Why This Historic Hawaiian Landmark Is Still Abandoned Today

Disaster struck on September 11, 1992, when a hurricane pounded the hotel, reports Hawaii Magazine. It wasn’t the first storm or tidal wave that Coco Palms had been through, but when Hurricane Iniki hurled 145 mile-per-hour winds at the island, the damage was nearly irreparable. The hotel, now under new management from Park Lane Hotels, closed indefinitely in 1992, according to Travel Weekly. 

Not only was the hotel demolished by the storm, but it was then abandoned for decades, per Hawaii Magazine. Looter took advantage. First, thieves stole lots of the valuables from the hotel rooms, like the colossal signature clamshell sinks, and massive doors that were hand-carved from koa wood. They stripped the hotel of copper, and stole anything else they thought could be valuable.

And there were other issues, too. Because the resort was built on holy grounds, special permits would be needed to rebuild the structure (via Sometimes Interesting). Since lots of Hawaiian buildings had been wrecked in the category-4 storm, business owners had to spend years in court, trying to get insurance payouts to fix and rebuild their tourist destinations.