Bob Hope’s longtime luxurious estate in Los Angeles has hit the market for a whopping $29 million.
The late funnyman, who passed away in 2003 at the ripe age of 100, used the home to entertain high-profile guests, such as Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.
And Old Hollywood still makes its mark on the home today.
The current owner, billionaire businessman Ron Burkle, purchased the Toluca Lake home from Hope’s estate in 2018 for $15 million, with the promise that he would preserve the comedian’s legacy.
“There are different types of developers out there. There were the ones writing offers who wanted to build 12 to 14 homes on the 5.2-acre property,” Craig Strong, executive director at Estates Division Pacific Union International, which represented both the buyer and the seller at the time, told Realtor.com.
“Linda [Hope’s daughter] just didn’t feel like that was the right thing for the land; it wasn’t the right thing for the neighborhood. So we just kept waiting and kept showing until the right buyer came along.”
Burkle, 69, has a history of buying up historic celebrity homes, including Hope’s futuristic spaceship Palm Springs retreat he purchased in 2016 for $13 million, and Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch that he purchased in 2020 for $22 million.
He also owned Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Ennis House, which he sold in 2019 for $18 million.
Meanwhile, Burkle is hoping to score huge on this Hope home. If he closes the deal anywhere near the asking price, it would be the most expensive property in the history of Toluca Lake.
Made up of six bedrooms in the main home, the property contains an additional two-bedroom apartment above the garage, along with staff quarters in the courtyard off the main house.
There’s a total of 17 bathrooms.
“The Hope estate presents tranquil indoor-outdoor living surrounded by pristine beauty and privacy,” the listing notes.
Features include wide-plank white oak hardwood floors, walls of glass that look out onto the expansive lawn and pool, and stone accents. The open living area includes a stone-clad fireplace — one of six fireplaces in the home — which leads to a large dining area.
Kevin Dees of The Agency holds the listing.
Hope’s original oak library has been “meticulously preserved, while high-end fixtures and finishes elevate the residence with thoughtful care,” the listing explains.
Outdoor features include extensive terraces and landscape design by Art Luna. Amenities come with a saltwater pool, a lounge area, a one-hole golf course designed by Hope himself, a tennis court and a barbecue kitchen.
Other amenities include a home theater, a gym with a steam room and an infrared sauna, and a tennis pavilion.
There is also an extensive security system, a security office and a three electric gate entrances.
Hope’s personal office and conference room have also been preserved.
The British-American comic, actor, singer, dancer, and author had a career that spanned nearly 80 years, appearing in more than 70 short and feature films.
He hosted the Academy Awards show 19 times, more than any other host, and wrote 14 books.
