It’s near impossible to think about Pikes without conjuring up images of our most iconic guest of all time. Thanks to the memories preserved on our photo wall in reception, you can see him cutting his 41st birthday cake in Plaza Mayor. You can spot him dressed in his finest, standing outside of his former room, The Marrakech Suite. You can gaze at him donned in green track pants (shirtless – it was a hot summer!) on the tennis court, racquet in hand, ready to serve. And you can even see him canoodling with one of the original Pikes Cats on the night of that famous birthday party. There’s no question that Freddie Mercury’s presence was intrinsic to the authentic spirit and story of Pikes, and his legacy can still be seen throughout the hotel today. Quite literally in fact, thanks to our recent acquisition of some of the greatest showman’s personal, Pikes-related possessions…
Back in September 2023, Sotheby’s presented a once-in-a-lifetime series of sales entitled: Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own. In the lead up to the event, which showcased many meticulously preserved items from Freddie’s Kensington home, Garden Lodge, that would be put up for auction by his lifelong best friend, Mary Austin, the entire Sotheby’s New Bond Street premises became a ‘Mercury Museum’ of sorts. It was the first time anyone outside of the singer’s inner circle had been able to glimpse what life (and style) was like inside Mercury’s private realm. Naturally, as Mercury-philes, we had to check it out.
Art, fashion, music, décor, furniture, jewellery, personal papers, photos… it was a treasure trove of Freddie’s passions and a testament to a life well lived. “I like to be surrounded by splendid things,” Freddie was once notably quoted as saying, and this was indeed proof he was a man of exquisite taste. From the 1,406 lots on display, there were three in particular that piqued our interest, and so, we swiftly put on dainty white gloves, picked up a little paddle and prepared to go to battle. With over 41,800 bids placed, across six separate auctions, by buyers from over 50 countries, the competition was fierce, but we’re very pleased to tell you – no wait, let us sing it to you: We Are The Champions!
The first item on our wish list was the shirt Freddie wore at his 41st birthday bash at Pikes – yes, that multi-patterned, multi-coloured fabulous short-sleeved shirt he’d chosen as his ‘look’ for the now legendary party. We spied it immediately, hanging high on one of the walls of the exhibition in vivid colour – there was no mistaking it. We’ve looked at those photos thousands of times – originally worn beneath a stylish ivory suit, and later on, left loose and billowing, almost Hawaiian-style, as the festivities went on. The dress code had been ‘Dress to Kill!’ and Freddie, naturally, had nailed his own brief.
Made by the now-defunct, French brand Verte Vallee who specialised in bold prints and wild designs in the 1980s (now popular with savvy vintage collectors), the shirt incorporates two distinct patterns – one featuring crowns (how very apt for Freddie!), horses and saddlery in green, red, yellow and turquoise, and the other a little more abstract, with some more equestrian detailing in a blaze of fuchsia, lime, purple and turquoise. It was cut shorter at the front than the back and buttoned up with white metallic fasteners. It’s a flamboyant design – one that wouldn’t look out of place in Ibiza today, perhaps lounging around the poolside at Pikes as the sun starts to go down. But more on that idea later (hint: it involves a collab with our friends at Divine Savages, our team uniforms and some pretty cool things you can take home with you).
After a frenzied bidding war, waiting for the Hammer To Fall, we came out triumphant and sent our sartorial pride and joy off to be framed, to not only keep it well-preserved for decades, but also to make it accessible to each and every one of our guests at Pikes. From the moment you check in, you’ll see it in all its technicolour glory, hanging above our reception desk, surrounded by photos of Freddie wearing it on that auspicious occasion way back in 1987. We feel truly honoured to own a part of both pop culture history and Pikes heritage. When Freddie sang Who Wants To Live Forever? he probably wasn’t thinking about a shirt being returned to its spiritual home, but if the song (and the shirt!) fits!
While we were carefully rifling through Freddie’s belongings in the lead-up to the auction, there was another, quite unexpected, lot that caught our eye. The globe-trotting singer toured the world with Queen countless times, taking respite here at Pikes in between stadium gigs, so it was no surprise he’d amassed quite the luggage collection (we sincerely doubt someone that stylish would have travelled light!). It was amazing to think of the journeys each suitcase had been on, what places they’d been to, what they’d been filled with and it was even more amazing to discover that one of those bags had been used during at least one of Freddie’s frequent visits to Pikes.
It wasn’t a stretch of our imagination – the evidence was right there, on the ever-so-retro Pikes plastic luggage tags – this was back when hotels would tag your bags as you arrived (those were the days!). The blue canvas Madler suitcase, with its white faux-leather straps and detailing, is very typical of the 1980s, with the luxurious bonus of having wheels (back then, many didn’t). It almost eluded us, tucked away behind a collection of equally stylish luggage, but like the magpies we are, our eyes were drawn to that familiar ‘P’ and logo. And so, we got our little paddle out and went in for another round of bidding. Talk about Under Pressure… but we got it in the end – talk about a mercurial high. The suitcase is now also on display in reception, where it’s definitely become a conversation starter. If those zippers could talk!
The final piece of our Freddie Mercury collection was another surprise – something with a Pikes backstory that was so poignant, we knew we needed to bring it back to Ibiza with us. Among the collections of many tables, chairs and sofas that had filled Garden Lodge was a suite of yellow-painted wicker furniture, made up of six armchairs, a larger armchair, two extra armchairs, two footstools and a two-seater sofa, all with printed cotton cushions that had been in Freddie’s observatory in London until now. There was a sense of familiarity about them, but we couldn’t quite place it, until the Sotheby’s team stepped in and gave us the lowdown.
Originally made in 1988 in by the high-end British design company Marston & Langinger, who specialised in conservatories with a Victorian or typically English aesthetic, the furniture set had been one of a few ordered by a certain Tony Pike and delivered to his hotel in Ibiza, where a certain Mr Mercury took a shining to them. While in residence at Pikes, Freddie would spend his hazy summer days lounging on the settee, taking tea on the sofa, putting his feet up as he’d engage in long, late-night conversations – and who knows what else! It occurred to Freddie that this furniture would be perfect in his own conservatory back in the UK, and so – in typical Freddie style – he promptly had Tony pack it up and ship it to Garden Lodge. Of course he could have ordered another set of furniture from the manufacturer, but that wasn’t the point. It was this exact sofa, that exact armchair and those exact footstools that were the source of so many happy memories. You can imagine him thinking: I want it all, and I want it now.
It felt like a full circle moment when we won the lot at auction (“Going once! Going twice! Sold to Pikes in Ibiza!”) and finally had the full set of furniture returned to its former home here at Pikes where it looks like it’s been part of the furniture (pardon the pun) all along. Rather than keep it locked up in a vault, we like to think that both Freddie Mercury and Tony Pike would be pleased with our decision to place the furniture in Room 39, where it can continue to inspire late night tales, where friendships can be born, where romance can blossom and where our cats can curl up for a cosy snooze when the mood strikes them. Of course, we do ask that all of our guests respect the furniture’s storied heritage, we also want you to kick back on the sofa, put your feet up, strike up a conversation with a stranger, cuddle a cat and make some magical memories – just as Freddie did before you.
