Former Versace mansion in Miami become one of most expensive US homes to be listed

Casa Casuarina has one of the most expensive listing prices ever in America and is the highest listing price for a home in Miami-Dade history. Versace bought the home in South Beach in1992 for $10 million and then proceeded to put about $33 million into updating it. He lived there until he was shot by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in 1997, a murder that ranks among the most shocking in Miami’s history. In 2009, current owner Peter Loftin converted the home into a restaurant and private hotel now known as The Villa by Barton G. He is currently fighting a foreclosure order but it is still operating as a hotel. It was famous for its 16.4 meter gold lined pool and has an interesting history. It was built in 1930 by the architect Alden Freeman and modelled on the Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, a residence built in 1510 by the son of Christopher Columbus. It has walls and ceilings adorned with museum style frescos, a golden tiled kitchen and a huge Medusa mosaic in the courtyard. Telecommunications billionaire Loftin bought the property in 2000 for a reported US$19 million. After living in the property for a couple of years, Loftin decided to convert it into an exclusive members only club and boutique hotel with rooms costing around US$2,500 a night. According to the New York Post, Loftin was forced to close the shutters on Casa Casuarina in 2009 after one of his major investors, Scott Rothstein, was arrested on charges of running a US$1 billion ponzi scheme. The sprawling residence reopened after a makeover by the restaurateur Barton G Weiss, and was relaunched as a hotel under the name The Villa by Barton G.