Now a luxury boutique hotel catering to celebrities, Villa Casa Casuarina was once the home of famed fashion designer Gianni Versace. Dating back to 1930, the grandiose Mediterranean-style mansion located in Miami's South Beach neighborhood was purchased by Versace in 1992 for $2.95 million.According to the hotel's website, the fashion legend, who was "obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology," fell in love with the “Kneeling Aphrodite” statue at the front door, as well as with the property's "unique Spanish architecture," spending three years and $32 million to renovate the sprawling 24-apartment estate.Turned into a 10-suite residence during his tenure, the breathtaking home is also where Versace met his demise. The designer was tragically killed on the front steps in 1997, five years after acquiring the sumptuous edifice and the one next door.Nowadays, the remarkable villa is reportedly the Kardashians' go-to hotel in Miami, numbering among its clientele A-listers such as Justin Bieber, Drake, Sylvester Stalone, and Lionel Richie.Tour the splendid hotel below!The 'Million Mosaic Pool'While you'd be hard-pressed to find a single corner of the mansion that's not dazzling and awe-inspiring, the home's most flamboyant feature is the swimming pool. Known as the “Million Mosaic Pool,” it was put in by Versace during his restoration of the home and owes its name to the mosaic of ornate tiles that decorate the bottom and walls -- thousands of which are made out of 24-karat gold.Inspired by Versace’s “Marine Vanitas” collection, the lavish work of art, which is available only to hotel guests (the villa also has a restaurant, Gianni's, that you can use without checking in at reception), was pieced together from Italy-imported tiles, with the mosaic centered around Poseidon as the main character."The four Large Urns on both sides of the pool were designed by Versace," notes the hotel's website.According to PEOPLE, Kelly Clarkson jumped into the golden pool fully clothed after her 2005 VMA wins.Scroll for more photos!Cheapest Room Is $800-A-NightIt won't surprise you to learn that one of the most affordable suites in the Versace Mansion is priced at around $800 a night. Nicknamed The Aurora Suite, it owes its monicker to the golden light pouring through the "ample stained glass windows lining the bedroom and sitting room," per the website, with the opulent decor chromatically following suit.The Insider chronicled a stay in the lavish suite back in November 2021, with Joey Hadden writing, "I thought feeling like one of the hotel's pampered celebrity guests was worth every penny."Describing it as "the best hotel experience of my life," Hadden detailed the room's four-poster king-sized bed topped with swans, lavish golden throw pillows, and elegant window seating overlooking the "Million Mosaic Pool." Her article also mentioned the ornate en-suite shower "with decorative tiling," one equipped with "luxury Italian soaps and lotions."Keep going for more pics!Gianni Versace's Master SuiteAs expected, one of the hotel's main attractions is Gianni Versace's former bedroom, now the Gianni Master Suite.Billed as the most coveted "the most coveted room in South Florida," the room, also known as The Villa Suite, is where the crème de la crème comes to stay, with Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, and their little sister Kylie Jenner among the regulars, per PEOPLE.Entered via a "unique round foyer," the suits boasts a "decadent custom double king-sized bed and mural-covered walls," according to the hotel's website. It also features two balconies, one of which overlooks Ocean Drive, and a sitting area nestled within a chic alcove.Priced at $1,500 a night, the suite once designed for fashion royalty continues to accommodate the stars nowadays just as Casa Casuarina has done since its inceptions in the 1930s, with Vanity Fair noting that the original owner, Alden Freeman, frequently hosted Princess Diana and Elton John at the mansion.Rooftop Lounge & ObservatoryOther impressive features of Versace Mansion include the Restaurant Gianni’s, an upscale eatery offering a "refined continental cuisine," whose "pebble mosaiced walls" overlook the magnificent pool, as seen in the photo above.Guests looking for a "sophisticated" cocktail experience can head into the Onyx Bar, also located downstairs. But while the floor level is definitely designed for luxury, the top one will take your break away.The highest point of the mansion is reserved for an expansive Rooftop Lounge providing glorious views of South Beach. Above the deck lies the observatory, which Versace reconstructed when he moved in, adding a new copper dome.Elsewhere in the hotel, splendid thematic rooms, such as The Aviary Suite, The Azure Suite, and The Mosaic Suite (which the website notes is "fit for a Material Girl") delight the senses with marvelous tapestries, antique furnishings, and vivid color schemes.Detailing a walk through the elegant hallways, Insider's Hadden makes note of the gorgeous detailing, writing: "I felt like I was in an art museum with exclusive access to stunning tile patterns and dazzling stained glass windows."
