History

A Legendary Place

  • Coco Palms occupies a site near the small Hawaiian villages of Kapuai-o-Molohua kula, Wailua, and Kahakoa.

  • Though she did not live on the site, Queen Deborah Kapule was known to always be friendly to foreigners and entertained them with much hospitality in the days of her prosperity at her home located nearby on the banks of the Wailua River.

1890s, Lindeman and Copra

  • German businessman William Lindeman acquired the property in the 1890s.

  • Lindeman planted nearly 2,000 Samoan coconut trees in a failed attempt to establish oil and copra production.

Early 1900s - 1950s, Hills and Lodge

  • Following Lindeman, the property switched hands to Alfred Hills and his wife Veda who established a small 24-room hotel, the Coco Palm Lodge.

1953 Coco Palms Hotel Opens

  • In 1952, Veda Hills (now widowed) sold the lodge to Lyle Guslander who hired Grace Buscher, whom he would later marry, to manage the property and expand its operations. When Grace took over, the Coconut Grove was dying out, with only 75 trees remaining. She nurtured the grove back to health.

  • In 1953, the Coco Palms Hotel officially opened.

1950s - 1980s, The Glory Years

  • Under Grace Buscher Guslander’s management, the hotel would continue to expand from a 24-room lodge to nearly 400 rooms at its height.

  • Soon after opening, the hotel became a favorite destination for celebrities.

  • The hotel was featured prominently in the 1961 Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii.

1992, Hurricane Iniki

  • In 1992, Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful hurricane in Hawaiʻi’s history, struck the island of Kauaʻi and devastated the Coco Palms along with the rest of Kauaʻi.

1992 - 2022, Thirty Years of Failure

  • Following damage from Iniki, Coco Palms remained derelict as the property continued to switch hands.

  • While a series of owners promised to rebuild during the last 30 years, no meaningful progress on the restoration has occurred.

2022 - Present, Hope with New Owners

  • In 2022, Reef Capital Partners acquires Coco Palms after the previous ownership group defaulted on their loan.

  • Recognized for their commitment to stewardship of significant properties, Reef Capital Partners is investing heavily to ensure the restoration of Coco Palms is executed in a responsible manner.