Halekulani officials consult experts in effort to save tree

A 129-year-old kiawe tree at Halekulani Hotel’s House Without a Key restaurant in Waikiki toppled over the weekend.

The landmark tree fell sometime between midnight and 12:05 a.m. Sunday when no one was at or near the restaurant. Spokeswoman Liana Mulleitner said General Manager Ulrich Krauer was on the property at the time and assessed the area. No injuries were reported.

The tree fell behind and slightly over the stage. Hotel officials spoke with arborists Monday to determine what caused the tree to topple.

“It’s iconic to the property,” Mulleitner said of the tree, which was planted in 1887.

The tree remains on the property as hotel officials await word from arborists regarding whether it could be salvaged given that its exposed roots are still grounded. “It’s such a historic landmark for all of us,” said Mulleitner.

Staff were shocked to see the fallen tree. Kanoe Miller, crowned Miss Hawaii in 1973, performed hula six nights a week at House Without a Key for 36 years and two nights a week over the past three years. She danced on the stage under the majestic tree Saturday night.

Friends and co-workers informed her Sunday morning of the downed kiawe. “It’s like a knife going through your stomach,” said Miller.

It serves as an integral part of the picturesque backdrop of Waikiki from the vantage point of Halekulani, Miller said. “You have Diamond Head to your left, the tree in the middle and the ocean beyond and the sunset on your right.”

The scene evokes a nostalgic sense of Waikiki’s early days and old Hawaii, she added.

“The tree created that feeling, that beautiful feeling,” she said.

Since Sunday some 69,000 people worldwide have viewed Miller’s short video on Facebook about the downed tree, with more than 400 comments from individuals who shared vivid memories of the tree from their childhood or visits to Hawaii.

Stefano Di Maio, a server at House Without a Key for 10 years, said the tree is on its side as if something had pushed it to the ground.

“We’re very sad,” he said.