An inviting backyard palapa in Santa Barbara, designed and owned by Erin Keosian of Botanik (Summerland, CA)

A palapa is a thatched-roof, open-sided structure.

The roof material typically consists of dried and woven palm-tree leaves. A palapa is sometimes referred to as a grass or tiki hut.

The most common place to see a palapa is in the tropics, where a palapa provides shade and refuge from the hot sun.

Palapas are constructed in a variety of sizes. Some resorts set up a bar or serve meals under a larger palapa; others devote the shaded area beneath the palapa to massage services.

(source: About.com)