Spend a bundle on Spindrift Drive

The 10,715-square-foot estate occupying a lot atop the cliffs of La Jolla at 1828 Spindrift is “the most exceptional oceanfront estate available today,” listing materials for the property assert. “Think ‘Grace Kelly meets Howard Hughes.’”

Built in 2008, the home was “executed in a timeless Art Deco style” with the intention of creating an “ultimate entertainer’s estate.” The main residence includes three bedroom suites (master, guest, and maid’s quarters), with an additional two-bedroom guest house, another two optional bedrooms, and eight total baths.

“After entering through the walled courtyard, past a lovely swimming pool, spa, and cabana, you’ll find an estate like no other,” promises the listing. Luxury amenities include a “rich, paneled office,” yoga room, a private theater with seating for 12, and two full bars — one in the billiards room with large porthole-style windows looking out onto the ocean and another in a second game room outfitted with a two-lane bowling alley.

Interior finishes include “exotic millwork and stonework” with “exquisite public rooms all in Tiffany’s quality with sumptuous lighting and sound, and state of the art security.” A spiral staircase leading down from the lower level is flanked by a semicircular aquarium. The high-ceilinged “open, airy rooms with walls of glass that open to lovely patios and heated balconies” are set to take advantage of views spanning La Jolla Cove and Scripps Pier.

A breezeway connects the main residence to the guest house with two bedroom suites, each outfitted with a kitchenette and private sitting area.

While enjoying privacy afforded by the bluff-top location, the Spindrift estate is a stone’s throw from La Jolla Shores and only eight doors down from the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, home to the tony Marine Room restaurant.

Public records show the owner of the property to be George Krikorian, a Torrance, California-based real estate and movie-theater mogul who built a chain of theaters (including several across San Diego County), sold them to competitor Regal Cinema in 1996, and immediately formed another theater chain. None of his theaters operate under the Krikorian name in the San Diego market. The sole local outlet, a 15-screen property in Vista, was taken over by the Cinepolis chain last month.

The half-acre parcel upon which the home was constructed was last sold in 1998 for just shy of $2.6 million, when a 3200-square-foot home built in 1959 was sited there. An attempt to sell that home for $7.75 million fizzled in 2001, resulting in the demolition of the former building and construction of the current residence. The property spent another five months on the market in 2010, beginning with a listing price of $33,900,000, which was eventually reduced to $26,900,000 with no takers.

After several years off the market, the Spindrift property was listed again in late February with an asking price of $27,900,000, which remains unchanged to date.