BY TIMOTHY RAWLES Stroheim, who also produce the popular sister tiki event in San Diego. “We are bringing the pizzazz and excitement of what we do in San Diego, but allowing people to have more of a curated experience,” Doe says. The excite- ment in her voice seems fueled by her devotion to the project and everything it entails. It’s contagious. The Arizona Tiki Oasis started here in 2019, but its inception goes back more than two decades. The duo began a mutual interest in tiki culture in Palm Springs at the Caliente Tropics Hotel, a midcentury architectural marvel that had lost some of its Polynesian pop. Doe and Von Stroheim came to its rescue and helped it to become a tropical paradise. Then in 2006, nearly 140 miles south- west, they set their sites on a San Diego hotel with a Polynesian theme, The Town and Country. “We’re all about architectural preser- vation of historic tiki bars and Midcentury Modern architecture,” Von Stroheim says. This “Ohana spirit,” as they call it, is what led them to Scottsdale and the Hotel Valley Ho, where they started the annual Arizona Tiki Oasis. The Valley Ho was designed by I 18 t’s pretty clear the past few years have had an adverse impact on the hospitality industry. From social distancing to mandatory face masks to stay-at-home orders, the pandemic was a viral wet blanket to anyone wanting to have a particular kind of social fun in their community. lifting that pall and social gatherings are getting a well-deserv that vein, ther ell-deserved renaissance. In more colorful or e ein, there might not be anything e colorful or exuberant than the Arizona Tiki Oasis, happening from April l V 28 through May 1 at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. At least that’s the feeling you get when you talk to event founders, organizers, and married couple Baby Doe and Otto Von ou talk to e ganizers Doe and Otto V Thankfully 2022 is looking brighter for lifting that pall and s acclaimed architect Edward L. Varney. His design included cast concrete, natural stone, and huge windows. For the time, the hotel was cutting edge. But when it was sold in the ’70s, many of its design features were considered out of date and covered up by the new owners. With the advent of today’s renewed interest in Midcentury Modern architec- ture, the Valley Ho was renovated and reopened in 2005 almost as it had looked 50 years prior. It caught the eye of Doe and Von Stroheim. “The Hotel Valley Ho had a Trader Vic’s there [at the time], you know,” Von Stroheim says, “so that’s what really piqued our interest. We have a strong relationship with Trader Vic’s. And you know, we wanted to do something back then but we weren’t able to do it. We weren’t able to have the resources to do it.” (Trader Vic’s closed five years after the remodel.) More than a decade later, not only do they have the experience to organize a large event — they were finally able to create Arizona Tiki Oasis at the Hotel Valley Ho. People living the tiki life can come dressed in their favorite flowered wiggle dresses and guayabera shirts, sipping tropical drinks poolside amid tall tikis and wooden masks. Cocktails are a part of the costume, with garnishes ranging from brightly colored orchid clip- pings to fresh fruit slices. It’s a huge social affair with quite a following. “This one in Arizona is a slightly different concept,” Doe says. “It’s a slightly smaller scale event [than the San Diego event]. We want folks at Arizona Tiki Oasis to have plenty of time to have a conversa- tion or learn something new. At one of our seminars, you get to be part of what we call the ‘Ohana Spirit’ of the event, which is people being together. So we really kind of make that event about opportunities for people to connect a little bit more than say, like, a larger-scale event.” At one point during the weekend, there’s going to be a caftan and cabana suit strut. Doe describes a cabana suit as “matching short-shorts and Hawaiian shirts.” She adds, “It’s very popular in the tiki.” This all might sound a bit kitschy to some, and if you were living in the ‘80s you wouldn’t be alone. Tiki culture fell out of fashion in that decade and became almost a joke. Hawaiian shirts were almost offen- sive as fashion statements and were the bastion of island tourists and casual golfers. Still, if something falls out of vogue, just wait about 20 seasons and it’ll be back in style once again. However, it’s rare for fashion trends to also have architectural ties. Von Stroheim looks at tiki culture as more than just tropical pret-a-porter. Its midcentury roots came at a time when American artists had visions beyond what was traditional and new generations were taking notice. Future generations would come to appreciate their creativity. “Tiki is very, very egalitarian,” says Von Stroheim. “I think the tiki culture perme- ated every aspect of America and every rung on the ladder of life; it was open to everybody, and I think that’s what’s APRIL 28TH– MAY 4TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
