The playboy who built himself a playground reveals all in his hard-hitting memoir. The iconic hotelier reflects on a fast life of hedonism and the globe-trotting backstory that influenced his set-up of pioneering Balearic boho bolthole, Pikes.
Now at the grand old age of 83-years-young the man Boy George dubbed “the real Hugh Hefner” has decided to tell all. The globetrotting story of how Tony Pike reached Ibiza is as fascinating as the shameless shenanigans and scrapes he conjured up on the island. This is a man who built himself up from nothing, who travelled the world and became the living embodiment of the phrase ‘work hard, play hard’.
Who bought a 500-year-old Spanish farmhouse with no electricity, running water, sanitation or rooms and turned it into the best rock and roll hotel in the world.
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FREE DOWNLOAD- Nic Fanciulli & Andrea Oliva - Transition (Tim Cullen Remix)Tony looks back on the extreme highs and lows of an unparalleled life, goes exclusively behind the scenes of the Club Tropicana video shoot which put his unique hotel on the map and discusses his relationships with guests/friends including George Michael, Freddie Mercury, Julio Iglesias and lover Grace Jones.
‘Mr Pikes: The Story Behind The Ibiza Legend – Tony Pike with Matt Trollope’ is published by MT Ink, and is available from all Amazon sites, in both paperback and Kindle eBook.
Sales link – www.bit.ly/MrPikes
Paperback: https://goo.gl/2VE69g
Kindle: https://goo.gl/jqgH75
Quotes from the book – Mr Pikes: The Story Behind The Ibiza Legend
* 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.
* I love living on the ocean. On land everything is rules and regulations. On the sea there is total freedom, although rarely any justice. It is dangerous with pirates and gunships, but essentially you are in charge of your own destiny. It appeals to me.
* Jetsetting is ok if you’ve got lots of money, or a residual income, but if you’ve just got a lump sum, like I usually had when I set off, and nothing else coming in on a regular basis, then the cash runs out fast. You spend it all on the high life, and on women, and it just goes. Food, cosmetics, women. I always had a decent sort with me, but that wasn’t an extra cost, I always counted the girls within the running costs. An essential item.
* People call me a legend, and that’s up to them. I try not to put myself in that category. I was never trying to become a legend or famous, I was just out to enjoy myself and get the best out of life after a tough start. I ended up being the boss of something I hadn’t planned to create.
* Too many people go through life not enjoying it, or moping around. It’s just not my style. So I won’t do it. The do-gooders out there live a boring life, which I refuse to accept. I cling on tenaciously.
* I did want to develop Pikes into a hedonistic haven so others could have some fun. I’d already had loads of amazing experiences before I arrived on the island, and I did also want to try in some way to make up for my own misdemeanours along the way.
* Husbands can be very attentive and think they’re providing for their wives, but they aren’t giving them what they need and want – which is good basic sex. Every woman wants to be fucked, and our secret is our secret. I don’t go around running my mouth off afterwards. Well, not unless I’m writing a book…
* There are so many standout moments in the history of Pikes, significant events and star guests that have helped shape and define the hotel, but Freddie Mercury’s patronage typifies why Pikes became a success. Like a lot of stars, Freddie was high maintenance, but I can safely say he was the greatest individual I have ever met in my life. Such a fascinating character.
* 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.
* Grace Jones was one tough cookie, but also could be wonderful and entertaining and warm. I was with her for 15 months. We’d walk in somewhere and the whole place would stop, and just stare at her. She had such an incredible allure.
