Here’s another motel marquee worth a look along Valley Boulevard in Alhambra. The Lanai Motel brings a little tropical suggestion to the roadside, with a name better suited to relaxing on a patio than sitting in traffic.
Tahitian Village (Demolished)
Downey, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Tahitian Village used to be a full featured
location, featuring motel, restaurant and what not. This place met the
end of a back-hoe a year or so ago. 05-01
Trader Vic's (Demolished) Beverly Hills, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Check out the lips on the carved tiki outside Trader Vic’s at the Beverly Hilton. The towering figure and peaked Polynesian entrance gave diners a little island scenery before the first Mai Tai arrived. Quite a change from the traffic on Wilshire Boulevard.Opened in 1955 as “The Traders,” the restaurant became a favorite Hollywood gathering place, serving tropical drinks and plenty of atmosphere.
UPDATE: The original restaurant closed on April 29, 2007, and was later demolished for hotel redevelopment. A smaller poolside Trader Vic’s Lounge continued until 2017, ending the longtime Beverly Hills tiki stop. 10-26
