London, New York or Miami: which city has the most OTT penthouse? Properties are all vying to design the most luxurious home, with lavish details from private spas and cocktail bars to swish WFH offices

Jun 25 , 2021

Property mogul Nick Candy’s flagship penthouse in London’s prestigious One Hyde Park, £175 million. Photos: Knight Frank and Savills

The most expensive penthouse and one of the best residential real estate assets in the UK is a US$243 million flat at One Hyde Park in Central London

In Manhattan, one exclusive address commands views of Central Park and the Hudson River, while Joan Rivers’ former pad is back on the market too

Set atop a tall building, with the sky above and the world below, penthouses are the height of prestige. And when it comes to the best of them, you could say the price is, well, stratospheric.

Liam Bailey, global head of research, Knight Frank, says successful developers are vying to outdo each other when crafting the jewel in the crown of their signature buildings.

“The best developers are obsessed with quality and detail,” he says, with a focus on the basics: space, light, flow of a property, the finish and the materials used. So what would tempt the privileged owners to part with such a prize?

Property mogul Nick Candy’s flagship penthouse in London’s prestigious One Hyde Park, £175 million (US$243 million). Photos: Knight Frank and Savills

In the case of British property tycoon Nick Candy, possibly an opportunity to cash in on the red-hot prime Central London market. At an asking price of £175 million (US$243 million), Candy’s flagship penthouse in London’s prestigious One Hyde Park residential development is, according to joint listing agents Savills and Knight Frank, the most expensive penthouse on the market in the UK capital right now.

The 18,000 sq ft flat is described as one of the best residential real estate assets in London and potentially globally, with its super prime location in Knightsbridge and uninterrupted views over Hyde Park.

The listing comes soon after the recent sale of 14,000 sq ft penthouse D at One Hyde Park for an estimated £111 million. It was a “shell and core” (that is, completely unfinished) and estimates suggest that with the addition of stamp duty and fit-out costs, the true cost of penthouse D – considerably smaller than Candy’s – is likely to be in the region of £150-160 million.

A rare pre-war penthouse on the Marquand Condominium, New York’s Upper East Side, US$39m. Photo: Knight Frank

Spanning two levels, Candy’s marquee property offers five bedrooms (all en suite), with the potential to convert into seven. The master suite features bespoke his and her dressing rooms, plus two Nero Marquinia marble bathrooms with niceties like heated towel cupboards and wall panels, concealed make-up fridges and Lalique taps.

Cosying up by the glass fireplace in the double-height formal reception room (after adjourning from the formal dining room with its hidden Champagne room), residents and their guests are treated to uninterrupted views of the 142 (350 acre) Hyde Park, among London’s most famous Royal Parks.