(Singing) The night is heavenly and you are heaven to me.

Lovely you and blue Hawaiʻi.

With all this loveliness.

Charlotte Simmons: Hi and welcome to the garden aisle of Kauaʻi.

I'm Charlotte Simmons of Pau Hana Years.

Like many others Pau Hana Years went to bid the last farewell to one of the kupunas at Poipu Beach, Waioha Hotel.

(Singing) While the moon is on sea.

The night is young and so are we (so are we my darling).

Dreams come true in Blue Hawaiʻi.

And mine will all come true this magic night... Charlotte Simmons: The Pau Hana Years crew accompanied many invited guests on a 15 mile scenic drive from Lehui Airport to the Waiohai Hotel at Poipu Beach in Koloa.

(Singing) (The moon is on the sea) The night is young and so are we (so are we my darling).

Oh dreams will come true in Blue Hawaiʻi.

And mine will all come true this magic night of nights with you.

Oh why don't you come with me while the moon is on the sea (the moon is on the sea).

The night is young and so are we.

Dreams come true in blue Hawaiʻi and mine will all come true this magic night of nights with you.

Charlotte Simmons: John Dresser, location producer for Pau Hana Years interviewed Dennis Costa manager of the Waiohai and several of the hotels, senior employees, and guests.

John Dresser: Dennis, could you tell us some of the something about the buildings and the history of the Waiohai Hotel?

Dennis Costa: Sure, love to.

At the Waiohai Hotel we have two buildings that was here way before the rest of the buildings were added to.

On my left here.

We have our dining room, which at that particular time was owned by the Knudsens.

And on my right we have a two story building here which is that particular time also owned by Knudsens.

Those people were staying there were the groundskeepers.

Then after Knudsens sold it to Kimballs, they've added a few other buildings here at the Waiohai Hotel.

We have a total of right now 47 rooms here at the Waiohai.

Very, very small and intimate.

John Dresser: And could you tell us why the guests have come to the Waiohai over the years?

Dennis Costa: A lot of the guests come to the Waiohai for a beautiful atmosphere we have here, the lovely beach, the charm, and of course the beauty.

Also, the such beautiful employees that we have here.

Rose Almeida: I'm Rose Almeida.

Waiohai Hotel.

John Dresser: How long have you been here, Rose?

Rose Almeida: I've worked for Amfac for 13 years.

John Dresser: Has all that time been here at the at the Waiohai Hotel?

Rose Almeida: And at, also at Poipu.

John Dresser: Oh the Poipu right next door to the Waioha here.

What have you enjoyed about working here at the Waiohai and the Poipu?

Rose Almeida: Well I like the surroundings.

My fellow employees are very nice.

So are the   manager and whoever works with us.

John Dresser: Have you worked long in the present a job that you have now?

Rose Almeida: Well, I've worked well, I started out As a room, housekeeper, then I went into a linen attendant.

And I've now as assistant housekeeper, John Dresser: Here at the Waiohai Hotel?

Could you tell us what you enjoy most about the Waiohai?

What is the most generous feeling that you have about the Waiohai?

Rose Almeida: Well, I think the surroundings are very beautiful.

And walking through the area is very nice.

John Dresser: Do you do that occasionally on your off hours?

Do you just walk through the area so that you can enjoy the surroundings here?

Rose Almeida: Well, I'll walk through my working hours.

And I enjoy it very much.

John Dresser: Do you have a chance to talk to the guests very often?

How are the guests at the Waiohai?

Rose Almeida: Oh, all the guests are very nice.

And we've got a lot of returnees that have been coming back for many years.

I just can't remember the names, but they were all very nice.

We are getting bigger.

And I'm sure there's a lot more guests that would like to come down to Waiohai even if it will be a new hotel.

John Dresser: Are you looking forward to that new hotel and working in it?

I suppose the place will be easier to keep when it's new, won't it?

Rose Almeida: Oh, yes.

I'm looking forward to it.

