The Hawaiian Islands loom large over the cultural legacy of the 20th Century. Less than a generation after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and subsequent annexation by the United States, the song Aloha ‘Oe, written by the Kingdom’s last monarch, was wildly popular to Mainland listeners.
By the 1930’s, interest in Hawaiian music and culture were widespread. The long-running and popular Hawaiian music program Hawai’i Calls reached living room radios from the shores of Waikiki Beach for several decades from 1935 onward.
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In New York City, The Lexington Hotel was the region’s epicenter of the craze for Hawaiian Music with the opening of The Hawaiian Room in 1937.
The Hawaiian Room became known for importing talent directly from the Hawaiian Islands, where a salary several times more than the territory’s agricultural jobs and a chance to see the world was enough of a draw for young Hawai’i residents skilled in hula to leave their sunny shores for the big city.
In addition to bona fide Hawaiian entertainment, New York pleasure-seekers could dine on contemporary restaurant staples, or try exotic cocktails and entrees popularized at Waikiki’s Royal Hawaiian Hotel. A 1941 menu advertised such cocktails from 60 cents (around $10 in today’s currency) or a deluxe luncheon including creamed coconut chicken baked in a coconut shell for $1.25 ($20 today).
While generally regarded as authentic, the entertainment was a mix of more traditional forms of hula with hapa haole (Westernized) songs and dance numbers that developed out of the genre’s popularity with mainland audiences. The hiring of talent directly from Hawai’i, including renowned guest stars ranging from Alfred Apaka to Hilo Hattie, lent credibility and authenticity to the performances.
The Hawaiian Room ultimately closed in 1966 as entertainment tastes changed, and as the advent of jet airline travel realized the dream of a real-life Hawaiian vacation for many New Yorkers, undoubtedly inspired by decades of enjoying music and hula at the “Eastern Outpost of Hawai’i”.
At The Lexington Hotel today, the storied past of the hotel is paid homage to in a series of specialty suites.
The Hawaiian Room has its own dedicated “Hawaiian Room” Suite. The suite is decorated with mid-century Polynesian touches, an outpost of Hawai’i much in the same way as its namesake. The 415 square foot suite also has an outdoor terrace with even more tiki-era Polynesian design touches.
Escapists can revel in the period “The Hawaiian Room” sign in the foyer, and listen to “Melodies for Dancing from the Enchanted Islands,” an album of songs recorded at The Hawaiian Room. The Hawaiian Room Suite starts at $899 plus tax, and guests interested in enjoying the suite should contact the hotel directly to book.
