Press
THE COSTA DEL Sol may not be the first place that springs to mind for a hip and happening clubbing weekend -
Mallorca's party capital Magaluf is more commonly known as 'Shagaluf'. But in the harbour port of Puerto Banus, west of
Marbella, southern Spain's answer to Saint Tropez, you can't fail to be wowed by the gargantuan, stellar yachts, equally
extravagant limited edition sports cars and the gorgeous eye candy this sort of wealth attracts. Puerto Banus's La Mila de
Oro (Golden Mile) rivals the French Riviera and discerning British promoter Sintillate, which hosts weekly nights in London at
Trap, CC Club, Click and NYT, and Manchester's Sugar Lounge and Ampersand, have brought the urban bling befitting the
marina town's reputation as a jet-setter's playground. Each Thursday (from May to September), Sintillate organise a wild
beach party on the Plaza Beach Terrace, which looks out to the sea. Not that you get much chance to marvel at the view:
dressed-to-impress twenty- and thirtysomethings are here to get down and it's impossible not to get caught up in the heady,
hyperkinetic atmosphere, fired by upfront R'n'B, old favourites, hip hop and funk. At 1am (everthing's happens fashionably
late in Puerto Banus), it's a short journey to the resplendent 1,500-capacity Dreamers, where the party continues until
daylight (7am). On Fridays, Sintillate hosts Puerto Banus's most bijou nightspot, Pangea, a small venue with the action
focused on a roof terrace split in two. Think bespoke souk bar (al fresco) where socialising and drinking is enjoyed at tables
served by cute and attentive staff, and a raised dancefloor with a mesmerising moonlit view of the gently rippling
Mediterranean. Pangea's vibe is suitably intimate, its 500-capacity feels more like 200, and it's a sleek, sophisticated
evening, attracting tanned designer-clad people (celebrities in Puerto Banus over the last year include Mis-Teeq, Girls
Aloud, So Solid's Harvey, Blue and Rachel Stevens) like bees to honey. As the drinks flow, it's not long before Pangea's
aspirational and wadded clientele's cooler-than-thou fronts fade and the dancefloor shakes its collective booty to Kelis and
Beyonc?, before more jiggy hip hop and R'n'B encourages the bumping, grinding and dirty dancing. (METRO - 'The
costa of soul Party time in Puerto Banus', Rahul Verma October 20, 2004.)
Ibiza and St Tropez? So last year, darlings. If you want to stay ahead in the hedonist's game, then book your ticket to the
new clubbing capitals, says Grae Hillary. * MARBELLA. Once it was the preserve of croc-faced British ex-cons and retired
policemen who only ate egg and chips; over the past few years, however, the beautiful people have returned. The place to
be is Puerto Banus, where Gucci and Prada stores can be found alongside classy restaurants, ritzy bars and megayachts
owned by Saudi sheikhs. Trashy, but in a good way. THE CROWD - Absolutely minted. It's a heady mix of home-counties
girls and boys on their first holiday away from mummy and daddy, wealthy expats treating the li'l lady to a night out, a
colourful array of Essex girls and plenty of Middle Eastern oil barons. The idea is to flash your cash as conspicuously as
possible. In fact, it's rumoured that a sheikh's daughter keeps her ?40m holiday yacht here - she visits it at least once a year.
THE LOOK - Is bling dead? Not here it ain't. Think Paris Hilton-style, Eurotrash, platinum-blonde chic in minuscule Moschino
or Versace. THE SOUNDS - R&B: all the better for showing off your body to. THE PARTY FUEL - Magnums of champagne
and vintage bottles of Courvoisier, drunk in your own alcove. The aim is to be private as publicly as possible. THE
ITINERARY - Start at sunset with a warm-up drink and a bump'n'grind at the Plaza Beach Terrace, an outside bar with a
beautiful view over the sea. The Terrace hosts Marbella's most popular night, the London-owned Sintillate. Then it's over to
Pangaea, fashioned like a Moroccan porn movie, for even more bump'n'grind. THE RECOVERY - On the deck of
someone's yacht, sipping lurid concoctions until sunrise, followed by a few hours' kip and the afternoon at the Ocean Club, in
Puerto Banus, where huge white leather beds, a pool and a resident masseur make it all a lot easier. NEVER BE WITHOUT
- Silicone enhancements and a sugar daddy/mummy. (SUNDAY TIMES STYLE - 'Party World', Grae Hillary
January 16, 2005)
