CASTLE-LIKE PADDINGTON RENOVATION SET TO SMASH SUBURB RECORD
Once a pub, now a palatial home, Paddington’s Windsor Castle is hitting the market with a $25m price guide.
2 min
Windsor Castle in Paddington may be of a very different calibre of real estate than the prestigious pile of the same name in England. Still, the former Sydney pub is nonetheless impressive in its own right.
Once a popular watering hole known as the Windsor Castle Hotel, the landmark corner building was transformed 13 years ago into a luxury five-bedroom residence with a $25 million price tag.
If the converted bar achieves its expected price point, it would break the Paddington price record, which currently stands at $20 million. That benchmark was set in 2023 with the sale of a penthouse crowning the residential apartments at the historic Royal Hospital for Women site on nearby Flinton Street.
This time around, the house is due to go under the hammer on October 11 through Luke Hogan and William Manning of McGrath Double Bay.
Built in the 1870s, the Victorian structure with a charming castellated roofline was one of Sydney’s premier hotels in its heyday, affectionately called The Castle.
Anita Nolan and former Goldman Sachs executive David Nolan bought the home in 2016 for $11.85 million, after the initial transformation by XPACE Design Group.
Before that, it traded in 2009 for $4.3 million when the hotel was sold by hotelier Marcus Levy, his wife Vanessa Sanchez-Levy and her brother, developer Chris Sanchez.
The couple of empty nesters are now looking to downsize.
Since purchasing the property nine years ago, the pair have made additional improvements, installing a grand 187-inch CinemaScope screen, Barco projection and 10 electric leather recliners in the home cinema, a 1700-bottle wine cellar, as well as a marble and white dolomite kitchen with a large butler’s pantry.
The state-of-the-art kitchen has a Sub-Zero fridge and freezer, an integrated wine fridge, two Miele dishwashers, a V-Zug induction cooktop, and Gaggenau self-cleaning steam ovens.
On a 770sq m block on leafy Windsor St, the unique house has 1000sq m of internal and outdoor living space. It features a four-person lift to four levels, plus a spiral staircase up to a private rooftop terrace with panoramic views to the CBD and Harbour Bridge.
Other alfresco areas include the north-facing ground floor courtyard with a heated pool and barbecue area. This secluded outdoor space flows seamlessly from the kitchen and dining zones, for all-weather entertaining.
Created as a personal retreat on the second floor, the main bedroom features a vast, hotel-inspired en-suite, a dressing room, a private sitting room, and a large terrace. On the first floor, there are three more bedrooms, a home office and a library. Each of the three bedrooms has a limestone ensuite, Juliette balcony and built-ins.
Down on the lower ground level, there is a rare five-car garage with a turntable beside the wine cellar and cinema, and the house features smart home automation throughout.
A castle without a rolling estate to maintain, this Paddington property is within walking distance of inner Sydney’s most popular eateries, boutiques along Oxford St and Centennial Park.
Windsor Castle is set to go to auction on October 11, at 12.34 pm with Luke Hogan and William Manning of McGrath Double Bay, with a price guide $25 million.
Records keep falling in 2025 as harbourfront, beachfront and blue-chip estates crowd the top of the market.
A divide has opened in the tech job market between those with artificial-intelligence skills and everyone else.
Designed by the late Kerry Hill and built by Hutchinson Builders, The Residence at Hayman Island blends tropical modernism with absolute waterfront luxury.
2 min
Is this Whitsunday’s best home?
Hayman Island may have been ravaged by Cyclone Debbie in 2017, which saw the island, one of the smallest of the major Whitsunday islands, all but shut down, but the 390-hectare paradise has made an extraordinary comeback.
The InterContinental brand took over the island’s only resort, which was completely devastated by the Category 4 cyclone. The same year the cyclone hit, The Residence at Hayman was built, one of just two private residences on the island.
Constructed by Hutchinson Builders, a Tier 1 builder better known for delivering some of South East Queensland’s finest multi-residential developments, the lavish home is made from reinforced concrete with a blend of glass and timber battening.
It was designed by the late, internationally renowned architect Kerry Hill, widely regarded as a key figure in refining tropical modernist architecture. Hill was an island specialist, having designed several major resorts in Bali.
The Residence at Hayman spans three levels and offers over 1,400 sqm of living space, including around 580 sqm of internal living areas. The remainder comprises breezeways, terraces, and balconies designed to embrace the island’s subtropical climate.
Entry to the home is via the upper level, as the property tiers down the site with direct access to the beach. The top and lower levels accommodate most of the home’s eight bedrooms, as well as a study and a double garage with buggy parking, the preferred mode of transport throughout the Whitsundays.
The middle level is home to the main kitchen, living, and dining areas, complete with a full butler’s pantry. It opens to a large, L-shaped terrace featuring an outdoor kitchen, alfresco dining and lounge zones, and a sundeck. The terrace flows to the basalt-clad infinity swimming pool, deck, and cabana with integrated seating, as well as a pool house.
Owners or guests of The Residence also have access to the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort facilities, including 24-hour room service, butler assistance, private chefs, and the resort’s wellness centre.
Whitefox agents Cheyne Fox and Nic Whitehead are marketing The Residence as “a rare and extraordinary find.”
“This is more than just a home, it’s an opportunity to own a piece of paradise, a legacy to share with family and friends for generations to come,” Fox said.
The only other private residence on Hayman Island, Hayman House, is also on the market. Commissioned by Terry Peabody, former billionaire and Transpacific Industries founder, Hayman House was first listed last year with hopes of $27 million, later reportedly reduced to $20 million in early 2025.
Designed by Kerry Hill and also built by Hutchies (in 2010), Hayman House shares a similar design ethos to The Residence, albeit on a smaller scale. Its 18-week construction endured three cyclones, with all site access via the beach, which had to be reinforced to prevent heavy vehicles from sinking into the sand.
A 30-metre masterpiece unveiled in Monaco brings Lamborghini’s supercar drama to the high seas, powered by 7,600 horsepower and unmistakable Italian design.
In the remote waters of Indonesia’s Anambas Islands, Bawah Reserve is redefining what it means to blend barefoot luxury with environmental stewardship.
