here is a postcard showing how the motel was updated to add more polynesian pop.
It's like one of those games you see in magazines - find the differences in the two pictures.

A torch was added to the top of the motel sign.

A seahorse was added to the gate to the pool.

Tikis and tiki torches were added to the grounds, etc. Quite a remodel.

Here is a large card showing interior and exterior views.

Check out the tiki masks on the interior room walls.

Another card with an exterior view - some interesting masks attached to the palm trees.

What is that woman doing with the kid? Mrs. Robinson?

Here is an old add with the motel rates and the great logo rendering that is also on the back of the postcards.

Be With The In Crowd.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2009-05-26 17:09 ]

DC, I just realized from that night exterior with the couple that these "Tikis" are those cheap Mexican masks discussed in these threads:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=20727&forum=5

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=25527&forum=5&start=0

The decor inside is also low budge straight from the Paul Marshall Products catalog. :)

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-05-26 20:42 ]

Definite Tiki on a low budget. In fact, no Tikis just those masks.

Too bad with Oceanic Arts just up the road.

Here is a rather plain matchbook.

DC

I just picked up an older postcard from the Kona Kai Motel before the tiki remodel.

Never noticed this before, but there is a Hawaiian woman in a red dress fishing with a net at the bottom of the hotel sign.

The back of the card also uses this logo.

States A Touch of Old Hawaii.

One of those classic Bigbro Book of Tiki examples of a place starting off with a Hawaiian theme and then going Polynesian pop with the tiki craze.

DC

Another postcard from the Tiki era with a nice nighttime view.

The fishing women on the sign is gone now.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2010-08-22 09:17 ]

I had missed that fishing woman post, DC, good eye! I had known that back-of-the-card logo and always wondered about it because it seemed like some generic clip art out of context - but now we know it existed as an object!
Why did nobody document these pieces of art when they existed!?

Bigbro,

I looked for photos on the web and found this one of the second version of the hotel sign.

Could not find shots of the first sign.

DC

Here are several photos of this Temple shot in 2009 by Heather David.

exterior

door

side view

Heather is the author of the book "Mid-Century by the Bay?". Note that this book features background history on Trader Vic's, Skipper Kent's, and the Tonga Room.

Abstarct,

Thanks for posting those photos, have you seen Heather's book? Here is a matchbook from ebay that used the hukilau fishing wahine theme from the motel sign.

DC

You're welcome DC, I haven't read the book, it's on my list to buy. I have seen some of the pictures tho. There are "over 200 images, including rare vintage ephemera and the author’s own photographs". http://www.calmodbooks.com/index.html

Another cool shot of the sign.

Later in life with lush landscaping.

DC