LIFE

A Look Inside Gianni Versace’s Totally Ridiculous Miami Mansion, Now a Boutique Hotel Naturally

by Steph Eckardt

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Courtesy of the Villa Casa Casuarina

The very first glimpse of Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was an exterior shot of Versace’s former mansion on Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive—appropriate, since the murder of the Italian designer took place on its front steps. If it strikes you as a bit creepy that the anthology series’ poolside premiere party actually took place inside the manse, then, where the crew filmed for a month, you might start to feel Donatella Versace levels of scandalized upon learning that the palazzo, including Versace’s room, is now actually a hotel. A look inside, though, proves its campy opulence might just be too much fun to resist if you can afford it (rooms start at $749 a night): Versace purchased the home, which was built in 1930, in 1992 after spotting it while on vacation with his family, and it wasn’t long before he put tens of millions of dollars into renovating the space, included turning its 24 apartments into 10 over-the-top suites, some of which belonged to family like Donatella, and others which hosted the likes of Madonna and Princess Diana. Over the years, it passed through a series of hands before ultimately selling for $41.5 million in 2013—and soon reopening as the Villa Casa Casuarina, a hotel complete with amenities like spa services and a pool made of over a million tiles, thousands of which are 24-karat gold. Take a look inside the former Versace mansion, which may or may not be haunted.

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The Venus Suite (Donatella Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The pool at Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Signature Suite (Santo Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Villa shower in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The day pool deck and upper terrace of Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Villa Suite (Gianni Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The courtyard of Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The exterior of Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Medallion Suite in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The rooftop terrace of Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The evening rotunda in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The loggia of Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Aviary Suite (Allegra Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The pool at Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The bathroom of the Signature Suite (Santo Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Signature Suite (Santo Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Empire Suite (Versace’s partners’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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The Azure Suite (Daniel Versace’s room) in Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the Villa Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida.