Marbella was a small, quiet fishing village in the mid-1950s, but Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe, godson of Alfonso XIII, fell in love with the place. There he opened the Marbella Club, a luxury hotel that conquered celebrities and billionaires from around the world; and that over the years would become the scene of legendary parties for the jet set.
Two of the undisputed protagonists of that high society of Puerto Banús were Gunilla von Bismarck, great-granddaughter of the Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, architect of the reunification of Germany; and her husband, the Spanish Luis Ortiz, a man with party in his body whom the German woman completely transformed.
The couple has reappeared, precisely, at the Marbella Club, which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary. An appointment that featured its co-founder, Rudolf Graf von Schönburg, better known as Count Rudi; which has brought together dozens of friends, who have wanted to meet again to remember that golden era that they had the opportunity to live in the exclusive resort.
Gunilla, 74, appeared dressed in a red suit that gave her back all the prominence in the club, like the queen of the jet-set that she was at the time. Ortiz, whom he divorced in 1989, has now turned 80. The former key figure of Marbella nightlife is no longer seen in public.
The aristocrat lives with his ex-wife in a town near Marbella. Ortiz has suffered from prostate cancer for years, and his health has deteriorated over time. He now leads a very quiet life, and hardly spends time abroad. Ortiz has very little mobility and is very weak, but he refused to miss the event, and he went there with his wife.
Billionaires, film and music stars, aristocrats… Not only Gunilla or Luis Ortiz, but also others like Audrey Hepburn, Gina Lollobrigida, Elizabeth Taylor, Julio Iglesias, the kings of Sweden, the king emeritus Don Juan Carlos… All They lived stories to remember.
At its peak, there were up to three parties a week, and the security was such that no one was afraid of the paparazzi. Exclusivity, virgin beaches and discretion were the maxims of the place; appreciated by its distinguished guests.
“I give people the impression that life is beautiful, that there is no reason to feel sad,” he once said. “They like my joy. They like me to be happy, and that feeling already makes them a little better. “I have a mission in life: to entertain people, to make them happy.”
Of course, what they experienced will not be repeated. “That golden era of Marbella is still magical. “What we created 50 years ago are things that are no longer seen.”
