Hollywood Icon Cary Grant’s ‘Desert Disneyland’ Hits the Market in Palm Springs for $12.7 Million

A beautiful Palm Springs estate that became film legend Cary Grant's favorite escape from fame has recently returned to the market for $12.68 million, offering a chance to step back in time into Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Known as Villa Paradiso, the sprawling Spanish Revival compound holds a special place in the actor’s family history, having served as his favorite retreat for many years.

In her 2011 memoir "Good Stuff," his daughter, Jennifer Grant, described the estate as a “desert Disneyland” and their “number-one weekend getaway.”

Interestingly, Grant never actually owned the Las Palmas property, yet he still managed to influence everything from its design to its name, thereby cementing his ties to the home for good.

During the years that the actor visited Villa Paradiso, its then-owner, Charlie “Kewpie” Rich, a Las Vegas hotelier, had a poolside guesthouse built specifically for Grant, creating a private retreat where he could unwind beneath the desert sun.

According to listing agent Ernie Carswell, of Sotheby's International Realty, the actor was also the one who gave the property its exotic moniker.

“The estate’s name, Villa Paradiso, was given to it by Grant while he stayed at the residence,” Carswell says. “Later, when he purchased his own property in the desert, he also named his home by the same name.”

That story was relayed to Carswell by the current owner, whom the agent describes only as a longtime journalist who knew Grant personally and spent decades interviewing celebrities in Palm Springs and Beverly Hills.

Property records identify the seller as former reporter and Trumpettes USA founder Toni Holt Kramer, who bought the home with her husband, Robert "Bobby" Kramer.

Nearly a century after its 1928 debut, the walled and gated estate remains remarkably intact. Set on nearly 4 acres in the coveted Old Las Palmas neighborhood, the property is surrounded by some 200 towering palm trees, and spans more than 15,000 square feet across four residential structures, making it "one of the largest residential lots ever offered in Palm Springs" according to the listing.

Originally developed by Prescott T. Stevens for a Chicago heiress, the compound was designed to impress—an ethos that still very much defines it today.

Carswell adds that Old Las Palmas itself played a central role in Palm Springs’ rise as a desert haven.

“Las Palmas was an enclave for affluent East Coast industrialists and Hollywood elite, who built grand desert estates with the era’s top architects and designers,” he says. “Leonardo DiCaprio owns the famed former Dinah Shore estate just across the street." 

At the heart of the compound is the original four-bedroom Spanish Revival mansion, defined by white stucco walls, hand-painted ceilings, and romantic courtyards.

Carswell notes that the estate “defines the ‘compound’ term nicely,” anchored by the main residence and complemented by the midcentury guesthouse where Grant stayed. It also includes an additional guest residence, now used as an office and suite, and a separate ranch-style staff house.

A detached four-car garage, accessed via a sweeping motorcourt, completes the property's self-contained layout.

Inside, original architectural and design details that nod to the estate’s Hollywood history keep its cinematic fantasy front and center. Arched doorways, exposed wood beams, and intricate ironwork speak to the craftsmanship of the era, while expansive windows and doors frame views of the surrounding desert and the San Jacinto Mountains.

Formal living and dining spaces flow easily onto shaded terraces and courtyards, reinforcing the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that has long defined Palm Springs living.

The property has also been thoughtfully updated for modern comfort.

“The current owner installed a ‘yellow cab’ elevator two years ago in the entry hall that leads directly to the primary suite level,” Carswell says. Elsewhere, the compound’s multiple guest residences and expansive grounds offer flexibility for hosting, working or creating private retreats—echoing its original purpose as an elite escape.

From its Spanish Revival origins to its enduring ties to its Hollywood provenance, the Villa Paradiso offers a tangible connection to the past—and the chance for one lucky buyer to create a new generation of memories under its sparkling canopy of desert sky and palms.