Property Insights: What Does USD$5 Million Buy Around the World?

Location, lifestyle, and provenance, particularly at the top end of the luxury residential real estate market, are the hallmarks of value and often are just as important as price when looking to purchase property. Of course, the price point varies across different markets around the world: Five million dollars will go much further in smaller markets, whereas in prime markets and top resort destinations, buyers must spend more for comparable levels of luxury. In this edition of Luxury Defined, we may choose among an elegant pied-à-terre in London’s Mayfair, just around the corner from Hyde Park; a lavish five-bedroom apartment above Bangkok’s River of Kings, or a magnificent Louis XVIII-style château on 100 acres in France’s Loire Valley. Here, we find out what and, perhaps even more importantly, where $5 million gets you.

Listed Louis XIII-Style Château in Blois, Loir et Cher, France

This magnificent estate encompasses 100 private acres in France’s Loire Valley, about 135 miles south of Paris. Listed as an exceptional property, the Louis XIII-style château was built in 1636 and expanded in the 18th century with the addition of two entrance pavilions and various outbuildings. In 2010, the property underwent a meticulous, three-year restoration by the owners. The château extends to 13,455 square feet with 14 bedrooms, several reception rooms, and a large modern kitchen. The stunning period details remain beautifully intact, from the Versailles parquet flooring and intricate wall and ceiling cornicing to the grand marble fireplaces.  At the center of the French formal gardens is a resplendent water mirror, dramatically reflecting the château’s grand facade. Beyond are 100-year-old plane and lime trees, a walled orchard and vegetable garden, pastures, meadows, and ancient forest.

Elegant Pied-à-Terre in Mayfair, London

This elegant duplex apartment is on the ground floor of a fine Georgian townhouse on Park Street, between Grosvenor Square and Park Lane, steps from Hyde Park and Mayfair’s world-class restaurants and shops. The two-bedroom residence was extensively refurbished yet retains its original 18th-century features. The color scheme pairs “eggshell cloud white” walls with dark French-polished solid wood floors. The ground floor comprises a grandly appointed reception room with high ceilings, two large bay windows overlooking Park Street, and a Japanese-style terrace paved with gray marble slabs. This room also features a “Ghost Kitchen” by Fendi—a masterstroke of design featuring top-of-the-range Gaggenau appliances, which can be discreetly screened off by a handmade, solid ebony library. A wooden staircase with floor lighting rises from the ground floor, which houses a cloakroom clad in Carrara marble, a double bedroom with en suite bathroom, dressing area, and glass doors that open to a small patio (ensuring natural light throughout). The principal bedroom offers a spacious walk-in wardrobe and a large, spa-inspired bathroom also paneled with Carrara marble. Top-of-the-line amenities include smart-home automation, Lutron lighting, air conditioning, and underfloor heating in all marble flooring.

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Hudson River Townhouse in Weehawken, New Jersey

Overlooking Midtown Manhattan from a prime waterfront lot on the Hudson River, this meticulously renovated townhouse is the crown jewel of Henley-on-Hudson, a luxury residential community in Weehawken, New Jersey. The four-bedroom, 3,800-square-foot home abounds with contemporary finishes and amenities, including architectural lighting, invisibly integrated ventilation and sound systems, and an elevator to a private, heated, multi-vehicle garage. There are four bedrooms, three full and two half-bathrooms. The highlight is the primary suite with its front-row view of the Hudson River and New York City skyline. The Minotti-inspired kitchen is clad in white oak, which complements the white oak herringbone floors sourced from Germany’s Black Forest. Mitered-edge stonework, architectural lighting, and shadow-bead moldings create focal points. Further amenities include moisturized air conditioning, water softening system, one-touch Lutron lighting, and face-recognition security surveillance.

The River Duplex in Bangkok, Thailand

Rising 820 feet above Thailand’s legendary River of Kings, The River is one of Bangkok’s tallest residential buildings. Built in 2012, the complex offers luxurious resort-style living in Bangkok’s Khlong San District. This spacious and elegantly decorated duplex is on a high floor of the building’s south tower, offering jaw-dropping vistas across the skyline with the river meandering below. The 5,877-square-foot floor plan has an airy, double-volume reception room, a chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, and five bedrooms with luxuriously appointed bathrooms. Building amenities include a private pier with boat transfers to BTS skytrain station, nearly 400 feet of riverfront, as well as a fitness center, an infinity pool and lap pool, sky gardens, a sports court, 24-hour security, and ample parking for residents and their guests.

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Contemporary Loft in Salzburg, Austria

The former granary of Salzburg Cathedral is the setting for this palatial loft-style residence in Salzburg’s Baroque historic district. Within the circa-1569 Baroque structure conceals 3,831 square feet of open-plan living space with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Despite the rigorous geometry of its contemporary aesthetic, the original character abides in the rhythms of its high cathedral ceilings, structural beams and wide-plank wood floors. Abundant natural light floods the gallery-style room at the heart of the home. The space also features a wood-burning fireplace, dining area, and kitchen. A spiral staircase rises to a private rooftop hideaway with two alfresco terraces just below the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Transitional-Style Coastal Retreat on Hutchinson Island, Florida

This transitional-style coastal home sits on a three-quarter-acre oceanfront lot next to Queens Island Nature Preserve on Hutchinson Island, a barrier island off the coast of Martin and St. Lucie counties in South Florida. Designed in 2021 by South Florida architect Randall Stofft, the home offers 4,238 square feet across three floors of ultra-modern living space with high ceilings, polished white marble floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows to showcase the coastal vistas. The foyer features a signature staircase and elevator, rising to two upper levels. The core of the house is the great room, with a central sitting area, dining area, and designer kitchen. The focal point of the dining space is a stylish wine closet with temperature-controlled bottle display. Sliding glass doors open to a sea-view terrace with a summer kitchen and alfresco dining area. Just beyond is a pool terrace with sun loungers and a resort-style pool facing the dunes. There are four bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms, including a deluxe private suite with a Calacatta marble bathroom and oceanfront terrace. A media lounge, study, and game room are additional highlights.

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Splendid Family Villa in Cascais, Portugal

This elegant six-bedroom home offers privacy and tranquility on half an acre of landscaped gardens in Cascais, Portugal, an upscale coastal enclave just west of Lisbon. The home is arranged over two floors. The main level is warm and welcoming, with polished wood floors, handcrafted furnishings, and French doors opening to the gardens. A reception hall leads into a drawing room with several conversation spaces. Adjacent are a library, study, and club-style lounge with a custom-built cocktail bar. Farther along are the formal dining room and gourmet kitchen with breakfast area and French doors leading to a sun terrace. The indoor-outdoor layout continues on the upper floor, with an owner’s suite and several guest rooms opening to a balcony above the rear gardens. Cascais’ world-class golf courses and Atlantic Ocean beaches are all within a short drive.