Narcos fans rejoice – you too can walk in the footsteps of notorious Colombian drug lord/80s cocaine magnate Pablo Escobar, and in one of his former oceanfront mansions, no less. Turned out by New York gallerist Lio Malca, Design Hotels™ Casa Malca has become one of Mexico’s hottest high-end destinations since the brutal TV series based on the head of the Medellin Cartel aired.

In the transformation of the former cocaine king’s beachfront hideout in Tulum into a ritzy five star boutique art hotel adorned with contemporary works from the likes of KAWS, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Malca has, like the mansion’s previous owner, spared no expense; the lavish digs are kitted out with Egyptian cotton linens, rainfall showers and locally-made artisanal products.

The once-abandoned hideout, appropriately featuring bulletproof walls and tunnel, has been expanded into a 35-room resort featuring three swimming pools – one of which is underground(!) – rotates art from Malca’s own collection, and features stunning gourmet fare that showcases local ingredients. The Instagram-worthy escape also features hammocks in the Caribbean Sea-facing rooms, perfect for sacking out with a book and cocktail – or keeping lookout for the coastguard.

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