John Dresser: Hello, what is your name?

Anton Silva: Anton Silva.

John Dresser: Have you worked here very long, Tony?

Anton Silva: Yeah, about 10 years?

John Dresser: Do you like working here?

Anton Silva: Oh, sure.

I like the gardens, the trees and the vegetation.

That's what I like.

John Dresser: Do you have an interest in vegetation yourself?

Do you do any gardening at home?

Anton Silva: Oh yes, I have about over 100 rose plants and some carnations, some vegetables.

Keep me busy every time when I get home from work.

John Dresser: But what is your job here at the Waiohai?

Anton Silva: Houseman.

I take care of the windows and screens and carry the laundry and count all that sheets and towels.

That's my job.

John Dresser: That's a big job.

When you when you come to work in the morning, do you look forward to seeing the people who have checked in, the new guests?

And if you do, what do you what do you look for?

Do you get to chat with the guests very often?

Anton Silva: Well, I have some friends.

And we talk about the island.

Some of them they interested in roses so I talk with them.

John Dresser: I understand that you may be retiring pretty soon, is this almost pau hana time for you?

Anton Silva: Yes, about two years more.

This month I make 63.

I looking forward to go back to my garden.

John Dresser: Are you going to come back here as as a guest yourself and maybe have dinner after you retire when they open the new building?

Anton Silva: Yeah, I just leave about 10 miles away from here.

John Dresser: Tony, I wish you well on your retirement years.

Thank you for joining us.

Anton Silva: Thank you, too.

Charlotte SimmonsMany of the same guests have returned year after year to the Waiohai.

A peaceful serene, slow, and easy setting for a perfect retreat.

A beautiful place to hide.

An oasis in hot dry Poipu.

A hotel whose landscape included a beautiful sunny crescent beach with its crashing waves and rolling surf.

A little piece of paradise, a cluster of rambling beachfront cottages nestled in the silent cove surrounded by lush natural foliage, shading the one and two story bungalows.

John Dresser: Hello, what is your name?

Rose Aranio: Um, Rose Aranio.

John Dresser: Rose Aranio, how long have you been at the Waiohai Hotel?

Rose Aranio: I started to work here at 1964 in the year 1964.

And I have 16 years of service here.

And I love my work very much.

And I started to work here as a lobby maid, you know, working in the lobbies.

And then I started that as night maid, two hours a night then go home and come back again, you know?

Split shift for dollar and 35 cents an hour.

After three months I had $1.50 an hour.

Then from there on.

Well, I started to work as a maid, and work up myself to housekeeper.

John Dresser: I understand you're the executive housekeeper at the Waiohai now.

Rose Aranio: Yes, I have 36 girls working under my, boys and girls, you know, my housemen and maids, you know.

And I love to work with all them.

I love my work.

John Dresser: Have you known any of the guests that have been here?

Do some of the guests that you've seen come and go and you see them each year?

Rose Aranio: Yes, I have seen many of them come and go, and they love it very much.

Every year they come for as long as I can remember, they've been coming here.

And maybe some won't be coming because our Waiohai won't be no more, but I believe they will coming back.

John Dresser: I've heard that most of the guests come back to the, to the Waiohai Hotel because they like the employees here.

How do you feel about that?

Rose Araniio: Oh, yes, they really do.

They like their personality and they are very nice to the guests.

So they love to come back.

You know, they miss all us, you know?

Gene Honnet: The staff here at the Waiohai Poipu Beach Hotel have been very, very gracious.

And not, and they always have a smile.

In other words, everybody knows one another.

They're basically family.

Now, I've been to other hotels, where, they won't even say two words to you.

But consequently, here, they do try to do that.

They want to make you at home.

And if I, as I mentioned before, and said we're having our guests arrive from the mainland, they take time and tell them about the grounds.

Tell them about the Hawaiian about the Hawaii, this Hawaiian island where they can go what they can see and how long it takes to get there.

John Dresser: How's the hotel here changed over the years that you've watched it?

