Holmby Hills is a weird place. It’s quiet. Eerily quiet. If you’ve ever driven down the winding, tree-lined streets of the Platinum Triangle, you know the vibe—massive gates, towering hedges, and the distinct feeling that someone very important is watching you through a security camera. Right in the middle of this high-stakes neighborhood sits 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles, a property that isn't just a house. Honestly, calling it a "house" feels like calling the Titanic a "rowboat." It’s a 56,000-square-foot monument to the Gilded Age of Hollywood, and it has a history that reads like a soap opera script.
Most people know it as "The Manor." Or, if you’re a fan of 90s television, you might know it as the house that Aaron Spelling built.
But there’s more to this limestone chateau than just its sheer size. It’s a symbol of how Los Angeles real estate moved from "luxury" into the realm of "completely absurd." It basically redefined what a mega-mansion could be in the United States. When it was built, it was the largest home in Los Angeles County, and it held that title for a long, long time.
The Spelling Era: Gift Wrapping and Bowling Alleys
To understand why 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles matters, you have to look at Aaron Spelling. The man was a hit-making machine. Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210—he essentially invented the aesthetic of the 80s and 90s. When he bought the site in the early 80s, it wasn't an empty lot. It was actually the site of Bing Crosby’s old estate. Spelling tore it down. All of it.
He wanted something bigger.
Construction wrapped up around 1988, and the stats were frankly mind-blowing for the time. We're talking about a house with 123 rooms. Who needs 123 rooms? Well, Candy Spelling, Aaron’s wife, had some specific requirements. There was a legendary room dedicated entirely to gift wrapping. Yes, a gift-wrapping room. There was a doll museum. There was a double-lane bowling alley. It wasn't just a home; it was a private village designed to ensure the inhabitants never actually had to leave for anything.
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People in the neighborhood hated it at first. It was too big, too flashy, and way too loud for the old-money sensibilities of Holmby Hills. But that’s the thing about LA—today’s "tacky" is tomorrow’s "iconic."
The Shift to Petra Ecclestone
When Aaron Spelling passed away, the house became a bit of a burden. You can imagine the electricity bill. In 2011, Candy Spelling sold the property to Petra Ecclestone, the daughter of Formula 1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone. This was a turning point. It marked the moment when 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles shifted from a Hollywood relic into a global trophy asset.
Petra was 23 at the time. She paid $85 million in cash.
She didn't like the "Old World" aesthetic. She brought in a small army of workers—around 500 of them—to renovate the place in record time. They ripped out the flowery carpets and the heavy drapes. They replaced them with dark velvets, marble, and a much more "London-nightclub-meets-luxury-hotel" vibe. She even turned the gift-wrapping room into something else. The house went from a tribute to 80s excess to a tribute to modern, billionaire-tier minimalism.
The Architecture of Excess
The house is built in a French chateau style, but it’s scaled up to a degree that feels almost surreal when you’re standing near the entrance. The motor court can hold 100 cars. Think about that for a second. Most of us struggle to find street parking for a Corolla, and this place has enough space for a small car dealership.
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- The Grand Staircase: It was modeled after the one in Gone with the Wind. It’s the kind of staircase designed specifically for someone to make a "dramatic entrance."
- The Screening Room: Since it was built by a TV mogul, the theater wasn't just a TV room. It was a professional-grade screening space where Spelling reportedly watched dailies of his shows.
- The Service Wing: There are entire sections of the house dedicated to the staff required to keep the lights on. You don't live at 594 South Mapleton Drive alone; you live there with a fleet of professionals.
The 2019 Sale and the New Benchmark
Real estate junkies lost their minds in 2019 when the property sold again. This time, the price tag was $119.75 million. At the time, it was the highest price ever paid for a home in California. It has since been eclipsed by other massive sales (like the Marc Andreessen purchase in Malibu or the Jay-Z and Beyoncé deal), but it proved that 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles is a safe harbor for massive amounts of capital.
The buyer remained anonymous for a while, hidden behind an LLC, which is standard practice for this level of wealth. But the sale sent a clear message: Holmby Hills is still the ultimate destination for the world’s elite. It’s not just about the square footage. It’s about the dirt. The 4.7 acres of land in this specific part of the city are arguably some of the most valuable pieces of earth on the planet.
Why Does This House Keep Making Headlines?
You’d think a house built 40 years ago would be "old news" by now. It isn't.
One reason is the "The One" megamansion saga. When developer Nile Niami tried to build a 100,000-square-foot home nearby, everyone looked at 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles as the blueprint. It was the original "gigamansion." But while other modern builds have struggled with debt, construction delays, and bankruptcy, The Manor has stood the test of time. It’s built well. It has "good bones," even if those bones are wrapped in millions of dollars of limestone.
Also, it’s a pop culture landmark. Even if you haven't seen it in person, you’ve likely seen it in documentaries or heard it mentioned in lyrics. It represents the peak of the American Dream—or at least, the version of the dream where you have so much money you need a map to find your own kitchen.
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Real Estate Realities in Holmby Hills
Living on Mapleton Drive isn't like living in a normal neighborhood. You have "The Playboy Mansion" just down the street. You have the Los Angeles Country Club nearby. The level of privacy is intense. If you’re looking up the address because you want to take a selfie in front of the gate, be prepared to be moved along by private security pretty quickly.
Is it worth $120 million? To a normal person, no. To an international billionaire looking for a place to park their wealth and host a 500-person charity gala, it’s actually a bit of a bargain compared to high-end real estate in London or Hong Kong.
Navigating the Legacy of 594 South Mapleton Drive
If you're tracking the luxury market or just obsessed with LA history, there are a few things to keep in mind about this property. It represents a specific era of architecture where "more was more." Modern mansions now tend to be glass boxes—sleek, cold, and transparent. Mapleton is the opposite. It’s heavy, permanent, and private.
What’s interesting is that despite the renovations, the soul of the house is still Spelling’s. The layout, the massive scale, and the sheer audacity of the footprint haven't changed. It’s a relic of a time when TV was king and the King of TV wanted everyone to know he’d arrived.
What to Do If You're Interested in This Level of Real Estate
Look, most of us aren't buying a $120 million estate today. But understanding 594 South Mapleton Drive Los Angeles gives you a massive advantage in understanding how the top 0.001% think about assets.
- Study the Comps: If you’re looking at luxury real estate, compare The Manor to the "Billionaire" estate in Bel Air. You'll see the difference between a "spec home" built for profit and a "legacy home" built for a family.
- Follow the Designers: Look up the work of Gavin Brodin, who handled the massive renovation for Ecclestone. It’s a masterclass in how to modernize a classic space without losing its history.
- Check the Zoning: Properties like this are increasingly rare because modern zoning laws in Los Angeles make it much harder to build homes of this scale today.
Ultimately, 594 South Mapleton Drive isn't just an address. It’s a statement. It’s a piece of Los Angeles history that survived the transition from the 20th century to the 21st without losing its status as the most talked-about house in the hills. Whether you love the excess or find it slightly ridiculous, you can't deny that it defines the landscape of American luxury.
If you're planning to dive deeper into the history of the Platinum Triangle, your next move should be researching the "Bird Streets" or the history of the nearby Sunset Blvd estates. You'll find that while many houses are beautiful, very few have the sheer cultural weight of The Manor. It’s the benchmark against which every other LA mansion is measured, and it likely always will be.