A French-style estate with 15,000 acres of open green space is up for auction.

The unique French chateau located on a private summit at Sherwood Country Club in Westlake Village, California, will be sold at an online auction starting Friday. The auction, conducted by Sotheby's Concierge Auctions, runs through Sept. 15, and the nearly 3-acre property will go to the highest bidder. There is no reserve.

In April 2021, the property was listed for sale for $19.995 million originally by executive agents Joanie Young and Cathie Messina of Sotheby's International Realty. It was briefly listed for sale in May 2021 for $28 million. The seller, according to PropertyShark.com, is a limited liability company.

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Miss Young said the property, called Chateau Pleasance, is owned by the trustees of philanthropic travel industry icon Ed and Lynn Hogan, who decided to put it up for sale just before their deaths in 2021 and 2020, respectively. "This magnificent home was Mr. Hogan's dream," Ms. Young said, adding that he fell in love with the Loire Valley during his world travels and named it Chateau Pleasant, or Pleasant Castle, after his Pleasant Holidays travel company. "This is probably one of the most luxurious, private and opulent estates to ever hit the Southern California market. "

The house and surrounding grounds

The home, which took more than three years to build, was completed in 2001. "It's a work of art," Ms.

Young said. - "It cannot be replicated because masters like the ones they used no longer exist. "

Situated on parkland surrounded by more than 15,000 acres of open green space with more than 150 miles of trails, the castle has beautiful views of Jack Nicklaus Golf Course and the Santa Monica Mountains. Its hedge gardens are filled with thousands of roses, lush lawns, paved paths and life-size statues, giving the impression of ancient European estates.

In addition to an infinity pool and waterfall, the grounds feature a 52-foot reflection pond with bronze horses piercing the fountains. A wrought iron gazebo overlooks the koi pond, and the main entrance leads to a courtyard with a fountain imported from France. The majestic space is designed to host 150 guests outdoors.

The interior space

The interior space also has a luxurious character. Entrance is through a magnificent rotunda with a ceiling, Baccarat pink and clear crystal chandelier and painted murals leading to a grand marble staircase with a wrought iron gilded banister. The grand salon and ballroom, defined by 22-foot ceiling paintings, is adorned with a pair of brass chandeliers from Spain hanging from engravings and ceiling paintings. The wood-floored, paneled library has a carved fireplace and the dining room is entered through the so-called Hall of Mirrors, reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles.

Other features include a maid's dining room and dressing room next to the dining room, and two huge center islands in the kitchen, which features two refrigerator/freezers suitable for large-scale events, as well as a spacious sunny dining area with ceiling-to-floor windows for more intimate dinners. There are two separate entrances for guests with parking behind the gates.

The guest house and pool.

The guest house has a living room, bedroom, kitchenette and dining area. The 835-square-foot pool at the chateau has two bathrooms, a living room, fireplace and kitchen.

"Chateau Pleasance is an absolutely unique property," said Michael Schwartz, business developer for Sotheby's Concierge Auctions.

The Hogans, as Ms. Young noted, have turned Hawaii into a destination for 6 million visitors through their package tours, for which they were named Mr. Hawaii by the state legislature. In Thousand Oaks, a few miles from Westlake Village, they created the Gardens of the World public space through a family foundation that bears their name, featuring landscapes from around the world.