Friday, 22 October 2010

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Sex and the Style Editor

Alison Tay

Ibiza VIP: My spiritual awakening

You can leave Ibiza, but Ibiza will never leave you

I had my Ibiza epiphany at Sands Beach Restaurant in Playa d'en Bossa

Our last day in Ibiza was spent luxe lounging at Sands Beach Restaurant in Playa D'en Bossa, the blissed-out big sister to Jason Bull's party hotel Es Vive.

While club kids will be wowed by cameos from the likes of Carl Cox and Eric Prydz on the turntables, I was more impressed that the view from our VIP cabana bed at Sands was the beach backdrop to Wham's Club Tropicana video.

With her sea-swept bohemian blonde locks and laid-back hippy chic vibe, Sands' General Manager Kerry-Anne Winton could easily pass for Sienna Miller. And when she's not managing Playa D'en Bossa's hippest beach bar,
Kerry-Anne also coordinates weddings on the island.

Embraced By The Light?' she observed, eyeing my holiday beach read, as we nibbled tempura calamari and followed by home-baked chocolate brownie with coconut ice-cream.

'Girls, you have a visitor...' announced Kerry-Anne, ushering in P Diddy's Balearic fun-fixer, legendary music promoter Charlie Chester.

'I never even got on a plane 'till I was 19 and flew to Ibiza,' Charlie admitted. And now he's turned his passion for the island into a VIP concierge service Icon Ibiza, with clients including P Diddy, Naomi Campbell, Jade Jagger and Dizzee Rascal.

And it was on this VIP cabana bed at Sands where, like Charlie and many others before me, I had my Ibiza epiphany and for the first time felt the island's magnetic pull that's destined to keep me coming back for more.

Find Sands Beach Restaurant at Playa D'en Bossa s/n Hotel Fiesta Don Toni opposite Space.

With thanks to Charlie Chester at Icon Ibiza. See you next summer!