We were shown to the second-floor Signature Suite, which Santo, Gianni Versace's brother, occupied when his travels took him to Miami.
The living room contains a zebra-printed couch, cheetah-patterned chairs, and a leopard-skin-dappled fresco overhead... or nearly as many animal prints as one would see on safari.
For entertainment there's a wide-screen TV, handsome round wooden table with a backgammon set, and windows overlooking the beach and Ocean Drive. Thick coffee-table books by Taschen and an assortment of current magazines ensure occupants don't lack for reading material.
More likely, though, your eyes will be drawn to the welcome amenity: A chocolate-fondue fountain surrounded by tiers of marshmallows and assorted fruit on spears for dipping.
There's an even bigger thrill when guests view the bedroom, with its 9-by-12-foot bed fit for an orgy. It's topped by a golden, 12-foot-long carved headboard backed by murals of maidens.
Overall the space presents as a visual tribute to the fin-de-siècle excesses of the 20th-century. Swags and tapestries, fringed lampshades, Oriental carpets, and animal-print upholstered chairs abound. A leopard hassock edged with crystal beads and topped with an appliquéd rose is one example of the "more is more" school of interior design so painstakingly wrought here.
Surprisingly, the only remnants from the Versace glory days are lush double-sided draperies and painted frescoes; the rest of the designer's furnishings were auctioned off after his death. Gianni's gestalt has been fully recreated by Barton G and his artisans.
As they say in TV land, "but wait... there's more!" The night table holds a Kindle and remote control to access the HDTV that carries every imaginable channel including HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax. There's also a separate Sonos satellite music system (although we weren't up to learning the technology and would have been happier with an iPod dock).
The Moorish-style bathroom features sinks with gilded fixtures and onyx soap dispensers on either side of the entrance. And you can't miss the large center tuffet (where your Frette bathrobe and slippers await), the toilet and bidet, and the shower with spouts on opposite walls for full coverage or dual pleasure.
