Dream home: Inside the QLD mega mansion you can now rent for $20k a day
Take a tour of one of Australia’s most spectacular trophy homes in the idyllic Whitsundays. The house Taylor Swift stayed in can now be rented for a cool $20,000 a night. SEE THE VIDEO.
NOT many people would knock back an offer of $25 million for a property they bought for nearly half that, but that’s how special Mandalay House is.
Just ask Sydney-based businessman Tony Tartak, who bought the mega mansion overlooking the Coral Sea, for $14 million in 2017 and declined the higher offer months later.
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Mr Tartak, who founded waste management group Bingo Industries, has decided to open the doors of one of Australia’s most spectacular trophy homes to the public — for an eye-watering $20,000 a night.
Ray White Whitsunday principal Mark Beale, who is marketing the luxury rental on behalf of the owners, said the property had already secured its first booking, with a local gentleman leasing it for a few nights later this year to celebrate his birthday in style.
And this humble reporter was also given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay in the Airlie Beach mansion for a taste of the lifestyle only that kind of money can buy.
Only a handful of people have spent the night in Mandalay House, apart from the original owners and the Tartaks.
The Courier-Mail understands the house was rented out by a “guest from America” for three days late last year, totalling $100,000.
That guest is believed to be none other than pop star Taylor Swift — although the owner and marketing agent declined to comment.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t mind bragging they slept in the same king-sized bed as T-Swizzle, and I can tell you it was pretty darn comfortable.
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Along with the enormous spa bath tub, sitting room, powder room and walk-in wardrobe, the master suite is bigger than my entire house at 144 sqm.
Mr Beale said the previous owner — property developer Neil Murray — had used the house as his private home, and had refused numerous requests from television bosses hoping to use Mandalay House as a set for popular reality shows such as The Bachelor.
It’s easy to see why.
So what do you get for $20,000 a night?
Seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a five-car garage and car, two jetskis, a private marina berth, a self-contained office with room for a secretary, a climate-controlled wine cellar with dining room, a gym, a cinema room, a boat shed and a fully self-contained caretaker’s cottage.
The property is backed by national park and it comes with its own helipad — so you can fly in and out via chopper without having to worry about those pesky paparazzi.
“It is the best location in the whole of Airlie Beach,” Mr Beale said.
“There is one road in and one road out and big gates so any superstar could stay there and no one would even know.”
Not surprisingly, I didn’t have that problem when I touched down in a helicopter just metres from the front door — although I did feel like a superstar.
The house is breathtaking in person, but perhaps even more so when viewing it from above.
The first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the place — the house spans a massive 2649 sqm and is framed by a spectacular horizon pool that weaves in and out of Cuban palm trees — each of which were craned in and worth about $20,000 each.
It took two-and-a-half years to get approval to build the home and another three-and-a-half years to construct it.
Inspired by the villas on the shores of Lake Como, the architect who designed the Mediterranean-style mansion, and his interior designer partner, travelled through Europe for inspiration.
The gourmet kitchen comes with a huge butler’s pantry and walk-in cold room, but why bother cooking up a storm when you can hire a private chef to do it for you?
For an additional cost, you can also hire a caretaker and wait staff — all of which I was lucky enough to have at my disposal for the night.
The afternoon started with sunset drinks in the spectacular ocean pavilion overlooking the glistening aqua waters of the Coral Sea.
My photographer and I were then ushered into the formal dining room, dripping in opulence with its rich, red drapes, where we shared a seafood platter prepared by local institution, Fish D’vine, featuring their signature chilli mud crab.
This was washed down with a bottle of riesling — from the owner’s personal collection in the cellar, of course.
Then it was time to get beaten at pool while watching a movie in the cinema/games room.
Taylor Swift would be proud.
*Elizabeth Tilley is a senior real estate reporter with The Courier-Mail and a presenter for Sky News Australia.
She travelled to Airlie Beach as a guest of Ray White Whitsundays.
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Originally published as Dream home: Inside the QLD mega mansion you can now rent for $20k a day