CASTLE-LIKE PADDINGTON RENOVATION SET TO SMASH SUBURB RECORD

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.

One of the priciest homes for sale in the Los Angeles area just got $40 million knocked off its listing price.

The Beverly Hills megamansion is now listed for $135 million, the highest asking price on the open market in Los Angeles County.

One other property , in Bel-Air, is also asking $135 million after a similar-sized price cut last month.

“It’s time (for the sellers) to move to the next chapter…They’re ready to pass the torch,” said Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency, who shares the listing with his colleague Stephen Shapiro.

The home was built for Tony Pritzker—heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and brother of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker—and Jeanne Pritzker, who listed the home for sale in October 2024 for $195 million after settling their divorce, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time. That price was lowered to $175 million in April.

The estate is made up of multiple parcels, and, under an LLC, they bought at least some underlying property in 2005 for about $14.7 million, according to records accessed via PropertyShark.

The Pritzkers hired architect Ed Tuttle to design their contemporary mansion, made of steel, glass and limestone and completed in 2011. At 50,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest homes in the U.S., and nearly as big as the White House.

It stands on a 6-acre promontory—an unusually large lot size for Beverly Hills—allowing for an unobstructed view that stretches across Los Angeles all the way to the ocean.

“It’s one of the best and largest view promontories in Los Angeles,” Rappaport said. “The architecture design and scale of the property are irreplaceable.”

The 16-bedroom, 27-bathroom home is filled with all the expected high-end amenities, including a theater, a game room, a bowling alley, a wellness centre, a gym and a wine cellar, according to the listing.

There’s also a security room, 18 fireplaces, solar panels, and a heating and cooling system powered by geothermal technology.

On the grounds, there’s a two-story, two-bedroom guest house; parking for up to 100 cars; a green marble infinity pool and hot tub; an outdoor kitchen; and a lighted tennis court with a pavilion, according to the listing.

The Pritzkers couldn’t be reached for comment.

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.

The megamansion was built for Tony Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and brother of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.