Not so much a holiday home as a full-blown private resort to enjoy with your friends and family, this Malibu address is a true one-of-a-kind. The interior is impressive enough with the Italian marble countertops and showers, fully-equipped gym and light-filled living room complete with grand piano, but it's the outdoor space that will take your breath away. Spread across fifty-one acres, guests can pass their afternoons paddling about in the swimming pool, getting competitive on the tennis court or simply lounging about on the daybeds with a glorious panorama of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains. Come the evening time, it's time to fire up the barbecue and reconvene on the terrace's dining table, before taking a dip in the hot tub. If in the unlikely event you start craving the wider world beyond the gates again, Leo Carilla Beach is twelve minutes' drive away and there are hiking trails in Malibu Springs, which takes about twenty to reach.

Home truths:
*To heat the pool and hot tub, guests must give the host twenty-four hours notice and it will cost an extra $1,000 a day
*There's plenty of space to park at the property
*The host can provide a cot if required
*The address is great for events, but if you're hoping to hold one, you need to contact the host beforehand for their approval and there will be an additional fee