We all have images that pop into our minds when we think of Hawaii: palm trees, grass skirts, pineapples, ocean breezesHawaii is the definitive tropical paradise. It seduces and lures with its beauty, charm, hospitality, and comfort to create an almost mythical world of leisure. Nothing illustrates this better than the resorts that dot the Hawaiian landscape. Like portals to paradise on the islands' shores, Hawaiian resorts have left their footprints in the sand and an unforgettable impression upon the world.

In Designing Paradise: The Allure of the Hawaiian Resort author Don Hibbard brings us the complete story of the Hawaiian resort, from its origins as humble thatched taverns housing transient whalers to the elaborately cultivated luxury resort hotels of today. Hibbard examines the motivations that shaped their development, including the critical roles that advances in airplane technology, statehood, and 200 years of advertising and travel writing have played in the evolution of their design.