Tahara’a InterContinental
Title
Tahara’a InterContinental
Description
The Tahara’a InterContinental in Pape’éte, Tahiti, was built by Pan Am in 1968, along with the Siam InterContinental construction several years prior signaled the rise of the luxury resort hotel in exotic, far-flung locales serviced by Pan Am’s global fleet.
Collection Items
Tahara'a InterContinental exhibit wall panel
Wall panel from the 2013 New York School of Interior Design exhibit "Designing the Luxury Hotel: Neal Prince and the Inter-Continental Brand."
In December 1968, the Tahara’a Inter-Continental opened in Pape’éte, Tahiti. The architectural firm…
In December 1968, the Tahara’a Inter-Continental opened in Pape’éte, Tahiti. The architectural firm…
Tahara'a InterContinental exterior view with tiki
Many “native” elements incorporated into the hotel decor, including a 25 foot tiki that stood in front of the hotel’s thatched-roofed building, had to be outsourced to Oceanic Arts in Whittier, California due to a scarcity of craftsmen (the locals…
Tahara'a InterContinental exterior bar and beach view
The Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel (1964-1978) was dramatically perched on a cliff above one of Tahiti’s famed black sand beaches, with descending tiers of rooms spread out below the ridge of the hill and balcony trellises draped in…
Tahara'a InterContinental guest room and balcony
In designing the Tahara'a iinteriors, Prince took his interior design cues from the ocean, working with a palette of turquoise, dark blue, midnight blue, and sea green for the guest rooms and for the accents of the outdoor pool area—everything from…
Tahara'a InterContinental swimming pool
The Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel (1968-1974) had two levels of public areas rising above the guest rooms: a dining room, bar, pool, recreation area, and nightclub. Prince took his interior design cues from the ocean, working with a palette of…
Tahara'a InterContinental outdoor bar
When Prince was designing the Tahara’a, he was catering to an American fantasy of the South Pacific, formed by movies like Blue Hawaii and the tiki bars of the 1960s. In the more casual indoor and outdoor dining spaces, common features include…
Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel Captain Cook restaurant
In the Captain Cook Restaurant (named after the legendary English explorer who visited Tahiti), bright striped fabrics were hung from floor to ceiling in the double-height bar and lounge. The restaurant also featured chandeliers shaped like nautical…
Tahara'a InterContinental bar
When Prince was designing the Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel, which operated from 1968-1974, he was catering to an American fantasy of the South Pacific, formed by movies like Blue Hawaii and the tiki bars of the 1960s. In the more casual indoor and…
Exterior view: Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel
The hotel (in operation from 1968-1974) was dramatically perched on a cliff above one of Tahiti’s famed black sand beaches, with descending tiers of rooms spread out below the ridge of the hill and balcony trellises draped in bougainvillea. Each room…
Article in Architectural Record, December 1969
Article about Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel (1968-1974) featured in the December 1969 issue of Architectural Record.