What Romanian Blog would be complete without a mention of Bran “Dracula’s” Castle? Well as I wish to not destroy this blog with the tackiness of promoting Bran as Dracula’s one and only home for all eternity, I do find it interesting and think everyone should visit it whilst in Romania. As we all know, Bran is “Available” on the market. Whatever that means. Of note, it made the “Times Business” Top ten most expensive properties world-wide list. It’s number ten. Enjoy…

1) Antilla, Mumbai
Price – $1 billion

The gizmo-filled posh pad, named “Antilla,” is a 27-story, 40,000 sq/ft tower that belongs to the head of Mumbai-based petrochemical giant Reliance Industries. The building will stand 570-ft tall above the ground and will have 400,000 sq. ft. of interior space. The home has six stories of parking space alone after which the living quarters with nine elevators and a host of storage rooms and lounges begin. Mostly glass, it has a staff of 600 servants, but at the rate this palatial home is getting blinged out, we won’t be entirely surprised if the number increased by a couple of hundreds more!

2) Villa Leopolda, Cote D’Azur, France

Price – $506 million

Situated on the French Riviera and built on 29,000 square feet of interior space that opens to manicured lawns and a swimming pool, it also has 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. The villa is not only known to have the best sea views in the south of France, but it also sits on 10 acres of immaculate grounds that run right down to the resort of Villefranche. Originally built for Belgian king Leopold’s mistresses, this house has been a den of big shots like late banking magnate Edmund Safra, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Fiat tycoon Gianni Agnelli.

3) The Penthouse, London
Price – $200 million

The most expensive flat in the world, at £6,000 per sq/ft sits atop the 82 other apartments at the famous Number One Hyde Park address. Guarded by the SAS, with special features such a panic rooms, bulletproof windows, iris scanners and even a secret tunnel to the nearby Mandarin Hotel, the apartment is the biggest of all the luxury flats in the ambitious One Hyde Park. The building boasts communal spas, squash courts and even wine tasting rooms! This plush apartment will have 24-hour room service despite the floor to ceiling refrigerators.

4) Fairfield Pond, The Hamptons
Price – $170 million

Fair Field, the Ira Rennert Estate, is named after Fairfield Pond, which is adjacent to the property. Located on 63 acres, the main home consists of 66,000 square feet, with additional outbuildings bringing the total living space to over 100,000 square feet. Italianate in design, there are 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, squash and tennis courts and numerous other amenities.

5) Hearst Mansion, Beverly Hills
Price – $165 million

This prestigious Beverly Hills mansion, which was once home of the US newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, has 6 separate residences, 3 swimming pools, eight fireplaces, a tennis court, a nightclub and 29 bedrooms, all spread across over 6 acres of land in a famed Beverly Hills environ called the Platinum Triangle. The nationally recognized home was then bought by lawyer and investor Leonard Ross in 1976, who wants a “lifestyle change.” Buying this would make you the owner of most expensive real estate in the US and moreover, you would become the next door neighbor to Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, including Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and David and Victoria Beckham.

6) Franchuk Villa, Kensington
Price – $161 million

This six-story property in Belgravia, central London, has 20-foot ceilings, luxurious fixtures and more than 21,000 square feet of living space. Along with Candy Spelling’s Holmby Hills mansion, this white-stucco-fronted house at No. 10 Belgrave Square, owned by Lebanese developer Musa Salem, is now the most expensive home on the market in the world. Mr. Salem bought this property many years back on a long lease from the Grosvenor Estate, with a condition to restore the house to full Victorian glory. The lavish amenities include an indoor swimming pool in the basement, a gym, a home theater, a garage room, a news house and much more.

7) “The Pinnacle,” Montana
Price – $155 million

This luxury ski-lodge is to be the largest property in the exclusive billionaires-only private ski and golf community, “Yellowstone Club.” Naturally then, it will be the home of the owners of this elite group, Tim and Edra Blixseth. While not considered big compared to others on this list with only 10 bedrooms, this home will include heated flooring throughout the house that stretches all the way to the heated driveway, as well as fireplaces in all bathrooms, a huge wine cellar, an indoor/outdoor pool, gym and massage room.

8) “The Manor,” Los Angeles
Price – $150 million

This French chateau-style mansion was built in 1991, has 5,248 square meters of space on more than 4.6 acres and is also the largest private home in Los Angeles County. The main Spelling house is located at the end of a long driveway and is protected by a security system. Other luxurious amenities include a bowling alley, a gift-wrapping room, a humidity-controlled silver storage room, tennis courts, two swimming pools, barber shop and beauty salon on attic, a spa, an 18th Century-style garden, rooftop garden, a citrus orchard and a parking space for over 100 cars. The screening room is also one of the major highlights, where a projector emerges from the floor at the click of a button as shades cover the windows.

9) Updown Court, Windlesham, Surrey
Price – $139 million

Built on a huge 58-acre estate amid the lavish surroundings of Windlesham, this massive structure features 103 rooms plus everything that can be described as magnificence and richness to the core. The uptown court offers a bowling alley and a private cinema for your recreation, stables if you love horses and squash and tennis courts to hit some shots when you want to relax. Apart from this, a heated marble driveway awaits you every morning together with a parking space big enough to accommodate eight limousines.

