Playboy Mansion's stunning refresh revealed following a 5-year renovation by billionaire owner
Billionaire Daren Metropoulos's $10 million renovation of the iconic Playboy Mansion has paid off.
Metropoulos, who purchased the Los Angeles property from Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in 2016, spent the last five years overhauling the sprawling Holmby Hills property. New photos published by the Daily Mail reveal the Gothic Tudor mansion on the verge of a renaissance.
Metropoulos, the son of billionaire investor Dean Metropoulos, made his fortune following his father's footsteps as the head of companies like the Hostess Brand and the Pabst Brewing Company. Metropoulos previously lived alongside the Playboy Mansion on a neighboring estate.
8 An aerial photo shows the renovated main house, pool and grotto.
CB / BACKGRID
8 The resurfaced pool boasts a brand new aqua and cream color scheme, as well as a newly constructed solarium nearby.
CB / BACKGRID
8 Hefner, pictured at his mansion in 1999.
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8 The mansion's current owner, Daren Metropoulos.
Daren Metropoulos/Instagram
Metropoulos purchased the 29-room home for $100 million in 2016, but allowed the ailing Hefner to live at the mansion until his death from sepsis in 2017.
The property underwent five years of renovations, led by architect to the stars and 'King of the Megamansion' Richard Landry.
The fruits of Metropoulos's labors are evident in new photos of the nearly 100-year-old estate.
8 The Gothic facade received a new roof and sunny skylights.
CB / BACKGRID
8 Metropoulos added a new tennis court and made upgrades to the property's outbuildings.
CB / BACKGRID
Scaffolding that once spanned the exterior of the 22,000-square-foot main house is long gone. New skylights complement the new roof, under which the rear terrace has been extended and a large solarium was constructed.
The fresh green lawn and new landscaping give the aged mansion a fresh look. Metropoulos also added a brand new tennis court.
The infamous grotto — the artificial cave in which about 200 guests contracted Legionnaire's disease from the bacteria-infested whirlpool — also received a much-needed overhaul, the Daily Mail reported. The nearby freeform pool, too, boasts new stonework.
8 The infamous grotto, pictured in 2004.
Getty Images
8 The aged publisher pictured with women vying for the top spot as the 50th Anniversary Playmate.
Getty Images
Metropoulos tackled the mansion's outbuildings, too. Previous reports detailed the billionaire's intention to partially demolish the 650-square-foot staff house and create a 4,400-square-foot gym and garage in its place, as well as plans to construct a 1,200-square-foot guest house.
The Daily Mail cited building permits with plans to remodel the kitchen and various bathrooms. Reports swirled of dilapidated conditions inside the mansion towards the end of Hefner's life.
Metropoulos, who sold Hostess to the jam company Smuckers for approximately $5.6 billion in 2023, previously hinted at plans to one day combine the famous mansion with his own neighboring estate.
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