Gene Honnet: I don't think it's changed that much, no.

Carol Honnet: I don't think the Waiohai has really changed.

That's why we always come back.

Because we know what it's going to be like when we were just visiting here.

We always knew what it was going to be like.

We always knew that Claire Caveiro would be here.

Una May Moniz, the whole bunch, you know.

And they always make you feel so welcome.

Elizabeth Camara: I think we have nice house guests because they come back every year.

If they wouldn't like it they wouldn't come back.

John Dresser: What a, you're a baker here in the kitchen is that you're the head baker is that right?

Elizabeth Camara: Well, I'm the only baker.

John Dresser: What, what's your specialty in the kitchen here?

Elizabeth Camara: You mean is cakes or pie?

Well, I think the coconut cake and macadamia nut pie.

I think it's about the favorites here.

John Dresser: Way back in the early, you worked for the Kimballs when they were here.

Elizabeth Camara: Yes uh huh.

John Dresser: Do you remember when they lived in the main building?

Elizabeth Camara: No, I don't think they ever lived here.

They always were living in Honolulu but they used come every so often.

Mrs. Kimball was very oh high class you know everything had to be just so.

And in a way I guess we kept her standards here.

John Dresser: And you still maintain those?

Elizabeth Cmara: I think so.

Because the ingredients to the cakes or pies didn't change at all.

We still have maybe other places with cheaper ingredients but we never did.

We still bake from scratch and made the same good ingredients.

That's why I think people are coming back because still tastes as good as used to days in the beginning.

John Dresser: What will you do when the old Waiohai Hotel is torn down?

Will you come back to the new one?

Carol Honnet: Oh, we certainly will, Gene Honnet: Absolutely, absolutely.

We will.

There's no doubt about it.

Carol Honnet: Well, they're going to try and keep as much staff as they can.

You know to change over.

And all our people are here.

John Dresser: Your people are the staff?

Rose Aranio: I hope to see the new hotel up, you know?

If I'm still here because I'm 63 years old now so but I love my work very very much.

I love it.

And although I hate to see our dear old Waiohai go down but there's nothing we can do about it.

Charlotte Simmons: The original Waiohai Hotel was purchased by Island Holidays from the Kimball family in 1964, approximately two years after it opened.

At that time, the hotel consisted of 10 separate buildings, which included the hotel's office, restaurant, lounge and bar, and 30 guest rooms.

Open airy lanais peek through the general landscape to the sea and mountains and garden paths wander forever, amid the choral of the wild birds and the sound of the crashing surf.

No wonder this little piece of paradise has become a beautiful place to hide.

There's something about the Waiohai that makes her reminiscent of Waikīkī' s Halekulani, later you find out they were sister hotels.

John Dresser: What's, what's the most wonderful part about the old Waiohai Hotel that you're going to miss most?

Bernice Miyamoto: Oo the scene--, well the scenery will still be here but I guess it's that family type of atmosphere.

That's what, is gonna, we're gonna miss you know it won't be like that anymore, I doubt.

John Dresser: Do you think you won't to have another family atmosphere here?

It'll be too big then is that what you feel?

Bernice Miyamoto: No not really that depends on how we make it and we make it so that they feel like we're one big family then John Dresser: From what I've heard the guests here enjoy the hotels principally because of the people who work here like you, do you think that's true?

Bernice Miyamoto: I think so.

I'm very sure of it (Singing) When it calls to you, you must go there.

Beyond the rainbow, to fair Hawaiʻi.

He inoa ke ia no Waipiʻo, ʻO Kahalelauokekoa.

I puia i ke ʻala, ona ona i ka ihu.

(Singing) ʻO Makalapua ulumāhiehie ʻo ka lei o Kamakaʻeha (How are you dear?)

No Kamakaʻeha ka lei na Liʻawahine.

Nā wāhine kīhene pua.

Charlotte Simmons: The invited guests gathered a twilight time, share special moments and fond memories of the place they had grown to love over the years, the Waiohai.

