You’ve seen them on social media. Grinning guests at South Florida’s historic Mai-Kai restaurant, posing in front of an array of distinctive icons and immersive features that immediately tell you where they are.
The Mai-Kai’s volcanic caldera and indoor tiki garden are two of the many one-of-a-kind photo locations spotlighted by Hurricane Hayward. (Atomic Grog photos, April 2025)
Your first instinct is to be happy for them, to give them a “like” and even a “wish I was there with you!” comment. But it’s also hard to suppress the jealousy. You might wonder: “Why didn’t I think of that photo spot?”
We’re here to help you, as well as the many newbies who may be making their first visit and feel overwhelmed when confronted with the 2.7-acre property filled with dozens of scenic vistas. Take your time and enjoy the moment, of course. But you want to return home with some cool memories of your visit.
That’s why we’ve created this guide to getting those classic shots of you and your friends and family on your next trip to the Mai-Kai. These 16 locations are the ones that scream “Mai-Kai!” with no explanation needed. We could have added a dozen more exotic areas to photograph, both with and without smiling faces in your viewfinder. But we’re sure you’ll discover those on your own. SEE THE TOP 16:Jump straight to the tour below
Watch the “Mai Kai Photo Safari” episode of Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour before, during or after checking out the detailed guide below. (Spike’s Breezeway)
When we told Matt “Spike” Marble about our plans for this guide, he jumped at the chance to film an exclusive walk-through video of these 16 must-capture images during his visit this summer. We were joined by model Brittany on July 20 for what became the “Mai Kai Photo Safari” episode on his popular YouTube channel, Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour.
Our guide to the essential Mai-Kai photos, as documented on Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour with model Brittany, includes both classic and new locations. (Photos by Spike Marble, July 2025)
A professional photographer, Marble also shot still images of the Mai-Kai during his week-long visit. Some of the more casual shots he posted on social media are included in this story. Click here to see more photos and coverage of Marble’s tour with Allsmiller, and look back at our original story on our video tour of the photo locations.
Rewind to the summer of 2001: Sven Kirsten’s The Book of Tiki, the influential bible of what would become known as the Polynesian Pop renaissance, was less than a year old. Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log, which lit the fuse of the Tiki cocktail revival, was barely 3. Tiki Central, which would explode into an online gathering place for enthusiasts from around the world, was a year away from leaving Yahoo to become a stand-alone website. The first modern Tiki bar (Taboo Cove in Las Vegas, designed by Bosko Hrnjak) would not open until September.
Official Tiki Oasis artwork by Derek Yaniger: The 2005 event was the last in Palm Springs. This year will mark the event’s 25th anniversary, and 20th year in San Diego.
Into this pubescent scene burst Tiki Oasis, making its debut as the world’s first all-encompassing event dedicated to celebrating the art, architecture, cocktails, fashion, music, history and overarching aesthetics of the forgotten 20th century pop culture craze that took hold in the 1930s, peaked in the 1950s and ’60s, but never really went away. A new generation, led by a loosely knit clan of California bohemians, was fully immersed in creating a new movement that has lasted well into the 21st century. Tiki Oasis became their playground.
It’s still called the Tiki “revival,” but there seems to be no end in sight. The scene remains joined at the hip with Tiki Oasis, begun humbly by Otto and Baby Doe von Stroheim in Palm Springs. Otto was instrumental in both documenting the golden days and nurturing the nascent movement in his Tiki News fanzine (1995-2001). He also put together the first big Tiki music event (Exoticon ’95) and the genre’s first major art show (21st Century Tiki, 1996), both in Los Angeles.
He was also long notorious for his wild backyard Tiki parties featuring vintage mugs and cocktails, authentic music, and just a touch of anarchy that came naturally for the generation that grew up on punk and other underground subcultures. After he joined forces in 1996 with the creator of the Baby Doe’s Obsessed website, they set their sights on bigger and better events. She produced the first-ever burlesque convention, Tease-O-Rama, in 2001.
