488 thoughts on “Infamous Coco Palms Kauai | Why It Just Won’t End”
Donna B.
We were married at Coco Palms in 1979 in that tiny little straw church. (I was told Rita Hayworth made the movie “Sadie Thompson” there) The lady and gentleman who worked there sang the Wedding Song for us. We were there for a week and received daily invitations to the resort cocktail party. It was a heavenly week.(nightly lighting and shells – local shows – sitting in the lounge overlooking the canal where they made Blue Hawaii and just roaming around the grounds) So special! When my husband died (after Iniki) I returned to reminisce at that wonderful place and the peace and happiness I felt when we married there. Of course I shed tears, but the way Coco Palms looked in 1979 then will always be the way I see it in my heart. I so wish it could be rebuilt – just like it was; a pleasant retreat to relax and enjoy life instead of all the big monstrous resorts.
SO VERY SAD, have been looking forward to staying there. I was fortunate enough to have visited the Coco Palms back in the early seventies. I so HOPE that something can bring it all back to life!!
Stayed at the Coco palms in 85 on my honeymoon, returned in 87, and then lastly in 1990.
My mother and father in law Betty & Dick knew Larry and Gloria well, as they frequented the hotel for years.They introduced me to Larry, Gloria, and family. When we stayed there, we were not just guests, but treated like family. It was truly a magical place with dignity and honor surrounded by the beautiful Hawian people. Memories that I treasure: The nightly tourch lighting ceremony which was so reverent you could have heard a pin drop in the coconut grove while performed. Watching the roast pig spin on the spit each afternoon before dinner. The huge counch shells that formed the sinks in some of the bathrooms confirmed you were in Hawaii. The elaborately painted tiles in the showers were absolutely beautiful! Relaxing at the pool eating a freshly cooked “Terro Burger” while Larry bestowed a short visit and song. Being plucked out of the crowd by Larry while watching his show and asked to demonstrate my skill in a hula dancing or performing with the poi-balls. Fishing with Larry and brining more mud back to the hotel than fish. And lastly, his story-telling capabilities-especially the one about the tidal-wave in the 50-60’s when he described how the phone rang on the wall, that it never had rang before,during one of his performances and after answering it, he turned to the audience, and said “excuse me ladies and gentleman, a tidal wave is coming”! The story had me in stiches rolling on the floor! Mark M.
I was married in the Fern Groto and honeymooned at Coco Palms 7/1/1988, an incredible spiritual place. Why can’t Coco Palms be cleared and built back exactly as it was, not more opulent, bigger or better. Can’t we preserve some history? And that’s all I have to say about that, Forest Gump. Hotel developers around the world, thanks for listening.
Nancy H., I can’t agree with you more! It was always a lovely place, and Kauai certainly doesn’t need any more mammoth, overpriced “luxury” resorts! I lived on Kauai for 15 years, and Coco Palms was always a favorite place to enjoy an open-air lunch or just walk the grounds. It was beautiful and deserved a better fate than what’s happened over the last 26 years.
I stayed at Coco Palms as a child in 1968. The most memorable thing to me of that trip was when we had dinner at the restaurant there, and our waitress walked out in the middle of her shift, so our dinner was hours late! I kept a diary of that trip and I wish I still had that now.
I’m a ukelele player now, and was watching Blue Hawaii to transpose some songs, and gosh, the Coco Palms sure was gorgeous. I kind of wish I’d been older on that trip so I could have appreciated it more.
I understand each of the various positions. As a haole who lived on the islands for several years, and returns every year I truly miss the Coco Palms. Real Hawaiian spirit, locals for the floor shows, Mrs G welcoming you, and Big John. It was a different world and the way people thought Hawaii should be. Unfortunately I don’t think economics will ever allow us to return to those days, very, very sad. I would love to see the grounds restored as a park.
I stayed at the Coco Palms during a high school graduation trip in 1979. It was the most memorable part of the trip for me. Everything about it; the palm grove, tiki torches, outdoor showers, clam shell sinks, and back in 1979, the set for Fantasy Island. It all made for an amazing stay. I’m sad that its revival has failed, but it’s been so long for me that I have no opinion for whether it should be rebuilt. It sounds like the locals believe it should be taken down and not restored, and the land repurposed… and I guess I’d have to defer to their opinions since they live there. But the Coco Palms will live on fondly in my memories!
I have to say, as much as I love the idea of bringing it back, tourists don’t vacation and relax the way they did years ago and would they really get it? There’s traffic that moves 5 mph from 3-6 each weekday day (I’m sitting in it right now), and more and more impact on the land each year. If it’s every redeveloped, I hope that with a resort additional facilities and responsibility to the people and the island.
Here you go kauai now you got the land to put up low income housing or a senior center or maybe a second hospital .so all this hype on coco palm was all bs. The mighty Hyatt couldn’t pull a rabbit out so kauai county use your head n use it for the people were it should have gone all along.
I have been waiting and waiting for the re-opening and I am now so very sad. I was there in 1986 and again in 2008 to see the ruins. I brought back some items (a menu, lamp shade, etc.) from the site to keep with my memories from 1986. I also bought the book, The Story of Coco Palms. I will cherish them for life. I was so hoping to return. I’ve traveled the world and Coco Palms has always been my favorite. There are more people than you may think that love Coco Palms. I was even hoping maybe Elvis’ family would have stepped in. Guess they don’t care either. I’ll bet Elvis would have stepped up. So very, very sad.
