Beloved ex-pub in inner Sydney could smash property records

The Windsor Castle Hotel in Paddington was a popular watering hole back in the 70s and 80s. Many locals still hold fond memories of the place, which has been transformed into a luxury residence — and now they have the chance to own it.

When Anita Nolan enjoyed some beers at the Windsor Castle Hotel in the inner Sydney suburb of Paddington back in the day, she couldn’t have imagined the luxurious home it would become.

Nor that she would be lucky enough to live there.

“It’s a very funny thought. We’ve definitely had beers at the bar here. Some of our friends tell us they always used to come here for a drink, some even tell us that they met their partners here.”

Locals still affectionately call this place ‘The Castle’, and with its majestic white facade on the corner of Windsor and Elizabeth Streets, and the battlements that lace its roofline, it still looks a little like one.

Inside, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home at 72 Windsor Street is certainly fit for royalty.

Originally built in the 1880s, the property was renovated in 2012 with its interiors designed by Sydney studio X.PACE. Anita and her husband, former Goldman Sachs executive David Nolan, bought the Castle in 2016.

Over time, they’ve continued to elevate its grandeur, installing a 187-inch-screen home cinema with 10 electric leather recliners, a 1,700-bottle wine cellar, plus a new marble and dolomite kitchen and butler’s pantry.

The scale is impressive. Set across five storeys, all serviced by a lift, the ground floor features an expansive living, dining and kitchen area that flows to a northerly facing entertaining courtyard and heated pool.

The first floor features three spacious bedrooms, all with private balconies and limestone-finished ensuites, plus a home office and a library.

The second level reveals the grand master suite that boasts an enormous walk-in robe, bath ensuite, private lounge and expansive terrace. Above that, a decadent roof terrace offers prime views to the CBD and Harbour Bridge.

The lower-ground provides a five-car garage with turntable, the wine-cellar and the cinema.

Ms Nolan said parking for five cars and over 1,000sqm of internal and outdoor space was “extremely rare in the suburb”, and has allowed her family privacy and space they didn’t think was possible in Paddington.

“I love the open-plan design of the home. It’s like having a beautiful penthouse apartment within a house. It’s got a beautiful big kitchen and a huge butler’s pantry, and it all opens out into a central courtyard, which has been fabulous.

“We’ve had parties of up to 100 people there and it’s so private; no one can see in.”

Agent Luke Hogan at McGrath Double Bay described the property as “absolutely breathtaking” and a “very iconic landmark” that locals are extremely fond of.

“Most of Sydney’s eastern suburbs have some degree of misspent youth at the Windsor Castle,” he said.

“It was a very popular pub for a number of years, particularly in the ’70s and ’80s.”

Today, the Castle is listed with a guide price of $25 million, which would smash Paddington’s record sale set by a penthouse atop the Royal Hospital for Women heritage conversion at 10/18 Flinton Street, which sold for $20m in 2023.

Mr Hogan said the Windsor Street property had received a lot of interest in its first 24 hours on the market — mainly from locals, including harbourside downsizers, and those in neighbouring Woollhara looking to leave the suburb following news it will have a new train station to service 10,000 new dwellings.

The Nolans, their children having flown the nest, plan to downsize in the area.

Anita said she will cherish the memories of the place, both as a pub and later, her home.

“It’s a castle. It’s our castle and it’s been a lot of fun living here.”

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