HONOLULU – Recently, the resort, once favored by Elvis Presley and other Hollywood royalty, was in ruins until 30 years ago, when a hurricane severely damaged it.
The Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai will be demolished to make way for a new 350-room hotel, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports.
The resort is best known in film lore as the location where Presley and Joan Blackman’s characters got married in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii.
It’s also the location of other key scenes in the film, including the final scene where Presley sings “Hawaiian Wedding Song” and holds Blackman’s hand as they ride the raft across the lagoon.
In its heyday, it was known to be frequented by other Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Bing Crosby.
The 46-acre (19-hectare) lot was once the home of Kauai’s last princess, Deborah Kapule, who died in 1853.
The resort opened in 1953 next to a historic coconut grove and old Hawaiian fish pond. The property fell into disrepair after it was damaged in 1992 when the powerful Hurricane Iniki hit the island.
Over the years, several attempts to restore the property have failed.
The $250 million project will take three years, said Patrick Manning, managing partner of Utah-based Reef Capital Partners.
Reef Capital served as lender to the previous developer and took over the property in 2018 when they defaulted on the loan. Manning said the plan was to sell the property, but that changed after researching its history.
“I called my partners and said, ‘This property is too important to sell,'” Manning said.
The new hotel and cultural center will be built on approximately 10 acres (4 ha) of land that will respect the property’s history.
At one point, the community wanted the resort rebuilt, but those sentiments have changed, said Kauai Council Chairman Mel Rapozo. “They don’t want to see the station built,” he added.
At a meeting of the State Land and Natural Resources Board on Friday, some opposed the construction, citing the bones of a number of ancestors who had been buried at the site.
Cultural expert Joseph Kekaulike Kamai said his great-grandmother was buried there, while the others were buried under the hotel, entrance and tennis courts.
“I don’t want them digging anymore. I don’t want them to take our land,” Kamay said.
Manning said something had to be done or the site would be an eyesore for another 30 years.
“While we know there are a lot of people who don’t want it rebuilt, we want to do everything we can to honor its past and respect the residents and visitors of Kauai and respect how we approach its future,” Manning said. said.
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