Pablo Escobar's former villa becomes luxury art hotel in Tulum

The former residence of drug lord Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) in Tulum, Mexico, has been transformed into Casa Malca, a 42-room luxury art hotel. The property, abandoned since Escobar's death, was purchased in 2012 by gallerist Lio Malca, who converted it into a hotel featuring contemporary artworks from his personal collection, including pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. The hotel offers exclusive amenities such as an underground sauna inspired by James Turrell installations, connected to the pool, and suites with bar rooms decorated with Keith Haring-designed wallpaper. Due to Tulum's tropical humidity, only durable artworks are displayed, and the selection rotates periodically, making the lobby a permanent museum. Escobar, who at his peak in the late 1980s controlled 80% of the global cocaine market and was listed by Forbes with a fortune of about $10 billion, was killed by police in 1993. His legacy remains controversial, as he invested in sports facilities and distributed money to the poor, and was the subject of the Netflix series 'Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal'.