You can spend £1 Million for many years, or just for 16-night stay in Leeds Castle during the London 2012 Olympics. This 500-acre estate in Maidstone, Kent, is to be put up for hire to wealthy sports fans with a minimum price tag of £62,500 a night.
This one of the most romantic castles in England has 40 bedrooms, a helipad and a nine-hole golf course, and it comes complete with a butler, a chauffeur and Michelin-starred chefs. Leeds Castle also features a helipad, a maze and a 100-seater banquet hall. During their 17 days-stay, the guests will be able to enjoy front-row hospitality seats at the Olympic stadium as well as a range of activities including hot-air balloon rides, falconry, jousting and fishing. They will also enjoy the unique opportunity to drive the local steam train. As if that was not enough, a special flag will be designed in their honor.
The historic Leeds Castle was built in 1119 and remodelled by Henry VIII as a home for Catherine of Aragon. Now run by a charitable trust, it was once the backdrop to concerts by Elton John and Luciano Pavarotti, as well as hosting peace talks for Northern Ireland and the Middle East.
Victoria Wallace, the castle’s chief executive, said she hoped money from the rental would help with the 900-year-old venue’s £14 million restoration costs. We’re completely flexible as to how the castle might be used, she said. It could be for entertaining guests or as one giant house party. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and the price would be dependent on what you wanted. You would be the only person to say they had stayed in a historic royal palace for the Olympic Games, she added.
