Take droves of A-list celebrities, spice it up with the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, and throw in the re-opening of a Miami Beach resort in Florida and you get an all-weekend $5 million (Dh18 million) party and an event that raises the bar on parties globally.

As Nakheel Hotels joined the celebrations on the opening of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Resort, a hotel it has spent $375 million (Dh1.3 billion) to buy a 50 per cent stake in, politicians, musicians and actors descended on Miami for the event.

Despite the Victoria's Secret angels cutting the ribbon on Friday night to officially announce the hotel open and to kickstart revelries, it was Gwyneth Paltrow's entrance that caused a furore for the world's media.

The hotel's iconic Chateau lobby was packed with the rich and famous, from P. Diddy (plus his enormous entourage) to Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World — Nakheel's mother company.

Friday witnessed a party that boasted superb performances by Robin Thicke and Mariah Carey in the ballroom. Thicke serenaded the audience with an extended version of his hit Lost Without U and got the crowd dancing. Carey, who was natural and relaxed on stage, sang a set that included old classics like Hero and her recent release Touch My Body.

The party lasted well into the night, with the relaxed crowd munching on lobster tails and oysters, speculating about who would be arriving the next day for the show's "Secret" entertainment. I had already interrogated my driver on the way from the airport earlier that afternoon about who he had collected, and was ensured my excitement was in order.

The next morning started what became a common theme: various music genres blasted from different corners. There was music everywhere, from hip-hop by the pool, to trance by the bar, to jazz by the VIP entrance. The hotel that prides itself on having been the drinking hole of choice for Frank Sinatra clearly still puts much thought into its aural offerings. As a result, it was impossible to escape the celebratory feeling.

The establishment is determined (and successfully managing to) keep its image as the hangout of choice for recognisable faces. As such, a permanent sense of déjà vu prevailed in the lobby (by now the established meeting place for pre-evening's entertainment) on Saturday night. Looking around the room, almost every face could be recognised from the small and the silver screen.

Bring back the glamour

The Victoria's Secret fashion show delivered on its promised theme — to "bring back the glamour". Dozens of the world's most beautiful women strutted in front of images from the hotel's 1950s glorious past. Usher came on stage to sing and dance around the models who sashayed along the glitter-filled runway. Apparent from the start, this was no standard fashion show, as the hip-hop superstar locked and popped his way up and down the stage in front of a live orchestra shortly before the background screen was raised to reveal fireworks by the pool.

Miami has long enjoyed a reputation as the American playground of the rich. The palaces abutting beachside hotels is an image well-earned over the holiday tradition in the sunshine state. Fontainebleau and Nakheel's re-opening of the Miami Beach Resort has upped the ante on the city as a top travel destination. If this weekend's event is an indicator of things to come, then expect great things from mega-events in Miami from now on.

Theme of the show

The Victoria's Secerts lingerie show featured a series of delicately tailored interpretations of the theme. On show was everything to be expected from such a display of underwear, but with 10-foot sparkling bows, butterfly wings and the backstage presence of 1950s-style dancers in bathing suits and tuxedoed musicians.

The variations on art deco glamour included lines named "Goddess", "Dangerous", and "Ballet de Fleur", as corsets, panties, gowns and stockings stayed true to feminine designs, sporting flowers and butterflies.

The new sexy is glamorous

Victoria's Secret's angels have descended upon Miami Beach. Singer Usher kicked off the Victoria's Secret show on Saturday, which featured 35 supermodels, some wearing angel wings. Models including Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima strutted down the runway at the newly renovated Fontainebleau Miami Beach Resort during the show, which coincided with the opulent reopening of the hotel.

By Jane Ferguson in Miami, Sub Editor

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Victoria's Secret fashion show