Now a luxury boutique hotel catering to celebrities, Villa Casa Casuarina was once the home of famed fashion designer Gianni Versace. Dating back to 1930, the grandiose Mediterranean-style mansion located in Miami's South Beach neighborhood was purchased by Versace in 1992 for $2.95 million.According to the hotel's website, the fashion legend, who was "obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology," fell in love with the “Kneeling Aphrodite” statue at the front door, as well as with the property's "unique Spanish architecture," spending three years and $32 million to renovate the sprawling 24-apartment estate.Turned into a 10-suite residence during his tenure, the breathtaking home is also where Versace met his demise. The designer was tragically killed on the front steps in 1997, five years after acquiring the sumptuous edifice and the one next door.Nowadays, the remarkable villa is reportedly the Kardashians' go-to hotel in Miami, numbering among its clientele A-listers such as Justin Bieber, Drake, Sylvester Stalone, and Lionel Richie.Tour the splendid hotel below!The 'Million Mosaic Pool'While you'd be hard-pressed to find a single corner of the mansion that's not dazzling and awe-inspiring, the home's most flamboyant feature is the swimming pool. Known as the “Million Mosaic Pool,” it was put in by Versace during his restoration of the home and owes its name to the mosaic of ornate tiles that decorate the bottom and walls -- thousands of which are made out of 24-karat gold.Inspired by Versace’s “Marine Vanitas” collection, the lavish work of art, which is available only to hotel guests (the villa also has a restaurant, Gianni's, that you can use without checking in at reception), was pieced together from Italy-imported tiles, with the mosaic centered around Poseidon as the main character."The four Large Urns on both sides of the pool were designed by Versace," notes the hotel's website.According to PEOPLE, Kelly Clarkson jumped into the golden pool fully clothed after her 2005 VMA wins.Scroll for more photos!Cheapest Room Is $800-A-NightIt won't surprise you to learn that one of the most affordable suites in the Versace Mansion is priced at around $800 a night. Nicknamed The Aurora Suite, it owes its monicker to the golden light pouring through the "ample stained glass windows lining the bedroom and sitting room," per the website, with the opulent decor chromatically following suit.The Insider chronicled a stay in the lavish suite back in November 2021, with Joey Hadden writing, "I thought feeling like one of the hotel's pampered celebrity guests was worth every penny."Describing it as "the best hotel experience of my life," Hadden detailed the room's four-poster king-sized bed topped with swans, lavish golden throw pillows, and elegant window seating overlooking the "Million Mosaic Pool." Her article also mentioned the ornate en-suite shower "with decorative tiling," one equipped with "luxury Italian soaps and lotions."Keep going for more pics!Gianni Versace's Master SuiteAs expected, one of the hotel's main attractions is Gianni Versace's former bedroom, now the Gianni Master Suite.Billed as the most coveted "the most coveted room in South Florida," the room, also known as The Villa Suite, is where the crème de la crème comes to stay, with Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, and their little sister Kylie Jenner among the regulars, per PEOPLE.Entered via a "unique round foyer," the suits boasts a "decadent custom double king-sized bed and mural-covered walls," according to the hotel's website. It also features two balconies, one of which overlooks Ocean Drive, and a sitting area nestled within a chic alcove.Priced at $1,500 a night, the suite once designed for fashion royalty continues to accommodate the stars nowadays just as Casa Casuarina has done since its inceptions in the 1930s, with Vanity Fair noting that the original owner, Alden Freeman, frequently hosted Princess Diana and Elton John at the mansion.Rooftop Lounge & ObservatoryOther impressive features of Versace Mansion include the Restaurant Gianni’s, an upscale eatery offering a "refined continental cuisine," whose "pebble mosaiced walls" overlook the magnificent pool, as seen in the photo above.Guests looking for a "sophisticated" cocktail experience can head into the Onyx Bar, also located downstairs. But while the floor level is definitely designed for luxury, the top one will take your break away.The highest point of the mansion is reserved for an expansive Rooftop Lounge providing glorious views of South Beach. Above the deck lies the observatory, which Versace reconstructed when he moved in, adding a new copper dome.Elsewhere in the hotel, splendid thematic rooms, such as The Aviary Suite, The Azure Suite, and The Mosaic Suite (which the website notes is "fit for a Material Girl") delight the senses with marvelous tapestries, antique furnishings, and vivid color schemes.Detailing a walk through the elegant hallways, Insider's Hadden makes note of the gorgeous detailing, writing: "I felt like I was in an art museum with exclusive access to stunning tile patterns and dazzling stained glass windows."
