Eli Hedley's Tiki Room @ the Continental Motor Hotel, Pueblo, CO (bar) - Locating Tiki

G gabbahey Member Denver, CO Joined: Jan 10, 2011 Posts: 257	G gabbahey Posted posted on Mon, Feb 7, 2011 12:21 PM Name:Eli Hedley's Tiki Room @ the Continental Motor Hotel Type:bar Street:2001 N. Hudson Ave. City:Pueblo State:CO Zip:81001 country:USA Phone: Status:defunct Description: Manager: Kenneth Arnold Years of Operation: 1960-1967(?) Current Incarnation: Club Lost at the Val-u-Stay Inn This bar is in the city directory from 1960-1967. The 1959 directory is missing. I have gotten a few stories from locals who were children while this place was running. The manager's name is from the 1960 city directory. I haven't visited the current site yet to see if anything is left. The motel is a popular referral for people on parole - does not have a good reputation. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Here is a 1960 Denver Post article that mentions this place - credit to ZuluMagoo EIGHT FOOT WATERFALL IN LOUNGE The 'Tiki' lounge and bar at the Heart O'Denver was designed by Eli Hedley of Long Beach, Calif., a one-time associate of the original 'Don the Beachcomber' and himself a pioneer of Polynesian decor. The lounge, which seats 68, features booths covered with island thatching to give the apperance of native huts. Main eye-catcher of the room is an 8-foot carving of'Tiki', the Polynesian God, which serves as a waterfall. Atop Tiki's head is a giant man-eating clam shell, from which the fountain originates. Water falls down across the Tiki's face into another clam shell he's holding, then into a six-foot rocky pool. Background for this esemble is a wall of Colorado lava stone. The statue of Tiki was carved from volcanic stone mined inside a volcanic crater near the California-Nevada line, Hedley said. The waterfall area has tasefull plantings. Other decor of the room includes shell mosaic panels on the walls and whale bones. The main light fixture is an 18-foot Samoan outrigger canoe hewn by natives using stone adz and inverted over the bar. Hedley created the design in collaboration with Dave Krohn, president of the Pioneer Restaurant Equipment Co., Long beach. He also designed the Tiki Bar in the Pueblo (Colorado) Continental Motor Hotel and the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. [end] Thanks for looking, gabbahey.
S SBJiminyC Tiki Centralite Joined: Aug 30, 2012 Posts: 72	S SBJiminyC Posted posted on Tue, Jul 12, 2022 9:32 AM I came across this postcard from the Continental Pueblo Motor Hotel. The blurb on the back does mention the "Authentic Hawaiian Tiki Lounge" The downside, there are no images on the Postcard of the Lounge. The building looks roughly the same as it did, but the current motel sure seems like a dump. Here's the Google Maps image of the building. [ Edited by SBJiminyC on 2022-07-12 09:38:35 ]

Name:Eli Hedley's Tiki Room @ the Continental Motor Hotel
Type:bar
Street:2001 N. Hudson Ave.
City:Pueblo
State:CO
Zip:81001
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
Manager: Kenneth Arnold

Years of Operation: 1960-1967(?)

Current Incarnation: Club Lost at the Val-u-Stay Inn

This bar is in the city directory from 1960-1967. The 1959 directory is missing. I have gotten a few stories from locals who were children while this place was running. The manager's name is from the 1960 city directory. I haven't visited the current site yet to see if anything is left. The motel is a popular referral for people on parole - does not have a good reputation. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a 1960 Denver Post article that mentions this place - credit to ZuluMagoo

EIGHT FOOT WATERFALL IN LOUNGE
The 'Tiki' lounge and bar at the Heart O'Denver was designed by Eli Hedley of Long Beach, Calif., a one-time associate of the original 'Don the Beachcomber' and himself a pioneer of Polynesian decor.

The lounge, which seats 68, features booths covered with island thatching to give the apperance of native huts.

Main eye-catcher of the room is an 8-foot carving of'Tiki', the Polynesian God, which serves as a waterfall.

Atop Tiki's head is a giant man-eating clam shell, from which the fountain originates. Water falls down across the Tiki's face into another clam shell he's holding, then into a six-foot rocky pool.

Background for this esemble is a wall of Colorado lava stone. The statue of Tiki was carved from volcanic stone mined inside a volcanic crater near the California-Nevada line, Hedley said.

The waterfall area has tasefull plantings. Other decor of the room includes shell mosaic panels on the walls and whale bones.

The main light fixture is an 18-foot Samoan outrigger canoe hewn by natives using stone adz and inverted over the bar.

Hedley created the design in collaboration with Dave Krohn, president of the Pioneer Restaurant Equipment Co., Long beach. He also designed the Tiki Bar in the Pueblo (Colorado) Continental Motor Hotel and the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. [end]

Thanks for looking, gabbahey.