Mansion that hosted Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra sells for mega price

Courier-Mail

2 days ago

The Rolling Stones are among high-society guests who have partied at Bartinon on the Gold Coast.
An opulent mansion whose grand ballroom has hosted rock royalty has sold for $18m, smashing the suburb record.
The Gold Coast's very own extravagant house, named Bartinon, had been on and off the market with different agents for more than two years.
Bartinon at 26 Marseille Court, Sorrento.
The grand house has hosted a string of rock stars.
Kollosche's Sam Guo and Julia Kuo managed to finally find a buyer who was willing to splash the cash for the inner-city estate at 26 Marseille Court, Bundall.
'Bartinon is an iconic property, and to finally match it with the right buyer after so many years of it being on and off the market is incredibly rewarding,' Mr Guo said.
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Frank Sinatra visited the Gold Coast in the 80s.
The residence sits on a 6,508 sqm riverfront block.
Mr Guo said despite living across the river from the property and being able to see it everyday, the local buyer had not considered the purchase until Mr Guo personally reached out and invited him to inspect the property.
'This was a highly strategic sale, focused on showing the buyer the property's unique potential and long-term value,' Mr Guo said.
'Securing $18 million is a testament to the strength of the Gold Coast's prestige market and the power of a targeted, honest approach.
It features manicured gardens.
And epic views of the city skyline.
'We're proud to set another record sale price for Sorrento and Bundall.'
Anchoring the landholding is a two-storey Mediterranean-influenced mansion mixed with a touch of the Caribbean, built in the late 1980s for philanthropists, Sir Justin Hickey and his wife, Lady Barbara.
Bartinon was renowned as the venue of some of the city's most lavish parties and, as recounted by those who remember, hosted a roll-call of high-society guests, including Frank Sinatra, the Sultan of Brunei, Whitney Houston, and The Rolling Stones.
One of the living areas.
The tennis court.
Seven bedrooms are spread throughout the home and include a spacious master suite with a private seating area, study, dual showers and dressing rooms, and an open ensuite with a built-in marble spa flanked by ice buckets for champagne.
A ballroom, games room and wellness wing cater to leisure and entertainment, while an expansive kitchen finished in granite and timber complements formal and informal dining and living spaces.
The formal lounge.
The dining room.
Floor-to-ceiling French doors and arched feature windows provide access to a vast terrace on the ground floor and a wraparound balcony on the upper level.
Mr Guo said the buyer would move into Bartinon and planned to renovate and modernise the residence.
'They want to keep the same theme but just make it more practical because the style itself is really grand and beautiful.
Covering 6,508 sqm, with 134.5m of river frontage, Bartinon holds tranquil water views extending to the city skyline, complemented by almost an acre of tropical gardens.
Whitney Houston was rumoured to be a guest at Bartinon.
The ballroom.
Solidly constructed of sandstone, concrete and marble with impeccable craftsmanship, the home was considered the most expensive on the Gold Coast at the time it was built and retains one of the highest replacement values in the current market.
Property records reveal it last changed hands for $7.22m in 2014.
Bartinon is the third most expensive sale on the Gold Coast this year, after 7-9 McMillan Court, Southport ($22m) and 8 Southern Cross Drive, Surfers Paradise ($18.5m).
PropTrack data shows the median house price in Bundall, which includes Sorrento, is $2.1m, down 1.2 per cent over 12 months.