488 thoughts on “Infamous Coco Palms Kauai | Why It Just Won’t End”
Tammy
Thank you all for the wonderful stories especially the Fantasy Island story. I think the public should have a stance in how construction proceeds. If the county could hear these stories and take into consideration what the public wants, I’m sure there is profitability in this project. I truly hope they take the old Hawaiiana/Tiki styling into consideration and don’t go the route of another Grand Hyatt style resort. The outdoor lava shower sounds sublime! For all of you wondering what the original resort looked like watch the 1978 werewolf movie called ‘Deathmoon’.
I too have been coming to Kauai every year for over a decade and every time I pass by the CoCo Palms I have pangs of longing for that bygone era. Mahalo for the story Beat Of Hawaii and please do keep us informed. Hope to see all of you wonderful people there someday soon!
so hope the hotel will be rebuilt. If you build it “they will come”…certainly me! I got married in the fern grotto in 1979 to my late husband whose family were good friends with the Gus and Grace. Our wedding dinner was at the resort, and we stayed in the Queens cottage and yes, we came up the lagoon ala Elvis Presley, in our hawaiian traditional wedding attire on the outrigger. My heart would simply melt to bring my pictures and see the new improved CoCo Palms rebuilt!
I think the issue that needs to be addressed by the developers is whether a property like this, with the focus they want to give it, really a large market in today’s Kauai tourism industry. In other words, the version of ‘Hawaiiana’ that the Coco Palms had and will display, will it be effective to bring in the tourists and fill the rooms. 300 rooms is a mighty big number to fill and if the money they are trying to get is all in loans, you can bet they will need it 100% filled and at high prices.
We were married at the little Coco Palms chapel in 1985. After the ceremony with Rev. Kalama & two witnesses staying there, we toured the little zoo in the back. The zookeeper was Uncle Charlie Pereira whom we met some years later in the parking lot with his severance check in hand. He, with typical Kauaian aloha, took us on a tour of the grounds. In retirement he hand made throw nets I believe. At the Ono restaurant in Kapaa a server said she had one of the shell basins from a Coco Palms cottage. Such memories. Have been visiting Kauai for over 40 years & will be probably be there for the last time next month, but I have my son & daughter-in-law hooked on Kauai so they will continue the family tradition.
My girlfriend at the time and I stayed at the Coco Palms in 1983, in one of the bungalows in the back. Clam shell sink, lava rock outdoor shower, across the lagoon from the main building, palm trees out back. It was something special. The howling gibbons in the Palm Grove were a special treat. The hospitality from the staff helped make it truly a remarkable experience. I’ve been back to Kauai every year for the past seven, and each time I pass the Coco Palms and see the destruction (still) from Hurricane Iniki in 1992, from the vandalism, and from the fire in 2014, it saddens me. I wish Kauai County would take some action and approve all the outstanding building permits and let the builders restore this landmark establishment.
My husband and I honeymooned at Coco Palms in July of 1989, upon the recommendation of my grandparents who celebrated their 25th anniversary there in 1976. This place has always held a special place in our memories. We never got to go back and relive our time there, as the hurricane that destroyed it happened only 3 years later. We’ve been anxiously waiting for the re-birth of Coco Palms. So many things I remember, such as the torch lighting ceremony each night and the blowing of the conch shell, the entertainment at dinner, the delicious breakfast buffet at the restaurant along the lagoon, and the thing that impressed us the most, from day one all the staff had memorized our name! This was our first experience of traveling abroad, as we were only 18 and 21 (we married young), so to be addressed by name was pretty special.
Forty-five years ago my girlfriend and I spent 3 glorious weeks at Coco Palms. Little did we know when we booked the holiday what a spell would be cast over us. Our memories now are as clear as if it were just last week. Grace, Big John, Charlie and a wonderful server named Barb, who put a fresh gardenia in our room every day, are remembered with a fondness like that of long-time friends. We miss you Coco Palms.
Had come to Oahu in April, 1986–on a trip I’d scheduled before my unanticipated layoff. Thought it might be my last trip to the islands, so opted for an overnight package to Kauai. So glad I did. Coco Palms gave us a complimentary upgrade for no apparent reason other than the Spirit of Aloha, and it was lovely. Our sink was a giant clam shell!! Did the Fern Grotto excursion, had a drink served in a pinapple in the lounge, etc. Didn’t fully appreciate this iconic hotel until I learned its history. Feel extremely fortunate to have stayed at the Coco Palms!!
In the late seventies, my husband and I stayed in a suite at the Coco Palms (which was a stretch for us) and we brought his mother who had a room down the hall… wonderful memories beautiful place I would love to see this Resurrected it had charm and definitely Hawaiian theme at its best! Maybe the Developers and the city and Hawaiian people can get together and work this out look forward to the future of the Coco Palms 😊
My mom took my sister I there for vacation about 40 years ago! It was beautiful and we met so many movie stars! They were filming Fantasy Island, so we met Ricardo Montelban, Samantha Egar, Tattoo and more stars that were there visiting them. I need to find the pictures we took, I still have them, polaroids! 😂
We stayed at Coco Palms for our 25th anniversary in 1984 – magical experience! The beauty of our room, the palm grove, the torch-lighting ceremony. the music and dancing all enhanced the specialness of Coco Palms. Have wonderful photos and videos of this special place. The reconstruction would bring happy memories to so many people.