Tiki Oasis began as fundraiser for historic hotel
Baby Doe and Otto von Stroheim visit the Mai-Kai and manager Kern Mattei in January 2025. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
The original intent of Tiki Oasis – which made its debut on Aug. 18, 2001 – was altruistic: Raising money and awareness to preserve the vintage Caliente Tropics Resort in Palm Springs. The first year was modest, featuring around 50 guests. But the event grew rapidly over the next four years, selling out the small hotel and precipitating a move to San Diego in 2006. (The hotel has not only survived, it has thrived amid the Tiki revival, serving as the current host venue of the long-running Tiki Caliente and Circa Caliente events.)
The popularity of both Tiki culture and Tiki Oasis exploded during the next 14 years at the Crowne Plaza (formerly the historic Hanalei Hotel), expanding into a five-day event that has defined the concept of “Tiki weekender” for a new generation. The von Stroheims also added new events to their portfolio, including Arizona Tiki Oasis in Scottsdale (2019-present) and Resort-O-Rama in Santa Rosa, Calif. (2023).
• 2014 flashback: 5 questions with Otto von Stroheim
Tiki Oasis spent one year at the expansive Paradise Point Resort during the COVID restrictions of 2020, then moved in 2021 to the Town and Country Resort, where it has remained for five years. The 23-acre property in Mission Valley oozes mid-century style and charm.
The Town and Country Resort provides the perfect setting for a salute to mid-century Tiki culture. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, August 2023)
The event takes over the entire 600+ rooms and nearly 300,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor event space. Originally built in 1953 as a roadside lodge, the Town and Country has a rich history that was honored during a major renovation in 2019.
Tiki Oasis will honor its legacy, as well as the early days of the revival, with several symposiums this year. On Friday, Aug. 8, at 9:30 a.m., Sven Kirsten will host The Book of Tiki Turns 25, discussing how photographing and collecting the remnants of the lost mid-century culture led him to understand its unique qualities, and how that convinced him of the importance of documenting and preserving it.
The von Stroheims have lined up an array of guest speakers for 25 Years of Tiki Oasis, hosted by David “Dr. Skipper” Marley at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9. They promise “rarely seen photos and untold stories from Tiki Oasis’ past, followed by a lively Q&A.”
History, reimagination of legendary Mai-Kai back bar to be revealed
The Atomic Grog’s seminar for Tiki Oasis 2025, “Sneak Peek into the Historic Mai-Kai’s Secret Bar,” will explore the mysterious space from the early days of mixologist Mariano Licudine through the reimagination by “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and bar program of Cory Starr. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
We’ll reveal details and show exclusive photos of the multimillion-dollar restoration that preceded the November 2024 relaunch after a four-year closing due to extensive damage to the back of house kitchen and bar. Given a clean slate to rebuild, Allsmiller took the former utilitarian space to a new level and made it a showpiece that’s now on the same level as the guest areas, some of which date back to the 1956 opening.
Starr will serve up a reinvigorated classic cocktail from those early days, enhanced by a new rum that’s due to be released in the coming weeks. We’ll also serve samples of Mai-Kai Rum No. 1, a 100-proof blend sourced from historic stills at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica. Event attendees will be among the first to get a taste of the final product. Related: Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 coming soon, symposium and tasting planned for Tiki Oasis
The Mai-Kai and The Atomic Grog are headed to Tiki Oasis! We’re honored to be joined by manager Kern Mattei and creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller at the world’s original and largest Tiki weekender Aug. 2-6 in San Diego.
The 23rd annual event at the Town and Country Resort features live entertainment (Man or Astroman, The Tikiyaki Orchestra, Messer Chups, The New Les Baxter Orchestra, Shorty’s Swingin’ Coconuts, King Kukulele, Medusirena), seminars (Sven Kirsten, Charles Phoenix, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Ian Burrell), artists, vendors, and much more.
Tiki Oasis guests will enjoy five nights and four days of poolside lounging, fashion shows, room parties, live bands and DJs, a curated art exhibit, a gigantic Tiki marketplace, tropical cocktails curated by top mixologists, plus much more.
Click here for event tickets, ranging from $40 for Wednesday to $499 for a deluxe Wednesday-Sunday pass. If you have kids in tow, don’t fret. Tickets cost just $35 for ages 6 to 17. Children 5 under are free.
Click below for tickets to the seminars, which must be purchased separately.
