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Hawaii History

Fans of the television show Magnum P.I. might remember the contentious relationship between the fun-loving private investigator, Thomas Magnum, and the by-the-book caretaker of Robin’s Nest, Jonathan Higgins. In season 7, episode 8, the quarrelsome pair, completely fed up with one another, engaged in a battle of wills that escalated throughout the episode and eventually found the men trapped in an elevator. While stuck in their predicament, Magnum seemed to finally put the puzzle pieces together and accused Higgins of being the secretive Robin Masters. 

For those of us who were watching, the climax grew as Magnum listed out loud all his clues, and we wondered if we were finally going to find out exactly who Robin Masters was. But the argument was interrupted by a warning siren. The building they were trapped in was going to be demolished, and they had just minutes to escape.

While the premise of the show was entirely fictional, the demolition was not. The old Kaiser Hospital in Waikīkī was built in 1958. Although the facility boasted state-of-the-art technology against the backdrop of amazing sunsets, the patients’ needs quickly outgrew the hospital’s walls, and in 1986 was set to be demolished. After public anticipation grew due to several delays, the implosion created a huge spectacle. There were watch parties in the surrounding hotels and condominiums, and people lined up along Magic Island and Ala Moana Boulevard to catch a glimpse of the falling 9-story building. The production crew of Magnum P.I. was on hand to film the demolition to use for a future episode entitled “Paper War!” 

Just after 10:00 a.m., the countdown began, but with only 30 seconds left, the project was stopped. Honolulu Police reported that someone saw a person skateboarding on the seventh floor of the building. After searching the building, nobody was found, and the countdown resumed. The sounds of the crumbling building were nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd while the giant cloud of dust settled over everything nearby, including the bright red Ferrari made famous on Magnum P.I.

A brand new luxury hotel was later built in the old hospital’s place. In 1990, the Hawaii Prince Hotel welcomed its first guests, and in 1994, I applied for a security position there. While waiting for my interview, I sat outside the Human Resources office in the basement, watching a large door swing back and forth as cooks and wait staff hurriedly made their way in and out of the kitchen. The staff was so busy that no one took notice of the old, barefoot Hawaiian man dressed in a hospital gown, slowly making his way down the hallway toward the elevator doors. 

Before I could ask the other people in the waiting area if they saw the same thing I did, a woman stuck her head out the door and called my name in a pleasant voice.

[{"text":"“Come right in, please. We’re ready to see you.” ","type":"text"}]

The woman led me to a tiny office, where the hotel’s head of security sat behind a desk that seemed too small for him. 

Introductions were made, but before we started the interview, I said, “You may want to call one of your security staff. I just saw an old Hawaiian man wandering down the hallway in a hospital gown. A bunch of waiters and cooks just walked right past him.” 

The woman and the head of security looked at each other for a second and then back at me. 

“Hold on for a second. We’ll be right back,” the woman said before the pair made a quick exit.

I barely had a moment to surmise what was happening when the woman returned to the cramped office and held the door open, “Thank you for coming, but the position you’re applying for has already been filled.” 

With that, I was directed out of the office and met by a younger security guard who led me back to the main entrance on Ala Moana Boulevard.

[{"text":"“What happened? Did I do something wrong?” I asked.","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"“Officially, we don’t have ghosts,” the young guard said.","type":"text"}]

Although the name has changed, this particular establishment has developed a reputation for having its share of hauntings. Did it have anything to do with the fact that it was built over the old Kaiser Hospital? One can only speculate.

(Editor's note: Kaiser Permanente has a short video history of the Kaiser Permanente Ala Moana Medical Center 

Prince Waikiki

<title>A Haunting at a Princely Hotel</title>

Hospitals, and the places where they once stood, can be a source of strange experiences. Here, our columnists share a firsthand account.

A Haunting at a Princely Hotel

Nonprofit Keone Kealoha Kanu Hawaii

Keone Kealoha is the executive director of Kanu Hawaiʻi, a local nonprofit committed to building a more compassionate, sustainable and resilient Hawaiʻi through community-based action. Kanu Hawaiʻi supports over 435 nonprofits and organizations across the islands, offering thousands of volunteer opportunities through its statewide platform, 

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