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A peek inside Gianni Versace’s Miami mansion

When fashion guru Gianni Versace was gunned down on the front steps of his home on Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami in 1997, frock wearing females the world over reeled on their high heels.

Not to mention the shock to the rest of us who’ve never seen a Versace gown, let alone worn one. South Beach? Isn’t that the place of the botoxed and beautiful?

I was in Miami and retraced the flamboyant designer’s steps that fateful morning as he left his home with his pooch to go and get a coffee from News Cafe, about two blocks from his house.

Selfies outside the Versace Mansion
Selfies outside the Versace Mansion

I sat at a table in the cafe under the leafy trees and thought how awful that a lone and clearly crazed gunman was skulking the streets that day. It’s not the sort of thing you expect in South Beach.

This Art Deco end of the strip is full of muscly men, motorbikes and hot chicks wearing not very much. Tourists wear trainers and locals teeter on mile high heels.

Gianni poodled home that morning after having read the Italian newspapers that News Cafe was famous for, and was shot and died on his front steps. Truly awful.

Versace Mansion
The Versace pool inlaid with gold tiles

Aside: News Cafe did not make it through the pandemic and closed in January 2021, but reopened in May 2022 in the same the spot, under the newly renamed Tony Hotel South Beach.

The hotel is named for Tony Goldman, who would buy up distressed Art Deco South Beach hotels since the 1980s and refurbished them. Thereby saving many of them from their otherwise fate to the sea air and delinquency.

Versace left half of his estate to his then 11-year old nice Allegra, Donatella’s daughter, and split the remainder between his brother and Donatella.

Versace Mansion
We waited behind the line for our Mansion Tour

Eventually the property was sold to a telecommunications tycoon from New York and in 2009 Casa Casaurina was opened as a boutique hotel, restaurant and bar.

I was lucky enough to have a tour through Casa Casuarina with a few travel media, and checked out the rooms. The one he designed for Madonna (with a gold bathtub) and another that Elton John helped him design for himself.

See my photos below of a tour inside the rooms.

Allegra’s room with handpainted birds on the walls. The loo with a golden seat. The swimming pool with gold tiles inlaid into the floor. The circular shower room with four shower heads that I’m sure could tell us a few stories….

Versace Mansion
Allegra’s handpainted bedroom wall
Versace Mansion
The golden toilet seat. Donatella kept one for herself and the other remains here.

Oh and you wanna hear something funny? Donatella offered all of her brother’s the furnishings to the new buyer for an extra $2 mil. He turned her down and went out and bought new Versace branded product instead.

Donatella, meanwhile, sold the stuff for $19 mil. Funny indeed.

But the best thing? You can stay here. Check out the best price to stay at Casa Casuarina on Expedia >

Versace Mansion
This cafe inside is open to the public

You can also dine at Gianni’s Restaurant inside the hotel for lunch or dinner, if your budget doesn’t quite extend to an overnight in Alegra’s room. I’ll have the lobster spaghetti thanks!

Versace Mansion
Upstairs balcony overlooking the pool
Versace Mansion
The sumptuous velvet lounge off the pool area
Versace Mansion
The communal showers beside the pool
Versace Mansion
Elton John helped design this room for when he came to stay
Versace Mansion
Book a table for lunch beside the pool
Versace Mansion
Private dining room available to the public. The mosaic wall was done by an Italian artist and redone when Gianni threw a hissy.
Versace Mansion
Our guide explains this tapestry was found in the basement. It’s priceless!

See my post on the best things to do in Miami that scratch below the surface.

We then took off on a Florida Keys road trip from Miami to Key West. You can read our 4-day Miami to Key West itinerary of where to stop, where to eat, fun things to do in Key West, and where we stayed that was super central in Old Town.

If you want to read my full story of noseying through Gianni Versace’s mansion, click here to read: Miami Nice on the NZ Herald’s website.

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Hi, I'm Megan Singleton and I'm the word slinger of this travel blog as well as on radio in NZ every Sunday. Former Travel Editor at Yahoo NZ and current freelance writer for a few newspapers and mags from time to time, I set off on this travel writing journey 20 years ago and I've pretty much always got a suitcase half packed (or half un-packed!) I'd love you to join me on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for my newsletters if you want loads of travel tips, advice and deals!