Want to go to a serious pool party this summer? Put your name in to take a luxurious dip at Hearst Castle in San Simeon. The folks at the Central Coast icon are hosting four evening pool parties in the coming months—on July 6, Aug. 3, Aug. 24, and Sept. 21—for the select few lucky enough to sign up first for one of the slots, which go for $950 each.
With its 20,000 marble tiles and sculptures commissioned by Parisian artist Charles-Georges Cassou, the Neptune Pool looks better than ever. Last year, the nearly 90-year-old pool re-opened—as just an exhibit—after a four-year, $10-million restoration project at the National Historic Landmark, which was originally designed by architect Julia Morgan and built between 1919 and 1947.
Aside from its original owner, publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, the pool has been swum in by Joan Crawford and Howard Hughes and exudes all the grandeur of such associations, even including contemporary superstars. “Not all pools are created equal,” Travel+Leisure recently noted, “and it’s fair to say that a pool in a castle that has appeared in a Lady Gaga music video is a step above the rest.”
The July 6 pool event is for members only, while other dates go on sale July 1 (including other swimming opportunities in the also-fabulous Roman Pool). If the $950 price tag doesn’t fit your summer-vacay budget, worry not. For just $25, you can see the two pools and the rest of the palatial home and grounds anytime.
