Not many have lived life to the fullest as the hedonistic playboy and iconic hotelier Tony Pike, the original owner of the legendary Pikes hotel. In his uncompromising memoir Mr Pikes: The Story Behind The Ibiza Legend, he discloses all the dirt and a whole lot more going on behind the scenes of his life and the legendary hotel.
After turning the 500-year-old Spanish farmhouse into the wildest rock and roll hotel on the planet, Tony befriended and partied with the celebrity regulars. George Michael, Julio Iglesias and lover Grace Jones, were all among them, as well as Freddie Mercury, whose famed private suite is now the main dancefloor of the nightclub.
The whole venue, of course, became the setting of 80's smash-hit Club Tropicana. For those who do not recall the famous Wham! video filmed at the fairy-tale location, have a look:
Here's a taste from the book of what was going on behind the scenes at this time:
"Later that evening, the day before the Club Tropicana shoot, the crew were sitting around drinking and George and I started talking again. He was such a good-looking cunt. I said to him that he must pull so many women. He told me he was gay. 'What a fucking waste!' I exclaimed. George roared with laughter. He'd probably heard that one a few times before, although his sexuality was a closely-guarded secret at that stage of his career."
Now 83 years young, Tony Pike, dubbed "the real Hugh Hefner" by Boy George, reflects on his hedonistic life leading up to and including the creation of the famed hotel Pikes. In his own words, "Life is a game of chance so it's how you play your hand. Now they call it networking, back then it was plain old bullshitting."
For one of the most interesting life stories on Ibiza, Mr Pikes promises one juicy read. Grab your copy here
