He Opens Club in Spare Rooms

"Trump, the deal-maker extraordinaire who has been bouncing back from the brink of bankruptcy, has turned his 65,000-square-foot-plus home on nearly 18 acres into a facility for 500 members. A dozen of the 250 already signed up are honorary, like the prince, Trump said."

"Mar-a-Lago, on nearly 18 acres between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Worth, was built for cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her then-husband, stockbroker E. F. Hutton, in 1927 at a cost of about $2 million. "It was built to last," said appraiser Roger Finch of Callaway & Price, West Palm Beach."

"Trump paid $10 million, including furnishings, for the Hispano-Mooresque house and its 75-foot-tall bell tower; nine-hole golf course; ballroom with a balcony where Post unobtrusively watched her guests, and tunnel to the beach. Trump estimates that he has spent $15 million in renovations."

Donald Trump transformed Mar-a-Lago, his 65,000-square-foot Palm Beach estate built in 1927 for cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, into an exclusive private club. The property spans nearly 18 acres between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Worth and features 118 rooms, 52 bedrooms, a ballroom, nine-hole golf course, and a 75-foot bell tower. Trump purchased the estate in 1985 for $10 million and invested an additional $15 million in renovations to convert it into a club facility. The club accommodates 500 members, with 250 already signed up, including a dozen honorary members such as Prince Charles. Membership requires a $100,000 initiation fee. Trump converted 35 of the 52 bedrooms into member suites and constructed a 900-foot privacy wall. He also created a 25,000-square-foot spa within three bomb shelters.

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