10) Dracula’s Castle, Romania
Price – $135 million

Built on 200 ft. tall rock, Bran castle has 57 inviting rooms, courtyard and underground passages. It is said that Prince Vlad the Impaler, the ferocious warlord who inspired Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” character, lived in this castle for one night in 1400s. Digging a bit deep into the past, the Bran castle is believed to be originally built as a stronghold by the Teutonic Knights in 1212. From 1920 to 1948, the castle became the residence of royal family. Presently, the historical castle is operating as a museum of medieval arts and about 450,000 people visit the castle every year. And yes, do remember that you will be greeted by bats flying around the ramparts at twilight.

Via: Times Business

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How do we feel about that? Good riddance. The Marriott is due to fail. It may not fail overnight, or next month… but if it stays on the same path that it is on with its’ overpriced hotel rooms, snooty service, restricted parking, and once again ridiculous “faux” image of elitism… it will fail. And soon. Consider the fact that the Marriott (a commie building as-is) is also a “name” that doesn’t carry the cache that it once did around the World. Most Luxury Marriotts in the US have closed their doors due to the crisis, leaving only the mid-market sub branded chain of Marriott hotels that run bargain-basement discounts and specials just to attract the tired and transient business person or the “bargain shopper” seeking the quick affordable place to rest for the night.

So all this from a bottle of water…wow.

F.Y.I.

Gigi Becali is rumored to have abandoned his office some time ago when the Marriott refused to adjust their rental prices to compensate for the market. Supposedly he said the equivalent of piss off and stuff it to the Marriott regarding the renewal at up-market prices of his “no longer worth the glory” office. If it’s true, can’t say I blame him.

BuchExp and others are on the hunt for a better option for Arabic food. So long El Mir… find another victim for your 15 ron bottle of water!

Below is a picture of the typical Marriott in the US (right)  vs. the one in Bucharest (left)… lol… all trends will follow!

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Let me start off by saying that I have lived quite a few places around the World, and Bucharest, although perceived at first as one of the more expensive cities, actually is not. Now a few things have changed since the US screwed the planet and the “crisis” hit, but this is going to be a “snapshot” of how Bucharest is (in my opinion) at exactly this moment in time.

First off is the apartment/lodging/hospitality category of expenses. Bucharest has it’s share of pricey hotels, no doubt. I would say that one would expect a “good deal” or reasonable price on a room for a night would be sub-100 euros with taxes included. Well, if you kick out the Radisson, Marriot, Howard Johnson, Intercontinental, and some other uber-nice hotels here, you can actually find many “boutique” hotels that offer excellent amenities around the 70-90 euro a night rate. They will probably have wi fi in the lobby only, furnishings won’t be to die for, but you should get a decent nights sleep in a quiet clean environment. I will look around for my recommendations on “budget” lodging shortly. Hotels are an inherently expensive way to travel anyway, so with that being said, even the more expensive hotels are still on par with the international average.

Apartments (both long term and short term rentals) actual rival what I’ve found in some of the “cheapest” places around. An example is Buenos Aires, Argentina. BA, notable for its low cost of living, is actually quite high compared to Bucharest, like other cities, because of what I’ll call the “hidden costs”. Buenos Aires typically requires upfront payment of all your rent for the term, 2 months commission and 3 months deposit (anyone who argues this about BA, you have yet to learn). In Bucharest, if done properly, is not this way. Expect a long term rental in a decent area to average 450-500 euros per month for a one bedroom, 650-800 per month for a two bedroom, and so on. The absolute nicest areas in Sect 1 and city center should be more. With the short term “turn key” rentals you’ll be on par with the rest of the large European cities at weekly prices starting at that. An interesting point to follow is the point of diminishing returns for investors on larger units. When I first moved here I was in a rooftop penthouse that was extremely large with a huge terrace. It was located in the center in Unirii. I was paying 1,200 euros per month. As an investor, you’ll reach a ceiling on the rental amount you can receive on your unit, so your buying solely for appreciation as opposed to ROI at that point. This works out great for us renters if we need a lot of space or are okay with roommates! Something to keep in the back of your mind. Apartment purchases should be around the 80,000.00 Euro price starting out. This is decent areas, but small size. I will create a separate post on purchasing. Let’s move on, I would love comments and discussion and opinions on all of this so far…

Food here can be had very inexpensively if you know where to go. The highly trafficed tourist areas will jack the prices up a bit, but here’s the average:

A large pizza – 8 Euros (35 Ron)

Coca Cola – 1-2 Euros (5-8 Ron)

Great Sandwich for Lunch with Chips – 5 Euros (22 Ron)

Nice Dinner at decent restaurant (per plate) – 8 Euros (34 Ron)

Cappuccino or Double Espresso – 1.5 Euros (8 Ron)

Tipping here is typically ten percent, and is dependent on quality of service. I found the most expensive place I’ve been to eat was Madrid or Paris, with prices easily 50 % higher than this, during the crisis. Buenos Aires still wins on the food prices, but all in all, for both lodging and dining, I would compare Bucharest to cities such as Atlanta, Seattle, Barcelona, basically the “almost biggest” cities in any given region. The New Yorks, Madrids, Londons, Tokyos, Paris’ and Moscows, still stand in a league of their own as “really expensive”.

Keep an eye out for my “off the beaten path” sections that will be coming up on here next week… you’ll get a kick out of the cheaper trendy places around here as well.

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