488 thoughts on “Infamous Coco Palms Kauai | Why It Just Won’t End”
Colleen D.
Really appreciate the update. Visited Kauai three years ago, and took the little walking tour through the CoCo Palms. The history of CoCo Palms is amazing, but it’s history, can’t bring it back. Kind of knew the rebuilding wasn’t in the cards, hope someday something beautiful will take it’s place, whatever it might be. Thank you, please continue to keep us all posted on any news.
Like the 12 Ft Satellite Dish, the Palms days are over. I always wondered if a decent swell went across the Hwy how a rebuilt facility could handle it? No Beach…..too close the water with the current elevation….a recipe for Disaster if a large wave came across the Kuhio! I am certain not even Mark Z would try to develop it based on the proximity to the water
(no beach), low elevation and the cost to do it.
It will be Hawaiian Airlines for a least a year or two until SouthWest builds a track record! It’s a bit too far from the Mainland for any issues!
You guys are doing a great job with your info and site as always….Mahalo
Why the ‘developers’ EVER thought they could pull this much needed reconstruction off is a complete mystery. Anyone who has ever worked with any part of the Hawaii county government, in this case Kauai, knows full well – they will tell you one thing and then do something entirely different. Permits? Really? Good luck with that. You would have a better chance of hosting the Super Bowl in Kauai than you would of ever getting Coco Palms rebuilt!
No beach, no golf course, no views. Busy hiway, huge expensive footprint, lots of competition.
It just does not look profitable in today’s market.
I think Elvis has left the building.
I stayed there back in late 70s when Mrs. Guslander was alive and managing the property. She was the main reason Coco Palms was Coco Palms. She showed her guests the reverence the property and Hawaiian people deserved. The calling to the people that had passed by turning off all electricity and lighting the torches and the Hawaiian men paddled their canoes down the streams singing traditional music made me feel like I was truly a part of a tradition. Bless her soul. She was a great lady.
The Coco Palms was beautiful. I stayed there twice. I would love to see it rebuilt. Maybe more than one developer would take it on and rebuild it. I know people would stay there. The restaurant was open air. The birds would come in and sit on the chairs. The water where Elvis made his movie went right next to the restaurant. At night it was all lite up and Hawaiian dancers would float down past the restaurant and there was a stage where they had the Hawaiian show. The property was huge. You walked way back on the property where there was a little zoo with monkeys and different animals. It was great there. I wish it could be rebuilt to what it was. I would go back. My second husband had never been. When we decided to go we learned it had been distroyed. Love to see it rebuilt.❤
This eyesore should have been torn down many years ago. It’s a disgrace to the beautiful island of Kauai. What it used to be is so far in the past that it doesn’t matter anymore.
Maybe Mr. Zuckerberg will show his neighbors some love. He could finance the clean up, a gorgeous Hawaiian park, a small amphitheater and some retail of shops and restaurants.
Coco Palms was a dump before Iniki did us a favor. The owners were milking its reputation to clueless punters. Hope it gets bulldozed into oblivion sooner than later. The County negigligently failed to condem the place decades ago and it’s time it finally done..
One thing that comes quickly to mind about the Coco Palms resort is the fact that while there was some money on the table to start initial work, the money to make the project come to life was always on the side, waiting to see if the community would come around in support. That never seemed to happen in a way by which investors could be comfortable with. From the Native Hawaiian protests to the counties sitting on permits, I think the investors that could have invested decided that the risk was just too much for what seems like a marginally successful plan. That money is going to places where there is more guaranteed profit and a lot less headache in making the project come to life. Sorry to say doing business in Hawaii at this level is not as easy as it was in the days the Coco Palms was first built. And I think that anyone who is trying to use the goodwill of the past to show value of the place today needs to know that all that goodwill is not enough to overcome what now seems to be institutional opposition to re-development of the property.
This does not make me sad. Kauai needs to stop building so much. Although iconic, I don’t believe that Coco Palms needs to be rebuilt. Let it die and move on.
Really appreciate the update. Visited Kauai three years ago, and took the little walking tour through the CoCo Palms. The history of CoCo Palms is amazing, but it’s history, can’t bring it back. Kind of knew the rebuilding wasn’t in the cards, hope someday something beautiful will take it’s place, whatever it might be. Thank you, please continue to keep us all posted on any news.
