While performers stay at the Diagonal Zero hotel opposite the venue, transforming a rather bland business refuge into a rock’n’roll haven for the duration (thrash metal bands share the lift up to the pool with Brooklyn rappers and floppy-haired folksters, and the after-party never ends), we opted for peace and quiet further along the coast at the impressive, sail-shaped W. That’s not to say this hotel is for squares. On first checking in to our Austin Powers-style suite, with panoramic sea views and a bed big enough for an after-party of our own, we discovered a bottle of tequila, salt, ice and a pile of limes on the coffee table. We fixed our own margaritas before spending the rest of the day lolling in the W’s poolside Wet Bar with The xx and friends (who I can confirm still wear head-to-toe black while sunbathing, and miraculously maintain their flawlessly goth-pale skin). We had a quick tapas supper at the trendy but casual Pez Vela café, on the beach beneath the hotel, and then took a taxi to the festival — being able to drop in and escape at your leisure is one of Primavera’s prime selling points.