They were welcomed with a gracious Hawaiian hospitality, which has become the trademark of each employee.

(Singing) E lei hoʻi, e Liliʻulani ē.

ʻO Makalapua ulumāhiehie ʻo ka lei o Kamakaʻeha.

No Kamakaʻeha ka lei na Liʻawahine nā wāhine kīhene pua.

E lei hoʻi, e Liliʻulani e. E lei hoʻi, e Liliʻulani e. (Singing) When you see (when you see) Hanalei by moonlight (moonlight) You will be (you will be) in Heaven by the sea (by the sea).

Every breeze (every breeze) every wave will whisper you are mine don't ever go away.

John Dresser: Can you give me your name?

And how long have you been here?

Claire Caveiro: My name is Claire Caveiro.

And I've been here for 13 years.

I started as a waitress and am now the dining room manager and have been for eight years.

John Dresser: For eight years as the manager of this dining room.

Can you tell me a little bit about how it feels to know that the Waiohai Hotel that we know right now is not going to be here anymore?

Claire Caveiro: Well, of course it's sad to us.

We been here for 13 years, and you get to know all your guests by name.

And that's what makes them feel so important.

That's what makes them come back.

And it's hard for me to think you know, being in in the big hotel, I won't be able to know everybody's name, no.

John Dresser: Do you think it'll be difficult to get to know the people as well as you've known the people here?

Claire Caveiro: As long as I can be in a dining room, I you know, I feel that I'll be able to know people by names we usually have a log or you know, a list of names and we when you write the check on the names you remember that.

That's, that's the ways that we remember their names and get to be real good friends with them.

John Dresser: How does it feel in your heart?

Claire Caveiro: Well, it's sad.

It's sad because it's gonna be just a different world for sure.

John Dresser: Do you think we'll still have the same atmosphere the same, the same general feeling of aloha that I've seen here today?

Claire Caveiro: As long as I have the same employees that I have right now?

They'll still have that aloha spirit most of us are almost related if not related.

In fact the manager is my cousin.

So as long as you know I have that same crew we just worked together beautifully.

John Dresser: Your crew is very, very attractive especially tonight they just looked beautiful.

Claire Caveiro: I think so, too.

I'm very proud of them.

I can always depend on them.

Dennis Costa: We the employees and management of the Waiohai at Poipu Beach Hotel would like to say farewell to Waiohai.

(Singing) Across the sea, beautiful Kauaʻi, beautiful Kauaʻi.

And it's calling, yes calling to me, beautiful Kauaʻi, beautiful Kauaʻi.

In the midst of Fern Grotto Mother Nature made her home.

And the falls of Wailua where lovers oftern roam.

So I'll return to my isle across the sea, beautiful Kauaʻi, beautiful Kauaʻi.

In the midst of Fern Grotto Mother Nature made her home.

And the falls of Wailua where lovers often roam.

So I'll return to my isle across the sea, beautiful Kauaʻi, beautilful Kauaʻi.

Beautiful Kauaʻi, beautiful Kauaʻi.

Charlotte Simmons: Waiohai Hotel officially closed on July 8, 1979.

The new four story Waiaohai is expected to open its doors in January 1981 with a total of 601 rooms including the 142 rooms now existing at the Poipu Beach Hotel.

groundbreaking for the new hotel took place on July 5 1979.

To the old Waiohai Pau Hana Years bids a fond farewell and to the upcoming keiki, the new Waiohai a wish for a continued feeling of hospitality and our traditions that have made the Waiohai so picturesque and beautiful.

(Singing) hānau e. Kuʻu home kulaīwi nei.

ʻOli nō au i nā pono lani ou.

E Hawaiʻi, aloha ē. E hauʻoli nā ʻōpio o Hawaiʻi nei.

ʻOli ē!

ʻOli ē!

Mai nā aheahe makani e pā mai nei.

Mau ke aloha no Hawaiʻi.