WAILUA — Ever wonder how big Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawai‘i” bungalow was? Or how many trees were planted in the state’s largest coconut grove? Or where the largest fiberglass conch shell hangs? Bob Jasper is your man. He, alongside with
WAILUA — Ever wonder how big Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawai‘i” bungalow was? Or how many trees were planted in the state’s largest coconut grove? Or where the largest fiberglass conch shell hangs?
Bob Jasper is your man.
He, alongside with his wife, Jerri, serve as the overseers of the Coco Palms and have taken it upon themselves to share the history of the hurricane-ravaged resort, which closed its doors the day after Hurricane ‘Iniki struck in 1992.
The husband-and-wife team started giving tours exclusively for locals while they operated their now-defunct Movie Tours business.
“We love the Coco Palms just as much as the thousands of people do on the island,” Bob said. “We feel privileged now to spend all day, every day here and do the best two people can do.”
Since Movie Tours closed its doors last May, Bob and Jerri switched gears and began hosting elongated tours of the Coco Palms, which costs $25 per person (kama‘aina are free on Fridays).
“People from all over the world come here,” Jasper said. “You cannot name another hotel on the face of the earth where 20 years after it shut down, people come and pay to walk through it.”
During the two-hour tour, Jasper delves into the history of the area, including its origin as the home for Hawaiian royalty and how resort manager Grace Guslander set the standard for Polynesian resorts.
When Hurricane ‘Iniki struck, it initially destroyed the lobby. But after spending nearly two decades unoccupied, termites, rainfall and other elements of nature have taken their toll on the resort, as well.
During its heyday, the Coco Palms proved that it was impossible to make an unattractive movie at the resort. It served as the backdrop for Hollywood hits, including “Blue Hawai‘i” and “South Pacific.” But the resort was also featured in a handful of B-list films, including “Pagan Love Song,” “Voodoo Island” and “She Gods of Shark Reef.”
“If you want to see how stunning the Coco Palms was in the 1970s, watch ‘Death Moon,’” Bob said before adding “It’s a terrible movie.”
Highlights include stops at the lagoons, where living legend Larry Rivera still conducts wedding ceremonies, Elvis Presley’s private bungalow (complete with outdoor shower), the 2,000-tree coconut grove, the wedding chapel built for the film “Miss Sadie Thompson,” and a peek inside the resort’s lobby and a hotel room that houses a giant clamshell sink.
During the tour, Jasper shares ghost stories, Hollywood trivia and why renovations are at a standstill.
“In 2006, Coco Palms Venture LLC bought Coco Palms. They spent millions of dollars on design work. They built a model and opened a sales room,” he said. “In 2008, when the economy tanked, they had to shut down, and that’s where they are at now.”
The corporation is looking for an investor to move forward with its plans to restore the Coco Palms to an operational state, said Bob.
The cost to tour the Coco Palms is $25 per person and free to kama‘aina every Friday. Tours begin at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and last approximately two hours.
For more information call 346-2048.
• Andrea Frainier, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@ thegardenisland.com.
Pagan Love Song (1950)
Miss Sadie Thompson (1953)
Blue Hawaii (1961)
South Pacific (1958)
Voodoo Island (1957)
She Gods of Shark Reef (1958)
Death Moon (1978)
Dinocroc vs. Supergator (2010)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
