Holmby Hills is weird. It’s not "weird" like a quirky desert town, but weird in the sense that you can be standing next to a hedge that costs more than a mid-sized sedan, staring at a gate that hides a house the size of a shopping mall. If you’ve spent any time looking at ultra-luxury real estate lately, you’ve probably seen the address 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024 pop up. It’s better known to the world as "The Manor." Or, if you’re old school, "Candyland."
Most people think of the Playboy Mansion when they think of Mapleton Drive. That's understandable. It’s right down the street. But 594 South Mapleton is actually the bigger, bolder, and frankly, more polarizing sibling in the neighborhood. Built by TV royalty Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy in the late 80s, it’s a French Chateau-style massive heap of limestone that basically redefined what "too much" looks like in American residential architecture.
Why 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024 Stays in the News
The property doesn't just sit there. It moves through the hands of the global elite like a very expensive hot potato. When it hit the market a few years back for $165 million, people laughed. Then it sold for roughly $120 million in 2019, setting a record at the time. You have to understand that this isn't just a house. It’s 56,000 square feet. To put that in perspective, the average American home is about 2,500 square feet. You could fit twenty-two "normal" houses inside this one building.
It has 123 rooms. Seriously. Who needs 123 rooms? Candy Spelling famously had a room specifically for gift wrapping. Another for her doll collection. While some might call it the height of luxury, others see it as a relic of an era of decadence that doesn't quite fit the modern "minimalist" aesthetic tech billionaires usually go for nowadays. Yet, it remains one of the most famous pieces of real estate on the planet because it represents the absolute ceiling of the Los Angeles "Platinum Triangle."
The Architecture of Over-the-Top Ambition
Walking up to the gates of 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024, you're struck by the sheer scale. It’s bigger than the White House. The motor court can hold 100 cars. If you’re hosting a gala, your guests don’t have to worry about valet lines on the street. They just park on your front porch, basically.
The house was designed by James Langenheim & Associates and finished in 1988. It’s shaped like a giant "W"—possibly for "Wow" or maybe just to maximize the views of the 4.7 acres of land it sits on. The interiors have been updated since the Spelling era, thank goodness. When Petra Ecclestone (daughter of Formula 1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone) bought it in 2011 for $85 million, she brought in hundreds of workers to strip away the 80s kitsch. She swapped out the floral wallpapers for a darker, more "nightclub-chic" vibe. Think velvet, monochromatic marble, and massive crystal chandeliers.
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The Numbers That Make Your Head Spin
- Land: 4.68 acres of some of the most expensive dirt on Earth.
- Size: 56,500 square feet of living space.
- Rooms: 14 bedrooms, 27 bathrooms (imagine the plumbing bill).
- Amenities: A bowling alley, a screening room, a gym, a wine cellar, and a beauty salon.
- The Pool: It’s an Olympic-sized situation surrounded by manicured gardens that look like they belong at Versailles.
Honestly, the maintenance alone is enough to bankrupt a lottery winner. You’re looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars a month just to keep the lights on and the grass green. It’s a trophy. And like any trophy, its value isn’t in its utility—nobody needs a gift-wrapping room—it’s in the statement it makes.
The Neighborhood Context: Holmby Hills vs. The World
You can't talk about 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024 without talking about the 90024 zip code and the Holmby Hills enclave. It's one-third of the "Platinum Triangle," alongside Bel Air and Beverly Hills. But Holmby is different. It’s quieter. It doesn't have the tourist buses of Beverly Hills or the winding, narrow canyons of Bel Air. It has wide, flat streets and massive setbacks.
It’s where Walt Disney lived. It’s where Frank Sinatra had a place. Mapleton Drive itself is arguably the most prestigious street in the entire city. When you buy here, you’re buying into a specific history of old Hollywood power. But that power is shifting. We’re seeing more international buyers—hedge fund managers, foreign moguls, and tech giants—moving in and treating these houses like blue-chip stocks.
