Lavish accommodations set the scene of many of this year’s best TV series, from “Succession” to “The White Lotus”
9 min
British royalty, billionaire media moguls and wealthy vacationers filled the screens of this year’s Emmy-nominated TV shows.
We may not covet the characters’ tangled, twisted relationships in “Succession,” which swept the nominations, or the backstabbing (and actual stabbing) in “Only Murders in the Building,” up for best comedy. But their lavish penthouses, castles and beach resorts could certainly stoke some house envy.
Here, Mansion Global highlights some of the real-life lavish homes that set the backdrop to some of this year’s fictional favourites.
“Succession” — 27 Nominations, Including Outstanding Drama Series
If “Succession,” the HBO series that’s high on drama and high-net-worth characters, exudes anything, it’s luxury—and that goes for its filming locations as much as anything else.
Take this uber-contemporary waterfront home in the Hamptons, the exclusive pocket of New York’s Long Island favoured by wealthy New Yorkers, which is on the market for $55 million. The angular and glass-covered house was featured in Season 3 of the award-winning series, starring as the beachfront mansion owned by billionaire investor Josh Aaronson, played by Adrien Brody, and visited by Kendall and Logan Roy.
Built in 2018 in the hamlet of Wainscott, the property has a giant open-plan living, dining and kitchen space, where the home’s jaunty inverted roofline translates inside to an upside-down teak pyramid in the centre of room.
The custom kitchen occupies one end of the space with a statement marble backsplash—which made an appearance in the show. At the other end is a towering stone fireplace—you’ll spot that during the episode, too.
In fact, there were a number of real-life trophy homes the TV series used as sets. They include multiple units at the Upper East Side new development 180 East 88th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The show even took over the building’s crown jewel—a triplex penthouse with a dramatic covered terrace—to film as Kendall Roy’s New York home.
The airy, contemporary apartment was designed around soaring ceiling heights, floor-to-ceiling views and an imposing, sculptural spiral staircase. The five-bedroom condo has its own private elevator connecting the three levels, which culminate in an outdoor roof landing soaring nearly 470 feet over Manhattan. The developer of the building sold the penthouse in June for $24.7 million, according to property records. Meanwhile, another, smaller penthouse in the building that was also featured in “Succession” is still on the market for $14.85 million.
“Wednesday” — Two Nominations, Including Outstanding Comedy Series
“Wednesday,” Netflix’s supernatural comedy centred around Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) of “The Addams Family” fame, is nominated for best comedy, and Ortega is nominated for best actress in a comedy.
In the show’s inaugural season, Addams is expelled after dumping live piranhas into the school’s pool to exact revenge on the water polo team, and is sent to Nevermore Academy, a private school for supernatural outcasts, including witches, werewolves and vampires.
The show headed to Romania for much of filming, with the suitably gothic and foreboding Cantacuzino Castle, in the small mountain town of Bușteni, serving as the exterior setting for Nevermore. The former royal summer residence was built in 1911 at the request of the late Romanian Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, and today is open to the public.
“Shrinking” — Two Nominations, Including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Apple TV+’s “Shrinking,” follows therapist Jimmy (played by Jason Segel) as he deals with the grief of his wife’s death. His next-door neighbour Liz (Christa Miller) is a close friend, becoming somewhat of a surrogate mother to Jimmy’s teenage daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell). The proximity of their Southern California homes make for blurry boundaries, especially as Jimmy struggles as a newly single parent.
The show—nominated for two Emmys, including a best actor in a comedy for Segel—actually filmed parts at two neighbouring homes in Pasadena, California. The real-life home used as Jimmy’s was built in 1913 and is designated as a Historic Highlands Craftsman home. The Arts and Crafts-style house spans just under 3,500 square feet with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a pool, according to its most recent listing. It last sold in 2016 for $1.6 million. The neighbouring home, used for Liz and her husband, Derek, is a bit smaller, at about 1,600 square feet. Built in 1922, it has two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
“The Crown” — Six Nominations, Including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Several U.K. estates were featured in “The Crown,” a Netflix original that garnered six Emmy nominations this year, including nods for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Elizabeth Debicki’s portrayal of Princess Diana. Burghley House—a 16th-century manse in Lincolnshire, England, about 130 miles north of London—is one of the largest surviving houses of the era, as well as an example of the great Elizabethan “prodigy” houses, built to honor Queen Elizabeth I. Indeed, it was her Lord High Treasurer, William Cecil, who helmed the project, built between 1555 and 1587.
The estate was featured in the most recent season of the show, but it’s no stranger to the screen, having also been seen in films like “Pride & Prejudice” (2005) and “The Flash” (2023), and even had a turn on “Antiques Roadshow.” The Cecil family put the home in a trust some years ago, and the property is now open to the public, who can tour its extensive gardens and art collection, and is still the site of the Burghley Horse Trials, set to begin this year on Aug. 31. “The Crown” has received 69 Emmy nominations since its first season in 2016, winning 21 times.
“House of the Dragon” — Eight Nominations, Including Outstanding Drama Series
In “House of the Dragon,” HBO’s blockbuster prequel series to “Game of Thrones,” Driftmark is an island in Blackwater Bay and the ancestral seat of House Velaryon who rule from the castle High Tide.
Away from Westeros, the rugged and rocky outcropping, and the historic castle that stands on top of it, is St. Michael’s Mount, found in the sea off the coast of Marazion in Cornwall, in South West England.
