Casa Casuarina, the famous mega mansion of Gianni Versace, the late founder of the fashion brand bearing his name, is operating as a Barton G. Weiss boutique hotel, complete with the gourmet restaurant Il Sole, run by Weiss and pastry master Luis Vasquez.
Casa Casuarina was sold to VM South Beach LLC, a group run by Jordache Enterprise, the famous apparel company, which also runs a number of hotels in the United States, for $41.5 million in an auction held September 2013. The mansion went under the hammer after listing twice in the market.
After the auction, speculations about what the group planned on doing with the mansion were quick to surface, with several tabloids claiming the place was going to be converted into a full-fledged retail space complete with an Apple and Victoria's Secret store. There were other rumors about the masion being converted into a Versace museum too, reports CBS Miami.
Located in Miami, the Casa Casuarina was an ailing apartment building when Versace purchased the structure in 1992 for $2.9 million. He then renovated the place to its current glory, spending $33 million on it, reports Forbes.
Casa Casuarina sits on the waterfront area of Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. The 10-bedroom, 11-bathroom, gated home features a 54-foot long mosaic pool lined with 24-karat gold. The home is stacked with several frescos, elaborate statues and has arched doorways and an open-air courtyard.
Check out photos of the beautiful mansion here.
When the home went up for sale, it was being used as a boutique hotel. The hotel closed after it was set for auction. However, the Jordache Group has re-opened the mansion to run as a luxury hotel for the time being, reports Curbed.
The hotel is now offering 10 suites - rooms of the mansion converted into luxury living spaces, including Versace's bedroom. Sizes include 500- to 680-square-foot rooms and 1,400- to 1,680-square-foot suites.
A personal butler service, WiFi and "Gourmet Nightly Villa Nibbles" are some of the hotel's amenities. The place can also be used to host weddings and large parties.
Check the hotel out here.
