DALLAS, Aug 15, 2002/ FW/ --- Eversince the launch of the Australian Spring/Summer Collections in Sydney in 1995, Australia started to attract the fashion set.

On November 10-15th, Melbourne will be hosting the first Australian Fall/Winter Collections. In short, Australia now has a full fashion calendar!

And if you are going there to attend the shows, there is another destination that you might want to visit - Palazzo Versace, the first luxury hotel built under the auspices of the House of Versace.

Opened two years ago on September 15, Palazzo Versace changed the landscape of Queensland's Gold Coast and redefined the meaning of luxury and opulence.

The Palazzo was designed in line with ancient European Palace architecture, then decorated wiwth everythhing Versace. The result, an avant-garde hotel concept which is one-of-a-kind.

The Palazzo Versace experience starts the moment you enter the property. Starting with the mosaic driveway, it is the second largest pebble mosaic in the world (the largest being outside the Parliament House in Rome).

At the foyer hangs a 1600 lbs (750kg) chandelier which once hung in the State Library of Milan. It was purchased by Gianni Versace to place into one of his villas. Unfortunately, he died before he had a chance to enjoy it.

Dining at the Palazzo menas eating and drinking from Versace homewares. All of the china and cutlery used throughout the resort is from a limited edition Versace line. If you want to bring home a set, all of the homewares are available for sale from the Gianni Versace Boutique inside the hotel.

As in everything done by the House of Versace, there is intricate attention to detail As guests walk through the resort, they will notice features being mirror imaged on floors and ceilings.

When guests walk in their rooms (there are 205 of them) or their self-contained luxury condos (72), they find that each room is luxuriosly appointed in Versace homewares and accessories - from Versace crystal at the private bar to miniatures of men's and women's Versace fragrances in the bathroom.

Palazzo Versace is designed for the guests to get the "Versace Experience." Are you ready for it?

For more information log on at www.palazzoversace.com