It was designed as a retreat for U.S. presidents and dignitaries all the way back in the 1920s.
You may be hearing a lot about The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida now that Donald Trump is the President of the United States. It's his private residence as well as a private club, with 126 rooms in 110,000-square feet of space.
The resort has a spa and hotel-style amenities for guests. Built in 1927, it was originally owned by heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. She willed it to the U.S. government upon her death in 1973, but presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter didn't wish to use it.
The home was too costly in taxes, so in 1981 the government sold it back to the Post Foundation. It was purchased by Trump in 1985 when the Post family reluctantly sold it to him for $8 million after first rejecting his offer and then getting a threat that he would block the estate's beach view.
Mar-a-Lago was Trump's private home until 1995, when it was re-established as a club.
The historical profile of the estate says it is hurricane resistant and is "anchored by concrete and steel to coral reef."
Today, Mar-a-Lago includes:
• A 20,000-square foot ballroom (added by Trump during a 2005 renovation)
• Three bomb shelters
• 12 fireplaces
• 33 bathrooms
• 5 tennis courts
• A waterfront swimming pool
• A 29-foot long marble dining table
• Two retail outlets
• A beauty salon
The estate has hosted a number of high-profile celebrities and it was even the honeymoon site for Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley in the mid-1990s. Membership costs a $200,000 initiation fee and annual dues of $14,000.
Mar-a-Lago's initiation fee was $100,000 prior to January 2017, when Trump was officially sworn-in as the U.S. president.
The Trump International Golf Club nearby is about 10 minutes away, according to maralagoclub.com.
