Filed under: Famous Homes, House Tours, Celebrity Homes
Take a look inside the "Winter White House" -- the Obama family's cold weather getaway!For the last two years President Barack Obama and the first family spent their winter holidays away from the icy chill and rough-and-tumble political environment of Washington, D.C. They packed their bathing suits, boarded Air Force One and headed to the scenic, sunny and serene eastern shore of Oahu, about 20 minutes outside of the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, HI.
Marco Garcia, AP
Rather than a Five Star resort, the first family opted to lease The Plantation Estate at Paradise Point, a casual but luxurious five-bedroom, 3 1/2-bathroom private home perfectly situated on the sands of low key Kailua Bay where, as it turns out, the president used to swim with his grandfather as a child. The walled and gated getaway sits on 4 1/2 ocean-front acres in an upscale, gated community and offers the Obama family the utmost in comfort, privacy and security. While online rental listings for the property show that the secluded and comfortably luxurious estate goes for anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 per night, we've got a peek inside that we're offering for free.
Obamas Hawaii House
The house is guarded by seven-feet-tall lava rock walls and an electronically controlled gate, which slides open to a large motor court (Perfect for private comings and goings by the first family). A vine-covered pergola marks the entry from the motor court into a lushly landscaped and paparazzi-proof inner courtyard, where the first family can enjoy some peace and quiet: Hawaiian style.
The estate includes almost 5,000 square feet of interior space and another 2,000 square feet of covered lanais. The main living area is a gigantic great room with soaring peaked ceiling with exposed beams and trusses, sand colored marble floors, and walls of windows on two sides that open the room to the interior courtyard and the ocean views at the back of the house.
Just off the great room's dining area is a colossal kitchen where a private chef whipped up meals for the Obamas. The kitchen includes all the bells and whistles expected in a multi-million dollar vacation getaway including top-grade stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, a huge work island, a massive walk-in pantry and a large "L" shaped breakfast counter where Sasha and Malia probably ate their morning cereal.
A state-of-the-art media room has plenty of seating for all the Obamas -- plus a few Secret Service agents -- and a built-in entertainment center, complete with a 60-inch flat-screen television with speakers hidden behind laser-carved wooden mahogany leaves.
The master suite includes a large bedroom and sitting area with a wall of windows that slide open to the backyard and ocean view. There's also a large walk-in closet and a spa-style bathroom with a separate shower, twin vanities and a huge spa tub that sits on a raised platform. The view from the large window beside it? A direct look out onto Kailua Beach, one of Oahu's premiere stretches of sand.
There are two additional bedroom suites, each with private bath. One of which opens into the covered porch that wraps around the interior courtyard, the other has a private lanai surrounded by a tall lava rock wall and planted with thick tropical foliage for perfect privacy. Previous reports reveal that Sasha and Malia share one of these bedrooms. Wonder which one they chose...
The first lady's favorite spot for reading is reported to be the deep covered lanai off of the living/dining room. It's fitted with a built-in wet bar and television, neither of which compare to the views of the wide rolling lawn that stretches out towards the Kailua Bay, the Mokulua Islands and the Ko'olau Mountain Range.
All beaches in Hawaii are considered public lands by state law, so when the Obamas want a little pap-free time at the beach, they hop in their blacked-out SUVs and head down to a nearby Marine base where a private beach ensures that no photos of them in their bathing suits will make it into the tabloids, papers or on the evening news.
And when the family doesn't feel like schlepping to the Marine base beach, there's a lagoon-style swimming pool in the villa's very private inner courtyard with rock-scaping, resort-style landscaping and eight water falls including one that spills dramatically into the spa.
A couple of covered lanais and an outdoor dining pavilion surround the swimming pool and encourage the easy breezy indoor-outdoor lifestyle Hawaii is famous for.
For more information on renting the Winter White House, check out The Plantation Estate at Paradise Point.