A flashy estate in Palm Springs, CA, has landed on the market for $11.8 million. It’s a fascinating mix of Las Vegas-style glamour in an old-school Palm Springs location. It’s also the priciest place currently for sale in the city.
Its pedigree and its recent renovation could persuade a buyer to roll the dice.
The sprawling, one-story desert retreat was built in 1972 for Jerry Zarowitz —considered to be the de facto boss of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas when it opened in the late 1960s.
In the early 1970s, Zarowitz decided he wanted a different desert footprint, so he looked 200 or so miles to the southwest in Palm Springs. He made a brilliant move when he hired the architectural firm of Buff & Hensman to create a glittering desert retreat. Zarowitz picked a large 1.5-acre lot in the esteemed Las Palmas neighborhood, where celebs like Dean Martin , Marilyn Monroe , and Dinah Shore had been known to own property. He proceeded to create a customized residence so nice it attracted folks like Frank Sinatra , as well as two U.S. presidents.
It’s easy to imagine his esteemed guests relaxing in the sunken living room with a bar, natural stone fireplace, and a hexagonal ceiling overhead. Hexagonal great room (Realtor.com) While the mansion still has touches of Zarowitz today, it has undergone a major renovation that took a five full years. Some of the home’s original charms were restored, while modern amenities—and square footage—were added.
Today, the residence offers five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and 8,000 square feet of living space between the main house and a guesthouse.
