One of Manhattan’s most storied residences just hit the market for the first time this century — and it comes with a legacy as grand as its interiors.
Perched atop the Ritz Tower at 465 Park Avenue, this $26 million duplex was originally commissioned by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst for his longtime companion, silent film star Marion Davies.
Designed by famed architect Emory Roth, the two-story residence was meant to serve as a glamorous New York outpost for the Hollywood power couple, and over the decades, it’s retained every bit of its opulence.
Now offered for sale with Douglas Elliman’s Michael Kotler, Apartment 19/20W is being billed as one of the most significant residential properties in the city — and for good reason.
From a Doge’s palace ceiling to centuries-old stained glass, the home is a living time capsule of European art, American history, and high-society entertaining. And thanks to its wrapped terraces and building perks (yes, there’s room service), it’s also surprisingly livable — for the right buyer.
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The duplex spans two floors of the Ritz Tower at 465 Park Ave
The duplex spans the 19th and 20th floors of the Ritz Tower and includes 11 rooms in total.
Rich in details (and character), the sprawling residence has 3 primary bedroom suites, a 4th bedroom, a modern eat-in kitchen, a walnut-paneled library, a solarium dining room, and more — all serviced by a private elevator.
Featuring dramatic touches like cathedral-style windows
Step off the private elevator and you’re greeted by a soaring great hall with a ceiling imported from a Venetian Doge’s palace and cathedral-style windows that date back to the 1600s.
The 8 sets of stained glass cast a jewel-toned glow across the room’s 8-inch oak plank floors and a hand-carved fireplace, setting the tone for the rest of the home.
Interiors showcase floor-to-ceiling Old World glamour
An ornate white marble staircase connects the two levels, where centuries-old architectural elements — like 16th-century monastery doors and a 10-foot Vanderbilt clock — sit alongside Regency furnishings and custom couches from DeAngelis.
The home is being offered fully furnished, with antiques, artwork, and even a 100-year-old Agra carpet included in the sale.
Grand rooms that were made to entertain
The layout offers ample space for both formal and casual living, with showstopping rooms that feel lifted from a film set.
The solarium dining room, ringed with arched stained-glass windows, features a rare 12-foot Oriental screen and connects to a walnut-paneled library and a spacious, eat-in kitchen.
With 4 bedrooms and 3 primary suites
The palatial home has four bedrooms, including three primary suites.
One upper-level bedroom includes its own pearwood-paneled office or TV room, while the fourth bedroom is tucked into the second floor with its own bath and a convenient back staircase leading to the kitchen — making it ideal for a live-in guest, staff, or nanny.
Additional features include four full bathrooms, a guest powder room, a compact pantry with washer/dryer, and an internal private elevator that makes it easy to move between floors without taking the grand staircase.
Triple-terraced views
True to its “sky palace” nickname, the apartment includes three separate terraces with sweeping north, south, and west views, including sightlines toward Central Park.
Despite being more than a century old, the home includes modern amenities and access to services that rival today’s luxury towers.
Elegant living at 465 Park Avenue comes with room service
As part of the Ritz Tower cooperative, the unit comes with room service from the in-building kitchen, housekeeping and maid service, a business conference room, exercise facilities, and a full-time doorman and concierge staff.
Whether residents are sipping tea on the terrace or planning a dinner party in the solarium, everything they need is just an intercom buzz away.
The Ritz Tower: A Park Avenue classic
Completed in 1926 and designed by Emory Roth, the Ritz Tower was one of New York’s original luxury skyscrapers.
Located at the corner of Park Avenue and 57th Street, the building was a pioneer in blending hotel-level service with residential living, a model that’s been widely replicated in newer developments but rarely matched in charm.
The co-op’s long-standing reputation for privacy, discretion, and top-tier service has made it a favorite of celebrities, executives, and international buyers alike.
Its prewar design features spacious floorplans, elegant details, and layouts that lend themselves well to entertaining — something Hearst clearly had in mind when commissioning this apartment.
William Randolph Hearst’s other palatial properties
The Park Avenue duplex isn’t the only home tied to William Randolph Hearst that’s made headlines in recent years. A former Hearst-owned penthouse at 91 Central Park South was scooped up by fashion icon Giorgio Armani a few years back for $17.5 million.
Another one of his former properties, the Beverly House in Los Angeles — where scenes from The Godfather and The Bodyguard were filmed — was listed for $125 million in 2020 before selling at auction for $63.1 million in 2021.
His most famous estate, Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, is now a historic landmark open to the public and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
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