ISLAND HISTORY: ‘Big John’ Kauo and the Coco Palms Torch-Lighting Ceremony
In 1954, John Pakahea “Big John” Kauo (1933-2013) was hired as a waiter at Kaua‘i’s Coco Palms Hotel by his Aunty Moki Hanohano, the night dining room manager at Coco Palms, to begin what was to become a thirty-seven year career at Coco Palms in which he retired as Coco Palms’ manager.
Polls shows solid support for restoration of Coco Palms Resort
WAILUA — As demolition work progresses on the Coco Palms Resort, a new poll shows robust support for the restoration of the once-renowned property that was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992.
ISLAND HISTORY: Walter ‘Freckles’ Smith Jr.’s early years at the Coco Palms Hotel
Walter “Freckles” Smith Jr. (1934-2024), who passed away recently, was the president of Kaua‘i’s Smith’s Motor Boat Service Inc., the son of Walter J. Smith (1910-1970) and Emily A. Smith (1909-2008), the founders of the business, and the father of Walter Kamika Smith, the company’s present general manager.
ISLAND HISTORY: Original Coco Palms Hotel employee Gladys Hashimoto
Original Coco Palms Hotel employee Gladys Sun Hashimoto (1929-2020) was hired by Coco Palms manager Grace Buscher (1910-2000) shortly after Coco Palms opened in 1953.
ISLAND HISTORY: Sam Mia, Madame Pele and the Coco Palms Hotel
Originally from Kona, Sam Mia (1919-1970), of 100 percent Hawaiian ancestry, was one of the original employees of Kaua‘i’s Coco Palms Hotel when it opened in 1953, and he continued to work there until the day he died in 1970.
ISLAND HISTORY: Original Coco Palms Hotel employee Andrew Kane
At the opening of Kaua‘i’s Coco Palms Hotel in 1953, one of the first people manager Grace Buscher (1910-2000) hired was Andrew Kane (1923-1991).
ISLAND HISTORY: Original Coco Palms Hotel employee Harriet Kamala Kaholokula
Kohala, Hawai‘i-born Harriet Kamala Kaaumoana Kaholokula (1924-2004) was one of the first employees hired by manager Grace Buscher after Lyle “Gus” Guslander opened the Coco Palms Hotel in 1953.
Coco Palms restoration underway
WAILUA — From the tops of the protective dust screens installed around the perimeter of the former Coco Palms Resort, the only things that can be seen are the tops of excavators and cranes moving against a skyline of concrete skeletons of dilapidated buildings.
Coco Palms Resort site of some worker activity as year ends
WAILUA — Construction workers were seen working on the property of the former Coco Palms Resort on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, following multiple statements from the developer that demolition for the site’s rebuild would start by the end of the year.
BLNR weighs in on Coco Palms land parcels issue
LIHU‘E — A community group fighting to stop the construction of the Coco Palms Resort was awarded joint temporary access rights, along with the developer, for a small piece of disputed state land during a Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) meeting on Dec. 15.
Coco Palms debate continues as demolition nears
As the developer of the Coco Palms Resort reported being just weeks away from commencing demolition of the deteriorated site and constructing a 350-room resort, county officials and members of the public continued to debate the possibility of halting the project in two separate meetings this week.
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Residents clash with Coco Palms developer at community meeting in Wailua
WAILUA — The developers aiming to restore the once-renowned Coco Palms Resort held a community meeting on Wednesday night that quickly collapsed, as Kaua‘i residents effectively shut down the presentation from the project’s ownership team within minutes.
ISLAND HISTORY: The significance of the tree-planting ceremony at Coco Palms
In 1896, Ernst Lindemann planted a grove of coconut trees to produce copra on leased land that would later become the property of the Coco Palms Hotel.
Coco Palms developers planning 2026 resort completion amid controversy
LIHU‘E — Amid state investigations into alleged land use violations, the developers of the Coco Palms Resort maintain they are on track with plans to restore the once-renowned hotel over the next three years.
Coco Palms developer reaffirms commitment
The future of the Coco Palms Resort was a deeply discussed topic during the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs Kaua‘i Island Community Meeting on Tuesday night, where attorney Mauna Kea Trask emphasized the developer’s commitment to restoring the site.
Kaua‘i County Council passes resolution supporting public access of Coco Palms lands
The Kaua‘i County Council approved in a 4-2 vote on Wednesday a resolution urging the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to prioritize public access for disputed land surrounding the derelict Coco Palms Resort after nearly failing to come to a decision for the second time in two weeks.
Coco Palms Resort a hot topic at county council meeting
LIHU‘E — After a full day of discussion on plans for Coco Palms Resort, the Kaua‘i County Council ultimately decided to defer its resolution asking the Board of Land and Natural Resources to prioritize the property for public use.
Kaua‘i County Council discusses buying Coco Palms
After 30 years of failed attempts at private development and little progress made in improving the condition of the dilapidated Coco Palms Resort, the Kaua‘i County Council is considering taking matters into its own hands.
VOICES: A note to the community about Coco Palms
As the new owners of the site of the once great Coco Palms Hotel, we want to take this opportunity to update you on our efforts to restore this beautiful and sacred land to its former glory.
Coco Palms developer responds to DLNR’s alleged land-use violation letter
WAILUA — The Department of Land and Natural Resources is investigating alleged land use violations by the latest developer of Coco Palms Resort, and has asked to stop all work.