The awe-inspiring spot is currently home to the St. Aubyn family, who have a 999-year lease to live in the castle and run the visitor business. And unsurprisingly, given its grandeur, the mount has been used as a filming location for the 1979 film “Dracula,” the 1983 James Bond film “Never Say Never Again,” the 2003 film “Johnny English,” and in the 2012 adventure movie “Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box.”
“The White Lotus” — 23 Nominations, Including Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Season 2 of HBO’s “The White Lotus” took both its cast and viewers to the scenic Sicilian town of Taormina. While the White Lotus—where the show’s affluent, eccentric guests are seen dining, lounging and creating chaos—is a fictional resort, the season was filmed at the real San Domenico Palace, which is a Four Seasons hotel.
Formerly a 14th-century convent, the historic building has been reimagined into a five-star resort offering a cliff top infinity pool, Italian gardens and Michelin-starred dining. Though, much of the monastery’s structure has been preserved, including the original frescoes. With views of the Ionian Sea, Mount Etna and the ancient Greek theatre Teatro Antico di Taormina, the hotel provides for an idyllic Italian getaway, with hopefully less theft and death than that of “The White Lotus.”
“Beef” — 13 Nominations, Including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
An extravagant mansion that happens to be one of Los Angeles’s most popular shooting locations made a cameo in the fifth episode of “Beef,” when main characters Amy (played by Ali Wong) and her husband, George (Joseph Lee), book a luxury rental.
In their everyday life, the main characters of this revenge-filled black comedy from Netflix live in a suitably dark house filled with concrete and dim lighting—a stark contrast to the sun-drenched vacation home lined in window walls overlooking the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains. In real life, the mansion is located in the San Fernando Valley and once belonged to Frank Sinatra. The characters and their daughter, June, lounge in the pool, with the airy, white Mid-Century Modern home in the backdrop.
Besides “Beef,” Miley Cyrus made the striking home and cinematic views the backdrop of her latest album “Endless Summer Vacation,” which dropped earlier this year. The six-bedroom mansion was also featured in “Mad Men” and “Dreamgirls” (2006).
“Only Murders in the Building” — 11 Nominations, Including Outstanding Comedy Series
The Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short comic murder mystery “Only Murders in the Building” takes place almost entirely within the fictional Arconia and the surrounding Upper West Side neighborhood. In reality, filming took place at the Belnord. Completed in 1908, the luxury residence occupies a full block at Broadway and West 86th Street.
The building has a starring role, showcasing apartments within its 213 units, as well as its famous inner courtyard (one of the largest in the city) and its facade. Originally designed by Hiss and Weekes in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, it was reimagined in 2018 by Robert A.M. Stern, who updated and opened up the apartments while preserving the public spaces. There are currently 13 active listings at the Belnord, listed by Douglas Elliman Development Marketing and priced up to $13.85 million for a four-bedroom on the 11th floor of the 13-storey building.
—V.L. Hendrickson, Liz Lucking, Casey Farmer and Beckie Strum contributed reporting
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A&K Sanctuary’s newest Nile vessel, Nile Seray, will launch in October 2026 as Egypt enters a new era of global tourism
2 min
A new luxury riverboat set to sail the Nile from late 2026 has opened for bookings, as Egypt experiences its biggest surge in international tourism in more than a decade following the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Nile Seray, the latest vessel from A&K Sanctuary, will launch in October and operate four-night voyages between Aswan and Luxor.
The boat will accommodate just 64 guests across 32 suites, placing it firmly at the premium end of the fast-expanding Nile cruising market.
The launch coincides with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in November 2025, a project more than 20 years in the making.
Located near the Giza pyramids, the museum spans more than 480,000 square metres and is now the largest archaeological museum in the world.
It houses more than 100,000 artefacts, including, for the first time ever, the complete collection of King Tutankhamun’s treasures displayed together in one place.
The museum’s opening has been widely credited with transforming global interest in Egypt, driving record visitor numbers and sparking a wave of new hotel openings, aviation capacity and high-end travel investment across the country.
Interior renderings released this week show Nile Seray adopting a contemporary design approach that blends modern lines with heritage references.
The 32 suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Nile, with natural materials and colour palettes drawing from Egypt’s desert landscape.
Two onboard restaurants open onto deck spaces, while the top deck includes a swimming pool and shaded daybeds designed for daytime cruising and sunset views.
Each voyage will include guided access to key archaeological sites on the West Bank, including the tombs of Seti I and Ramses VI, along with private openings of the tombs of King Tutankhamun and Amenhotep III. Excursions are led by specialist Egyptologists, with daily touring built into the itinerary.
With only 64 guests onboard, the vessel is aimed at travellers seeking a more intimate alternative to the larger Nile cruise ships that dominate the route during peak season.
Luxury hotel availability across Egypt remains tight during busy periods, particularly following the museum’s opening.
Nile Seray becomes the fifth vessel in A&K Sanctuary’s Nile fleet, joining the Nile Adventurer, Sun Boat III, Sun Boat IV and Zein Nile Chateau. A sister ship is also scheduled for launch in 2028.
Voyages include visits to the temples of Luxor, Karnak and Aswan, felucca sailing around Elephantine Island, Egyptian cooking demonstrations and traditional entertainment. All meals, excursions and onboard activities are included.
Each sailing will also contribute to A&K Philanthropy programs in Egypt, including long-running partnerships in Luxor and Aswan focused on youth education and cardiac care.
