Mar-a-Lago

The Mar-a-Lago Club ( MAR ə LAH-goh, Spanish: [ˈmaɾ a ˈlaɣo]) is a resort and National Historic Landmark on a barrier island in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It has 126 rooms and an area of 62,500 square feet (5,810 square meters) built on 17 acres (7 hectares) of land. Since 1985, it has been owned by Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States. Mar-a-Lago was built for the businesswoman and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post between 1924 and 1927, during the Florida land boom. At the time of her death in 1973, Post bequeathed the property to the National Park Service, hoping it could be used for state visits or as a Winter White House. However, because the costs of maintaining the property exceeded the funds provided by Post, and because it was difficult to secure the facility, the property was returned to the Post Foundation by act of Congress 96–586 on December 23, 1980. In 1985, Donald Trump, primarily a businessman and real estate investor at the time, acquired Mar-a-Lago and used it as a residence. In 1995, he converted it into the Mar-a-Lago Club, a members-only club with guest rooms, a spa, and other hotel-style amenities. The Trump family maintains private quarters in a closed-off area on the grounds. During his first presidency, Trump frequently visited Mar-a-Lago and held meetings there with international leaders, including Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese president Xi Jinping.