Thank you all for the wonderful stories especially the Fantasy Island story. I think the public should have a stance in how construction proceeds. If the county could hear these stories and take into consideration what the public wants, I’m sure there is profitability in this project. I truly hope they take the old Hawaiiana/Tiki styling into consideration and don’t go the route of another Grand Hyatt style resort. The outdoor lava shower sounds sublime! For all of you wondering what the original resort looked like watch the 1978 werewolf movie called ‘Deathmoon’.
I too have been coming to Kauai every year for over a decade and every time I pass by the CoCo Palms I have pangs of longing for that bygone era. Mahalo for the story Beat Of Hawaii and please do keep us informed. Hope to see all of you wonderful people there someday soon!
so hope the hotel will be rebuilt. If you build it “they will come”…certainly me! I got married in the fern grotto in 1979 to my late husband whose family were good friends with the Gus and Grace. Our wedding dinner was at the resort, and we stayed in the Queens cottage and yes, we came up the lagoon ala Elvis Presley, in our hawaiian traditional wedding attire on the outrigger. My heart would simply melt to bring my pictures and see the new improved CoCo Palms rebuilt!
I would say not likely!
I think the issue that needs to be addressed by the developers is whether a property like this, with the focus they want to give it, really a large market in today’s Kauai tourism industry. In other words, the version of ‘Hawaiiana’ that the Coco Palms had and will display, will it be effective to bring in the tourists and fill the rooms. 300 rooms is a mighty big number to fill and if the money they are trying to get is all in loans, you can bet they will need it 100% filled and at high prices.
We were married at the little Coco Palms chapel in 1985. After the ceremony with Rev. Kalama & two witnesses staying there, we toured the little zoo in the back. The zookeeper was Uncle Charlie Pereira whom we met some years later in the parking lot with his severance check in hand. He, with typical Kauaian aloha, took us on a tour of the grounds. In retirement he hand made throw nets I believe. At the Ono restaurant in Kapaa a server said she had one of the shell basins from a Coco Palms cottage. Such memories. Have been visiting Kauai for over 40 years & will be probably be there for the last time next month, but I have my son & daughter-in-law hooked on Kauai so they will continue the family tradition.
What a beautiful comment Mary E! Kauai is such a gorgeous place!
My girlfriend at the time and I stayed at the Coco Palms in 1983, in one of the bungalows in the back. Clam shell sink, lava rock outdoor shower, across the lagoon from the main building, palm trees out back. It was something special. The howling gibbons in the Palm Grove were a special treat. The hospitality from the staff helped make it truly a remarkable experience. I’ve been back to Kauai every year for the past seven, and each time I pass the Coco Palms and see the destruction (still) from Hurricane Iniki in 1992, from the vandalism, and from the fire in 2014, it saddens me. I wish Kauai County would take some action and approve all the outstanding building permits and let the builders restore this landmark establishment.
My husband and I honeymooned at Coco Palms in July of 1989, upon the recommendation of my grandparents who celebrated their 25th anniversary there in 1976. This place has always held a special place in our memories. We never got to go back and relive our time there, as the hurricane that destroyed it happened only 3 years later. We’ve been anxiously waiting for the re-birth of Coco Palms. So many things I remember, such as the torch lighting ceremony each night and the blowing of the conch shell, the entertainment at dinner, the delicious breakfast buffet at the restaurant along the lagoon, and the thing that impressed us the most, from day one all the staff had memorized our name! This was our first experience of traveling abroad, as we were only 18 and 21 (we married young), so to be addressed by name was pretty special.
Forty-five years ago my girlfriend and I spent 3 glorious weeks at Coco Palms. Little did we know when we booked the holiday what a spell would be cast over us. Our memories now are as clear as if it were just last week. Grace, Big John, Charlie and a wonderful server named Barb, who put a fresh gardenia in our room every day, are remembered with a fondness like that of long-time friends. We miss you Coco Palms.
Had come to Oahu in April, 1986–on a trip I’d scheduled before my unanticipated layoff. Thought it might be my last trip to the islands, so opted for an overnight package to Kauai. So glad I did. Coco Palms gave us a complimentary upgrade for no apparent reason other than the Spirit of Aloha, and it was lovely. Our sink was a giant clam shell!! Did the Fern Grotto excursion, had a drink served in a pinapple in the lounge, etc. Didn’t fully appreciate this iconic hotel until I learned its history. Feel extremely fortunate to have stayed at the Coco Palms!!
In the late seventies, my husband and I stayed in a suite at the Coco Palms (which was a stretch for us) and we brought his mother who had a room down the hall… wonderful memories beautiful place I would love to see this Resurrected it had charm and definitely Hawaiian theme at its best! Maybe the Developers and the city and Hawaiian people can get together and work this out look forward to the future of the Coco Palms 😊
My mom took my sister I there for vacation about 40 years ago! It was beautiful and we met so many movie stars! They were filming Fantasy Island, so we met Ricardo Montelban, Samantha Egar, Tattoo and more stars that were there visiting them. I need to find the pictures we took, I still have them, polaroids! 😂
We stayed at Coco Palms for our 25th anniversary in 1984 – magical experience! The beauty of our room, the palm grove, the torch-lighting ceremony. the music and dancing all enhanced the specialness of Coco Palms. Have wonderful photos and videos of this special place. The reconstruction would bring happy memories to so many people.