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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…

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…

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…

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…

Neal Prince and Jim Fox, Project Manager of IHC, pose on the job site of the Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel, which operated from 1968-1974.

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 about Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel (1968-1974) featured in the December 1969 issue of Architectural Record.

The Tahara’a InterContinental (1968-1974) was designed by the architectural firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo (WATG), The team created an “upside down” building where the lobby and restaurants were on the top floor and the guest rooms were on the…

For the hotel bar, the design team worked with local artisans to produce intricately carved wooden screens that acted as room dividers, with dragon-headed nagas (snakes) taken from temple architecture. Wall fabrics were chosen in rich jewel tones…

Thai motifs are found throughout the hotel. Common motifs include: the flame, the lotus, the fight between the serpent Naga and the Monkey God, the royal hunt for the mythical jeweled leopard, Thai silk, gold leaf, mirror mosaic, brass, carved wood,…