The Controversy of "The Manor"
Not everyone loves this house. Architecture critics have often called it "monstrous" or "ostentatious." When it was being built, neighbors were livid about the construction noise and the sheer size of the structure. It was a scandal. But over time, it became a landmark.
There's a weird tension here. On one hand, it's a masterpiece of custom craftsmanship. On the other, it's a symbol of extreme wealth inequality. Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny its presence. It dominates the landscape. It’s also a frequent target of "property voyeurism." People Google the address just to see how the 0.001% live.
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What Actually Happened with the 2019 Sale?
The 2019 sale of 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024 was a turning point for the LA market. It sold for $119.75 million. At the time, it was the highest price ever paid for a home in California. The buyer remained anonymous for a while, hidden behind LLCs, which is standard practice for this level of wealth. It proved that despite concerns about a "luxury bubble," there is always someone willing to pay nine figures for a one-of-a-kind asset.
The real estate agents involved—names like Kurt Rappaport and the Hilton & Hyland team—specialize in these "off-market" or "quiet" listings. Often, these houses aren't even on the MLS. They are traded like fine art in private galleries.
Reality Check: Living at 594 South Mapleton Drive
Let's get real for a second. Living here would be exhausting.
Imagine forgetting your car keys in the bedroom and having to walk back from the front door. That’s a five-minute hike. You need a staff of at least 15 to 20 people just to keep the place functioning. You have a house manager, housekeepers, gardeners, security, and probably a full-time tech person just to manage the smart-home systems.
It’s not a "home" in the traditional sense. It’s a private resort. You have a library that holds thousands of books, a basement that is basically a professional-grade bowling alley, and a cinema that rivals the local AMC. You never actually have to leave. And for the people who buy these properties, that's usually the point. Privacy is the ultimate luxury.
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What Most People Get Wrong About High-End LA Real Estate
People see the $120 million price tag and think the owner is "investing." In reality, these houses are often "consumption assets." They are incredibly illiquid. It can take years to sell a house like 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024. If you need cash fast, you don't sell The Manor. You sell your Apple stock.
The buyer pool is also tiny. There are maybe a few hundred people in the world who can afford this, and even fewer who actually want the headache of owning it. It’s a vanity play.
Why the Address Still Matters
The address 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles CA 90024 is etched into the history of the city. It’s the "Spelling Manor" forever, regardless of who owns it. It represents the peak of the 80s "dynasty" era of wealth—big, loud, and unashamed. In a world where modern architecture is turning toward glass boxes and "invisible" homes built into hillsides, this limestone fortress stands as a reminder of a different kind of ambition.
Actionable Insights for the Real Estate Enthusiast
If you're tracking the ultra-luxury market or just curious about how these deals go down, here’s how to look at it through a professional lens:
- Follow the LLCs: If you want to know who really owns these homes, look into the public records for the holding companies. Often, they are tied to law firms in Delaware or the Cayman Islands.
- Watch the Days on Market: High-end homes in the 90024 zip code are a bellwether for the global economy. When they sit for 500+ days, it usually means the "smart money" is holding back.
- Understand the "Comp" Game: You can’t compare 594 South Mapleton to a normal house. You compare it to "The One" in Bel Air or the "Chartwell Estate." These are "Unicorns."
- The "Platinum Triangle" shifts: Keep an eye on the border between Holmby Hills and Beverly Hills. As privacy becomes more valuable, the gated communities of Holmby are often fetching higher premiums per square foot than the more visible parts of Beverly Hills.
The story of 594 South Mapleton isn't over. Houses like this don't just disappear. They get renovated, rebranded, and eventually sold again when a new billionaire wants to plant their flag in the Los Angeles soil. It is, and will likely always be, the definitive piece of American residential architecture for better or worse.
To understand the current value of the surrounding area, monitor the quarterly reports from agencies like Douglas Elliman or The Agency. They provide the granular data on price-per-square-foot trends in Holmby Hills that generic real estate sites often miss. If you're seriously looking into the history of the build, Candy Spelling’s autobiography, Stories from Candyland, provides a surprisingly detailed look at the construction process and the sheer madness of building a 56,000-square-foot dream home from scratch.