We honeymooned there in June 1972 and were looking forward to returning in 2022 for our 50th. Doesn’t look good.
Like the 12 Ft Satellite Dish, the Palms days are over. I always wondered if a decent swell went across the Hwy how a rebuilt facility could handle it? No Beach…..too close the water with the current elevation….a recipe for Disaster if a large wave came across the Kuhio! I am certain not even Mark Z would try to develop it based on the proximity to the water
(no beach), low elevation and the cost to do it.
It will be Hawaiian Airlines for a least a year or two until SouthWest builds a track record! It’s a bit too far from the Mainland for any issues!
You guys are doing a great job with your info and site as always….Mahalo
Hi Richard.
Thank you!
Aloha.
Why the ‘developers’ EVER thought they could pull this much needed reconstruction off is a complete mystery. Anyone who has ever worked with any part of the Hawaii county government, in this case Kauai, knows full well – they will tell you one thing and then do something entirely different. Permits? Really? Good luck with that. You would have a better chance of hosting the Super Bowl in Kauai than you would of ever getting Coco Palms rebuilt!
No beach, no golf course, no views. Busy hiway, huge expensive footprint, lots of competition.
It just does not look profitable in today’s market.
I think Elvis has left the building.
We stayed there in 1975 and have been by to visit several years ago. It is a shame that they are having BIG problems with redevelopment!!!!
No amount of rehab would ever bring it back to its original state nor would it be the same without Mrs. Guslander at the helm.
I stayed there back in late 70s when Mrs. Guslander was alive and managing the property. She was the main reason Coco Palms was Coco Palms. She showed her guests the reverence the property and Hawaiian people deserved. The calling to the people that had passed by turning off all electricity and lighting the torches and the Hawaiian men paddled their canoes down the streams singing traditional music made me feel like I was truly a part of a tradition. Bless her soul. She was a great lady.
The Coco Palms was beautiful. I stayed there twice. I would love to see it rebuilt. Maybe more than one developer would take it on and rebuild it. I know people would stay there. The restaurant was open air. The birds would come in and sit on the chairs. The water where Elvis made his movie went right next to the restaurant. At night it was all lite up and Hawaiian dancers would float down past the restaurant and there was a stage where they had the Hawaiian show. The property was huge. You walked way back on the property where there was a little zoo with monkeys and different animals. It was great there. I wish it could be rebuilt to what it was. I would go back. My second husband had never been. When we decided to go we learned it had been distroyed. Love to see it rebuilt.❤
This eyesore should have been torn down many years ago. It’s a disgrace to the beautiful island of Kauai. What it used to be is so far in the past that it doesn’t matter anymore.
Maybe Mr. Zuckerberg will show his neighbors some love. He could finance the clean up, a gorgeous Hawaiian park, a small amphitheater and some retail of shops and restaurants.
Coco Palms was a dump before Iniki did us a favor. The owners were milking its reputation to clueless punters. Hope it gets bulldozed into oblivion sooner than later. The County negigligently failed to condem the place decades ago and it’s time it finally done..
MISTERM, We don’t all have your negative view of Coco Palms before Iniki hit. Some of us liked it back then and still miss it.
One thing that comes quickly to mind about the Coco Palms resort is the fact that while there was some money on the table to start initial work, the money to make the project come to life was always on the side, waiting to see if the community would come around in support. That never seemed to happen in a way by which investors could be comfortable with. From the Native Hawaiian protests to the counties sitting on permits, I think the investors that could have invested decided that the risk was just too much for what seems like a marginally successful plan. That money is going to places where there is more guaranteed profit and a lot less headache in making the project come to life. Sorry to say doing business in Hawaii at this level is not as easy as it was in the days the Coco Palms was first built. And I think that anyone who is trying to use the goodwill of the past to show value of the place today needs to know that all that goodwill is not enough to overcome what now seems to be institutional opposition to re-development of the property.
This does not make me sad. Kauai needs to stop building so much. Although iconic, I don’t believe that Coco Palms needs to be rebuilt. Let it die and move on.
I disagree. Yes they should stop building so much, but they should rebuild the Coco Palms. It was wonderful and it could be again.