Photo Credit: Versace Gold Coast
Stay in star-studded style with these 5 amazingly lavish celebrity-owned hotels.
We all deserve a much-needed break from 2020, and what better way to do so than with a vacation (when it’s safe, of course)? Make like the rich and famous and indulge in a star-studded stay at one of these 10 celebrity-owned retreats. Never forget: You deserve it.
PALAZZO VERSACE
Photo Credit: Palazzo Versace Dubai
OWNER: DONATELLA VERSACE
Fashion designer Donatella Versace, sister to the late, great Gianni Versace, owns not one but two spectacular retreats — Palazzo Versace Dubai, and Palazzo Versace Gold Coast. Both haute (and hot) locations play to their surroundings, while still retaining that extreme Versace-esque sensibility. At the former, guests are welcomed by the striking “Pietra di Fiume” design of the iconic Medusa and Greek décor, 215 rooms and suites as well as 169 residences, all tailor-made by Versace, including lagoon pools, lush gardens and eight restaurants and bars. The latter, located on Australia’s Gold Coast, features a similar design (though all items were specially made exclusively for each hotel) and Italian craftsmanship, though this property is home to a famed day spa, fitness and well-being center, a private marina and the first water salon cabana experience in Australia.
Palazzo Versace Gold Coast: 94 Seaworld Dr, Main Beach QLD 4217, Australia
Palazzo Versace Dubai: Jaddaf Waterfront – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
TURTLE INN
Photo Credit: Turtle Inn
OWNER: FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola owns a plethora of equally award-winning retreats throughout the world in his The Family Coppola Hideaways, and one of our favorites is the uber-glamorous Turtle Inn in Belize, which is located near the Belize Barrier Reef UNESCO World Heritage site, the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Coppola, who has always been drawn to the rustic, al fresco Balinese style of living, brings that same relaxed ambiance to Turtle Inn, working with architect Made Wijaya to incorporate Balinese design details within the property, including individual thatched roof villas and cottages. The most ‘extra’ offering here is the rental of Coral Caye, your very own elegant private island. Two dwellings and a great house are the only buildings on the island and can accommodate from two to 10 guests, with amenities including a full bar, music, bathroom, kitchen, dining table, board games, dart board and all meals prepared daily. There’s a wine cellar, gelato bar and, of course, an Italian eatery, a necessary nod to Coppola’s heritage. Every guest — private island and otherwise — is offered use of beach cruiser bicycles, kayaks, paddle boards, trimarans, water bikes, snorkel gear and fishing gear; can play Bocce Ball; and can borrow a guitar to jam on, free of charge.
Placencia Village, Placencia, Belize
GWINGANNA HEALTH RETREAT
Photo Credit: Gwinganna
OWNER: HUGH JACKMAN
Hugh Jackman fell in love with Gwinganna, a health and wellness retreat on Australia’s Gold Coast, in 2006, six years before he famously stayed there while getting in shape to play Wolverine in the Marvel film of the same name in 2012. He loved it so much that he stayed for two months… and then decided to become a co-owner. This award-winning eco-retreat and spa sanctuary is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere with 33 treatment rooms, environmentally-sensitive architecture, and expert levels of service and care. It has all the wellness options you could possibly dream of, including equine therapy, Ayurvedic massage, tarot readings, Eastern therapies, reiki, a live blood analysis, an aging analysis, kinesiology and meditation. The fare here is organic and comes predominantly from the onsite gardens and orchards, offering a gluten- and dairy-free menu that’s designed to decrease systemic inflammation, improve liver detoxification, balance blood sugar levels, improve insulin resistance and, most essentially, support and improve digestion. Additionally, there are two infinity-edge heated pools, a personal training center, tennis courts, bush-walking treks, cricket classes and a yoga studio, which also doubles as a meditation and Pilates studio. Obviously, it’s serene enough here to make even Wolverine retract his claws and say “Namaste.”
192 Syndicate Rd, Tallebudgera Valley QLD 4228, Australia
MUSHA CAY
Photo Credit: Musha Cay
OWNER: DAVID COPPERFIELD
A stay at Musha Cay and the islands of Copperfield Bay is a magical experience — just ask the owner, illusionist David Copperfield. It is truly the ultimate mystical escape: this tropical retreat is available for exclusive rental only, to the tune of $42,000 a night at a minimum stay of five nights (for groups of more than 12, there is an additional charge of $1,500 per person per night). Up to 24 guests can stay at this vast paradise, which is comprised of 700 acres over 11 islands, with 40 sugar-sand beaches at your disposal. Extraordinary offerings at Musha Cay include a lighted championship tennis court, a beachfront, air-conditioned gym with state-of-the art equipment, use of a jet boat, catamaran, sailboat, WaveRunner and windsurfer, and — last but not least — Harry Houdini’s own billiards table. As if that isn’t magical enough, Copperfield’s team can arrange for a fireworks display, live music, or even a one-of-a-kind treasure hunt.
The Bahamas
NAMALE RESORT & SPA
OWNER: TONY ROBBINS
It should come as no surprise at all that world-renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins is the owner of Namale, an aspirational and inspirational Fijian paradise nestled in the volcanic cliffs overlooking the Koro Sea. Situated on 525 acres of virtually untouched land, celebrities and the rich and famous come to this picture-perfect, adults-only resort for the dedicated service (there is a 4-to-1 staff-to-guest ratio); the activities, including horseback riding, hiking through rainforests, swimming through waterfalls, golf and paddleboarding; and the pure, unadulterated romance of the resort, which is evident everywhere — including a private, heart-shaped Jacuzzi. Trust us, make the journey here and you’ll be just as motivated as Robbins himself is to return.
Hibiscus Hwy, Savusavu, Fiji
NOBU RYOKAN
OWNERS: ROBERT DE NIRO, NOBU MATSUHISA, MEIR TEPER + LARRY ELLISON
Robert De Niro has been in the hotel business since 2008, when he opened the boutique (and still resplendent) Manhattan property, The Greenwich Hotel. But it wasn’t until he partnered with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and producer Meir Teper that he created an empire. There are 13 hotels currently in the Nobu Hotel collection, with five more on the way (Toronto, Sao Paolo, Tel Aviv, Atlanta and Riyadh are all coming soon) but there isn’t a property we love more than the serene, divine Nobu Ryokan in Malibu, which embodies the modern, cool luxury and Japanese tradition that have come to define the brand. At this 16-room property on Malibu’s storied “Billionaire Beach” on California’s Pacific Coast Highway (which is also owned by Oracle founder Larry Ellison), guests will find tatami mats, shoji screens, hand-crafted teak soaking tubs beneath skylights, and even a room with its own Zen garden. It’s hard not to love a spot where you can wake up to the sound of the crashing ocean waves and spot dolphins frolicking from your patio. And, best of all, the hotel can arrange Nobu’s signature sushi to go from Nobu Malibu next door to enjoy in the privacy of your beachfront room.
22752 CA-1, Malibu, CA 90265