Jim “Hurricane” Hayward (left) is participating in Tiki Oasis 2023 with two key members of The Mai-Kai team: manager Kern Mattei and creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller. (Mai-Kai photo)
For the first time in event history, South Florida’s historic Mai-Kai will be on hand for not one, but two official presentations. Last year, designer and artist Allsmiller taught a sold-out, two-day shelf-building class shortly after diving into his work restoring The Mai-Kai. This year, he’ll be featuring one of his restored vintage lamps from The Mai-Kai in a lamp show that runs all weekend.
On Friday, Hayward and Mattei will present a seminar on one of The Mai-Kai’s most iconic cocktails, the Derby Daiquiri. On Saturday, they will be joined by Allsmiller for a presentation jam-packed with the latest information on the restoration and reopening.
Here are are more details on the events:
The Derby Daiquiri and Beyond: How to Create Your Own Classic
Hosted by Kern Mattei and Jim “Hurricane” Hayward
2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, $45 [BUY TICKETS]
In 1958, Mariano Licudine created the Derby Daiquiri, one of the most celebrated drinks of the mid-century tropical cocktail boom.
The Mai-Kai’s Derby Daiquiri was one of the most celebrated cocktails of the mid-century, a simple riff on the Cuban classic by master mixologist Mariano Licudine. Six decades later, it remains one of the most popular drinks on the historic restaurant’s menu. It also provides a case study on how a vintage recipe can be enhanced by just a few simple tweaks, creating something new and exciting. Join The Mai-Kai’s longtime manager, Kern Mattei, and cocktail blogger Jim “Hurricane” Hayward for an examination of Licudine’s genius as they guide you toward creating your own signature classic.
About Kern and Jim
Kern Mattei was born into The Mai-Kai family and has worked there since his youth, from barback and bartender to the past three decades as manager. His father was the GM before him, and his mother performed in the stage show. His unique position makes him intimately familiar with the restaurant’s famous cocktails, their history and the secret recipes. During the current refurbishment, he runs the takeout cocktail program, providing quarts and gallons of classics like the Barrel O’ Rum and Black Magic to thirsty locals. Blogger and journalist Jim “Hurricane” Hayward has covered The Mai-Kai for more than a decade, documenting and recreating the cocktail recipes in exacting detail. As we approach a late 2023 reopening, The Atomic Grog has become a key source of information on The Mai-Kai restoration project.
Mariano Licudine serves the Derby Daiquiri in Puerto Rico in 1959. The seminar will reveal The Mai-Kai’s relationship with the Rums of Puerto Rico trade group. (From Potions of the Caribbean, courtesy of The Mai-Kai)
Seminar sneak preview
Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect during the first-ever official Mai-Kai cocktail seminar at Tiki Oasis:
• Three different Daiquiris will be served by the Tiki Oasis cocktail crew, including the Derby, as we reveal and dissect each recipe.
• Rare and never-before-seen images from the archives will be shown, including Mattei family photos.
• We’ll take the most detailed look yet at the creation and explosive popularity of the Derby Daiquiri, known as “the $100,000 Drink.”
• The seminar will conclude with the premiere of a new recipe created especially for Tiki Oasis and San Diego.
The Mai-Kai is in the midst of a multi-year, multimillion-dollar restoration and renovation project. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / July 2023)
Tiki History Reimagined: The Restoration and Reopening of The Mai-Kai
Jim “Hurricane” Hayward with “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and Kern Mattei
2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, $20 [BUY TICKETS]
The Mai-Kai is a miraculous survivor. The South Florida historic landmark endured a near-catastrophic roof collapse in late 2020 but found new owners with deep pockets and an ambitious vision to preserve it for generations to come. When the restoration of the 66-year-old Polynesian palace is complete, it will be meticulously returned to its former glory and also include millions of dollars in enhancements that respect the past and charge boldly into the future. In this multimedia presentation, embedded journalist Jim “Hurricane” Hayward of The Atomic Grog blog will take you behind the scenes at The Mai-Kai. He’ll be joined by two key members of The Mai-Kai team: Creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller will offer unique insights into the painstaking restoration efforts, while longtime manager Kern Mattei will provide up-to-the-minute news on the renovation project, along with his unique perspective on Mai-Kai history.
Creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller (right) has been joined by fellow Florida artist and craftsman Scott “Flounder” Scheidly for the ambitious job of restoring the interior of The Mai-Kai, including more than 100 vintage lamps. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / July 2023)
About The Mai-Kai team
Jim “Hurricane” Hayward is a veteran journalist and blogger, best known for The Atomic Grog blog – covering Tiki events, music, art cocktails and culture since 2011. Along with its popular Mai-Kai cocktail guide, the blog has become the go-to source of information on the landmark restaurant’s closing, sale, restoration, and reopening. Typhoon Tommy is a multiple Thea Award-winning scenic artist with 13 years of experience in the theme park industry. After turning his talents full-time to creating magical escapes in the world of Tiki, he became creative director and designer for The Mai-Kai renovation project in 2022. Kern Mattei grew up at the historic restaurant during its heyday and now leads the efforts to modernize the infrastructure while maintaining as much of its original beauty as possible. He has been general manager since 1993, following in the footsteps of his father, Kern Mattei Sr. (1964-1991).
A proper modern Tiki weekender requires human interaction – from the tastes and smells of rum and craft cocktails, to the tactile hands-on experiences with artists and vendors, to the exciting dynamics of group participation in educational symposiums and enjoyment of unique entertainment. All of this came to a crashing halt – or was altered radically – one year ago by the coronavirus pandemic.
Virtual events continue to be enriching and enjoyable, and quite a few smaller gatherings have returned over the months as society slowly crawls ahead with safe, socially-distanced protocols. We’ve documented many of them on The Tiki Times, our constantly updated guide to online and real-life happenings.
One thing missing, however, was the glue that holds the scene together. The quintessential Tiki experience can happen only at multi-day weekend conventions that have become annual highlights for thousands of followers. They plan their annual calendars around them, sometimes traveling halfway around the world to attend. But most of the major events either scaled back drastically (Tiki Oasis), went totally virtual (The Hukilau), or were canceled altogether (Tiki Kon). Past coverage:Recap of 2020 events
Now, with vaccinations becoming widespread in the United States and some light visible at the end of the tunnel, it’s time to get back to basics with a good old fashioned Tiki bash. And who better to kick off the return to “normal” than Baby Doe and Otto von Stroheim, the power couple responsible for inventing the format two decades ago amid the burgeoning Tiki revival in Southern California.
Baby Doe and Otto von Stroheim, founders and producers of Arizona Tiki Oasis. (Official photo)
While their flagship Tiki Oasis won’t return until the summer, this spring provided the perfect platform to re-launch in-person events on a large scale with last weekend’s Arizona Tiki Oasis at Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. By all accounts, the second edition of the full festival went off without a hitch April 22-25 and was a rousing success.
It was exciting to watch, even from afar via social media, as Tiki’s movers and shakers once again gathered in appreciation of not just the thriving subculture, but also in celebration of coming out of our cocoons for real social interaction. The pent-up demand for such an event was clear and immediate: Attendees filled every room in the resort.
For the first time in more than a year, we saw author Sven Kirsten back behind the lectern for a sold-out seminar on Tiki culture (From Don to Steve to The Mai-Kai: The Enigma of the Tahitian Cannibal Carvings). Other seminar speakers included historian Mike Skinner, collector Jason T. Smith, and author CJ Cook.
The Arizona Tiki Oasis 2021 limited edition mug by Shag.
There were rum and spirits tastings with local tropical oasis Hula’s Modern Tiki, plus tours of Scottsdale’s mid-century architecture and culture. Mixologist Tiki Lindy provided pro tips for home enthusiasts. Ukulele lessons, pool parties and Saturday night’s Tiki Tiki Ho-Ho Luau were other highlights. Many events were held outdoors under Arizona’s flawless spring skies, allowing maximal fun with minimal risk. The website says guests could enjoy “a wide range of resort activities while sipping tropical cocktails, wearing your festive aloha wear and snazzy masks.” It also provided a full page of health and safety protocols.
April 12-14 – Arizona Tiki Oasis in Scottsdale. An island lifestyle party in the middle of the desert at the historic Hotel Valley Ho resort. Featuring a marketplace with more than 60 curated artisans, more than 20 educational seminars, mid-century architectural tours, live mermaid performance, art show, luau featuring Polynesian dancers, plus more. * Facebook event | Event app | Official program The Tiki Times: See all the upcoming events
