August 25, 2008 at 07:30am by Gus
ABOVE: A video tour of Casa Casuarina aka the Versace Mansion. Running time: 44-minutes. Download video to iPod or PSP.
Are you curious about the Versace murder? Will you be visiting Miami soon? This might be your only chance to see the inside of the Versace Mansion.
Through September, Peter Loftin is offering guided tours of his private hotel, Casa Casuarina. The hotel is best known for being the home of, Gianni Versace, who was murdered on the sidewalk outside the estate. The tour cost $50 and last about 45 minutes. From the flyer:
“For the first time ever, Casa Casuarina, the legendary mansion on Miami Beach is opening its doors to the public for exclusive tours. The exquisitely preserved 1930s mansion showcases unparalleled architecture and design details, intricate stone and marble work detailed renaissance-style mosaics and frescoes designed by creative artists such as Alden Freeman and Fashion Designer, Gianni Versace.”
If $50 is too expensive, you can still see what the inside of the house looks like. I had the pleasure of taking the first public tour. What’s even cooler…I got to video the entire thing!
10 things you will learn in this rare video:
- There is a secret time capsule hidden on the estate.
- Versace borrowed heavily from Roman and Greek designs.
- Many of the mosaic floors in the house were designed to resemble the silk scarves from the Versace collection.
- How many people can fit inside the infamous group shower room.
- What a $2,000 a night hotel room looks like.
- The hotel’s rock-bottom off season rates.
- Casa Casuarina’s budget hotel rooms may be quieter than their more expensive suites.
- Barton G. is no longer the official caterer at Casa Casuarina.
- Allegra Versace’s favorite wild animal.
- How quickly the weather can change in Miami.
Feel free to fast forward the clip. I realize 44-minutes is a long video, but thought some of you might enjoy seeing the entire tour, unedited.
Thanks to Elisa Brinkworth from Casa Casuarina for showing us around.
Tour information
All tours must be booked in advance by reservation.
Tours are offered daily at 9am, 11am and 2pm.
Tickets are $50 per person.
Add $25 for breakfast. Add $35 for lunch.
Video and photographs are allowed on the tour.
Casa Casuarina is located at 1116 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Florida. Their phone number is (305) 672-6604.
UPDATE: Watch the 5 part video at YouTube.
 | Gus Moore heads up Miami Beach 411 as site administrator, where he has been helping people understand how Miami works for over a decade. See more articles by Gus > |
