Article written by Blogger Contributor Editor Tania Silva
The Ocean Drive mansion where Gianni Versace lived and died is now a luxury boutique hotel Villa by Barton G.
Situated on South Beach in Miami, the five-star property is where the Italian designer was shot dead on its front steps by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in 1997.
The 10-suite Villa by Barton G boasts 54-foot ‘thousand mosaic’ swimming pool lined in 24-carat gold, which was designed by Versace.
The hotel is like the ‘ultimate sensory experience’, with walls of decorative pebble mosaics, lavish frescoed ceilings and meals served on Versace-designed Rosenthal china.
Rooms range in size from the Medallion Suite overlooking a stunning mosaic at the mansion, to the Venus Suite, which features two private balconies with a view of Ocean Drive, and the Versace-designed swimming pool.
Kim Kardashian pictured waving from one of its balconies as one of the first celebrities invited to stay at the newly opened venue.
The Villa by Barton G. has been officially named «Casa Casuarina» for more than a decade, operating first as a private club and then as a boutique hotel until it closed in 2013. But locals actually still refer to it as ‘the Versace mansion’.
