Kona Hotel, Holualoa, Hawai'i

The most recoqnized landmark in Holualoa is the Kona Hotel, which is also known as the "Pink Hotel". I don't think there is any way you can miss it. It has been operated by the Inaba's since it was constructed in 1926 .



As soon as I saw the Pink building I just had to find somewhere to park. Even though there was a sign requesting you not to park in one of the Hotel's spaces, I ignored it and went inside. What a photo op this was. There was a staircase on the right leading to the rooms upstairs and the entrance went straight through the building and exited out the rear. I noticed people sitting in the lobby on the left watching a small TV in the corner. I just assumed they were the local residents.



Looking directly at the front entrance, your eyes are directed straight to the back of the building. It was as if I just had to walk and see what was at the other end. No one seemed to mind my being there so I just wandered around snapping photos.

As I passed the lobby, I noticed another room to the left. In the meantime one of the residents came down the hall and while I did not know who he was he seemed to be a person of authority so I asked his permission to enter the room to snap a few more pictures. There was a small kitchen on the right of the hallway directly opposite this room which resembled a hotel restaurant from the 50's



On the walls of the restaurant were displayed many period photos of times past. Group photos, family photos and other memorabilia



I cannot tell from this Black & White photo whether this hotel was originally pink or not, but from the shade of black I don't think so .



At the rear of the building there is a small field full of coffee plants



There were a lot of personal collectibles on display throughout the room



There was an official document framed and displayed in the hallway from the State of Hawai'i dedicating this Heritage Building . Finally we made our way back to the lobby and started talking to the lady watching TV. She was Yayoko Inaba, one of the owners of the Hotel. We did not get a chance to meet Goro.



She was very unassuming and never once did she interfere with our wanderings around her hotel. She told us that she was originally from Honolulu and moved here to Holualoa when she got married to Goro. She also graduated from University which I think was very rare back in those times. As we chatted I was thinking to myself that it seemed like we were old friends who had stopped for a visit.


(Yayoko Inaba & Mrs Skoot)

This hotel has two secrets, at least that is what I am calling them. There is a skywalk leading out the rear of the building which leads to . . .


(a washroom, what else ?)

Kona Hotel sits high on a hill overlooking Kailua-Kona and one of the best views of the landscape is from, where else, but the urinal .



There is a lot of smoke being generated from the wild forest fire on the mountain. It has been burning for weeks and they cannot get equipment up there to put it out. The smoke has cast a layer of smog over the landscape as you can see.

The other gem is the undisturbed restaurant where the tables appear not to have been used for "years". You get the impression of a place where the people have just walked away to never return and by walking into this room it is like you are visiting a place where no one has been for 50 years. It was like I was in a time warp and transported back in time.