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Catamaran History
 Authentically Rare and Beautiful
The hotel and its surrounding area was originally the summer
estate of the Scripps family, called Braemar. Mrs. Scripps,
Matriarch of the family, envisioned a simple but elegant home,
a place where the family could enjoy wonderful ocean breezes
and comfortable starry nights. The family eventually abandoned
their summer estate in late 1955, and it was sold. In 1958,
Mr. William D. Evans acquired the property and began construction
of what would become the Catamaran Resort Hotel. Initially
the resort was a modest 82-room Inn. The pier has not changed
much since the property was first purchased. The original
décor was a Spanish motif. However, the Spanish décor
did not create the feeling the Evans were looking for. They
wanted the buildings to act as a frame around a picturesque
landscape. After much deliberation, a tropical theme was decided
upon as the main motif of the ever-changing Inn.
 When looking at the main buildings, you will notice that the architecture is heavy on the bottom and light on the top. This is typical colonial Hawaiian architecture. All of the window frames and doors you see in the hotel are carved out of Mahogany that was cut 25 years ago in Honduras. Expert craftsmen were hired to design and build the exotic lobby waterfall and pond. The waterfall itself is comprised of several distinct six-foot by eight-foot tall segments. The tile in the lobby is  made up of handcrafted Cantera stone imported from deep in the heart of Mexico.
Throughout the decades, the Evans family has gone to great lengths to import traditional Pacific Island art. All of the ethnic art including spears, personal jewelry, hand-woven rugs, and warrior shields are from New Guinea and were made prior to World War II. As you face the front desk, look above and you will see a very large Tapa cloth made of Mulberry bark. It is from the New Hebrides Islands located off the coast of New Guinea. When this piece was commissioned, it was the largest one done since 1920 and took many different island families over a year to make. The wood that makes up the front desk is called Black Koa wood, which is native to the Tahitian Islands. The totem poles throughout the property were handcrafted in Bali specifically for the Catamaran. As you approach the stairs on the way to the Atoll restaurant, look to your left and you will see large carving encased in glass that looks like a stool. This piece of art is known as the "speaking stool." It was found by Michael Rockefeller in a headhunter village in 1961. This stool is the second largest one known in existence. |
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