The hotel earned its reputation as the original home of the Ibiza house party throughout the 80s and 90s and hosted the wildest parties
THE infamous founder of the legendary A-list hotel and party spot Pikes Ibiza has died aged 85.
News of Tony Pike's death, following a battle with cancer, was shared on the iconic venue’s official Facebook page last night.
The notorious hotel earned its reputation as the original home of the Ibiza house party throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
It became famous as the location for Wham!'s 1983 music video Club Tropicana as well as a favourite hangout for stars including Freddie Mercury and Grace Jones.
In the Wham! video, self-confessed sex addict Tony is seen as the straw-hatted barman serving those famously "free" drinks.
The night before the shoot Tony and George Michael downed a few drinks and then, as Tony claims in his memoirs, made “tender and passionate” love.
“I was surprised,” recalled Tony later, “because I’m not gay.”
In July 2018, Pike launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for urgent his cancer treatment.
He wrote: "I am 84 years old, and I have prostate cancer and skin cancer.
"People think I am a multimillionaire because the hotel is sold. The opposite is true."
The British-born Australian purchased a derelict farm in San Antonio in the late 1970s, which he converted into a hotel with the help of his family.
Pikes soon became known as a place for ricos, extranjeros y famosos (the rich, foreign and famous) and its flamboyant owner was the draw.
He would serve drinks by the pool, take guests out on his yacht and ferry them to the island’s massive open-air Ku Club - at the time the world's hottest nightclub.
Legend has it Queen frontman Mercury used to summon Tony to his room to debate the meaning of life while snorting huge lines of cocaine of the Pike's menu.
The hotel even hosted Mercury’s legendary 41st birthday bash - and more than 700 party animals turned up to join in the fun.
Tony Curtis, Anthony Quinn, Kylie Minogue, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were among the guests who helped down 350 bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne.
A notable feature of the party was its thousands of gold and black helium balloons which took three days to inflate, and a grand firework display at the end which was seen on Majorca
During the three-day extravaganza, the front of the hotel caught fire and a wall was reduced to rubble.
Speaking of the bash a few years ago, Tony said: "Money was no object. Freddie sought sanctuary in the hotel and wanted a party to remember.
"When I asked him about the budget he just laughed and said there was none.
“We could freeze the swimming pool and have skating elephants if we wanted. He just wanted it to be wild.”
Freddie loved it so much he once even moved into the hotel on the outskirts of San Antonio.
Spandau Ballet, Led Zeppelin, Jon Bon Jovi, Boy George were also all regulars and George Michael based himself at Pikes during his European tours.
When Grace Jones checked in, she and Tony - dubbed the Hugh Hefner of Ibiza - started a year-long affair.
Tony’s disappointed girlfriend reportedly chased the singer around the pool with a carving knife while Tony calmly served breakfast to the guests.
In Jones’ memoirs she wrote of Tony: “He did have an enormous penis and I was happy to take care of it.”
Eleven years ago Pike sold the hotel to Ibiza Rocks but remained a legendary figure on the island's club scene.
He counted superstar DJs Carl Cox, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez and David Morales among his close friends.
A message on Pikes Hotel’s Facebook page today simply read: “Anthony John Pike (Tony). “1934-2019 “RIP. Your legend will never die x”
Pike recently published a memoir titled Mr Pikes: The Story Behind The Ibiza Legend.
