Tourism

Tahiti Prepares For

New Hotels being Built

EVIDENCE of Tahiti’s resolve to revive her long languishing tourist trade, is the general activity in Papeete, at the present time, in hotel construc tion.

French Oceania today is in about the same condition in respect to the devel opment of a lucrative tourist business, as Hawaii was 30 years age. For trans portation of anticipated visitors, Tahiti looks to outside steamship and airplane

—lndividual bungalows of Royal Tahiti Hotel. companies. For accommodation of new comers after their arrival, it depends on its own exertions.

At P resent there are at least four new hotel enterprises taking shape. The three-story concrete hotel fronting the lagoon will provide for visitors who prefer to remain in town. Les Tropiques has recently changed hands and, under new and energetic management, .is al ready undergoing extensive re-organi sation.

Mr. Alexander Taran is now in Hono lulu interesting Hawaii capital in his projected 200-bedroom de-luxe hotel in Punaauia. While Mr. Leopold Cristion,

working almost unnoticed, is bringing to completion a select, up-to-date hotel in the environs of Papeete.

The Royal Tahiti Hotel of which he is proprietor and manager is already in partial operation although it will not be ready for official opening until Christmas.

This, Tahiti’s newest hotel, has been des igned for travellers who prefer to live in the luxuriant setting of a tropical garden.

The Royal Tahitian is situated in the

center of beautiful Taaone beach. For a backdrop there are the mountains, crowned by Tahiti’s most picturesque peak, verdant-clad Diadem.

The main building of the hotel is the 80 by 35 feet dining hall. Oval in form and tastefully decorated in Tahitian designs it will accommodate 100 guests.

The palm-shaded terrace overlooking the lagoon will seat another 100. A fine dance floor occupies the centre of the room.

Privacy is secured by individual bunga lows, each in its own courtyard. Each has one or two bedrooms, bath, lounge verandah and other facilities.

An attractive feature of the hotel is Its abundance of fruit trees, its great

variety of palms and collection of rare and unusual flowering trees and shrubs.

Mr. and Mrs. Cristion have recently returned from France where they pur chased a full equipment of furniture for the new hotel. They also brought back with them to Tahiti, a Parisian chef.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Ratcliff arrived recently in Samarai, Eastern Papua, where Mr. Ratcliff has become Department of Works and Housing Resident Engineer.

Previously they spent three pleasant years in the Solomons, and one not so pleasant at Los Negros, Admiralty Is.