We were married at Coco Palms in 1979 in that tiny little straw church. (I was told Rita Hayworth made the movie “Sadie Thompson” there) The lady and gentleman who worked there sang the Wedding Song for us. We were there for a week and received daily invitations to the resort cocktail party. It was a heavenly week.(nightly lighting and shells – local shows – sitting in the lounge overlooking the canal where they made Blue Hawaii and just roaming around the grounds) So special! When my husband died (after Iniki) I returned to reminisce at that wonderful place and the peace and happiness I felt when we married there. Of course I shed tears, but the way Coco Palms looked in 1979 then will always be the way I see it in my heart. I so wish it could be rebuilt – just like it was; a pleasant retreat to relax and enjoy life instead of all the big monstrous resorts.
Married at the Coco Palms in 1985. LOVED IT! Always wanted to come back for our anniversary. It will never happen.
SO VERY SAD, have been looking forward to staying there. I was fortunate enough to have visited the Coco Palms back in the early seventies. I so HOPE that something can bring it all back to life!!
Stayed at the Coco palms in 85 on my honeymoon, returned in 87, and then lastly in 1990.
My mother and father in law Betty & Dick knew Larry and Gloria well, as they frequented the hotel for years.They introduced me to Larry, Gloria, and family. When we stayed there, we were not just guests, but treated like family. It was truly a magical place with dignity and honor surrounded by the beautiful Hawian people. Memories that I treasure: The nightly tourch lighting ceremony which was so reverent you could have heard a pin drop in the coconut grove while performed. Watching the roast pig spin on the spit each afternoon before dinner. The huge counch shells that formed the sinks in some of the bathrooms confirmed you were in Hawaii. The elaborately painted tiles in the showers were absolutely beautiful! Relaxing at the pool eating a freshly cooked “Terro Burger” while Larry bestowed a short visit and song. Being plucked out of the crowd by Larry while watching his show and asked to demonstrate my skill in a hula dancing or performing with the poi-balls. Fishing with Larry and brining more mud back to the hotel than fish. And lastly, his story-telling capabilities-especially the one about the tidal-wave in the 50-60’s when he described how the phone rang on the wall, that it never had rang before,during one of his performances and after answering it, he turned to the audience, and said “excuse me ladies and gentleman, a tidal wave is coming”! The story had me in stiches rolling on the floor! Mark M.
I was married in the Fern Groto and honeymooned at Coco Palms 7/1/1988, an incredible spiritual place. Why can’t Coco Palms be cleared and built back exactly as it was, not more opulent, bigger or better. Can’t we preserve some history? And that’s all I have to say about that, Forest Gump. Hotel developers around the world, thanks for listening.
Nancy H., I can’t agree with you more! It was always a lovely place, and Kauai certainly doesn’t need any more mammoth, overpriced “luxury” resorts! I lived on Kauai for 15 years, and Coco Palms was always a favorite place to enjoy an open-air lunch or just walk the grounds. It was beautiful and deserved a better fate than what’s happened over the last 26 years.
I stayed at Coco Palms as a child in 1968. The most memorable thing to me of that trip was when we had dinner at the restaurant there, and our waitress walked out in the middle of her shift, so our dinner was hours late! I kept a diary of that trip and I wish I still had that now.
I’m a ukelele player now, and was watching Blue Hawaii to transpose some songs, and gosh, the Coco Palms sure was gorgeous. I kind of wish I’d been older on that trip so I could have appreciated it more.
I understand each of the various positions. As a haole who lived on the islands for several years, and returns every year I truly miss the Coco Palms. Real Hawaiian spirit, locals for the floor shows, Mrs G welcoming you, and Big John. It was a different world and the way people thought Hawaii should be. Unfortunately I don’t think economics will ever allow us to return to those days, very, very sad. I would love to see the grounds restored as a park.
I stayed at the Coco Palms during a high school graduation trip in 1979. It was the most memorable part of the trip for me. Everything about it; the palm grove, tiki torches, outdoor showers, clam shell sinks, and back in 1979, the set for Fantasy Island. It all made for an amazing stay. I’m sad that its revival has failed, but it’s been so long for me that I have no opinion for whether it should be rebuilt. It sounds like the locals believe it should be taken down and not restored, and the land repurposed… and I guess I’d have to defer to their opinions since they live there. But the Coco Palms will live on fondly in my memories!
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.
I have to say, as much as I love the idea of bringing it back, tourists don’t vacation and relax the way they did years ago and would they really get it? There’s traffic that moves 5 mph from 3-6 each weekday day (I’m sitting in it right now), and more and more impact on the land each year. If it’s every redeveloped, I hope that with a resort additional facilities and responsibility to the people and the island.
Here you go kauai now you got the land to put up low income housing or a senior center or maybe a second hospital .so all this hype on coco palm was all bs. The mighty Hyatt couldn’t pull a rabbit out so kauai county use your head n use it for the people were it should have gone all along.
excellent idea!
For sure!
I have been waiting and waiting for the re-opening and I am now so very sad. I was there in 1986 and again in 2008 to see the ruins. I brought back some items (a menu, lamp shade, etc.) from the site to keep with my memories from 1986. I also bought the book, The Story of Coco Palms. I will cherish them for life. I was so hoping to return. I’ve traveled the world and Coco Palms has always been my favorite. There are more people than you may think that love Coco Palms. I was even hoping maybe Elvis’ family would have stepped in. Guess they don’t care either. I’ll bet Elvis would have stepped up. So very, very sad.