In the wake of heightened risks of terrorist, nuclear and cyber attacks, large-scale social unrest, as well as worries about natural catastrophes, the world’s super rich are increasingly obsessed with securing themselves and their loved ones in their homes.
And luxury residential properties with multi-layer security measures are becoming even hotter commodities. Trident Lakes, a 700-acre resort-style development that’s currently under construction in Ector, Texas, 70 miles northeast of Dallas, has been marketed as "a luxury doomsday village." The design calls for a navigable tunnel, an air-purification system, a security wall, off-grid power system as well as a golf course, spa, rifle range and polo field.
James O’Connor, chief executive of the developer, Vintuary Holdings Corp., saw a niche to combine security with luxury, judging from the daily inquiries he got, he told Mansion Global.
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Although massive doomsday developments are still sporadic, panic rooms (or less dramatically, safe rooms) have been quite a common amenity in luxury homes.
A Manhattan mega-mansion that’s owned by billionaire Vincent Viola, who was picked by President Trump as secretary of the army but withdrew his name from consideration late Friday night, has one. The 19-room masterpiece built in 1884 "has been gutted and tastefully redone by the current owners, who have spared no expense on an exquisitely-detailed renovation, including a panic room," according to a listing description when it was put on the market in 2013 for $114 million.
Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West reportedly started building a state-of-the-art panic room in their $20-million Bel-Air, California, mansion right after she was robbed at gunpoint in Paris last October.
And two prominent mansions in Manhattan’s West Village , both with panic rooms, happen to be coming on the market next week. "Although a panic room can be used for another purpose, some buyers might be interested in having it there," celebrity broker Dolly Lenz, who has the two listings, told Mansion Global.
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Panic rooms range from simple rooms with reinforced doors to elaborate mini-fortresses that utilize the most advanced technology to withstand any apocalyptic scenarios.
For buyers looking for hyper-security, here is a roundup of luxury properties that include panic rooms.
Home: Malibu, California, Home with 137-foot Water Frontage Price: $22.9 million
Located in the resort community MariSol Malibu, this seven-bedroom, 11-bathroom residence comes fully furnished. There is a 67-foot infinity pool in addition to the 137-foot ocean frontage. The 2,500-square-foot master suite has his-and-hers closets, bathrooms, a gym, office, coffee bar and a panic room, which is reinforced with steel and bulletproof kevlar, and has a television hooked with security camera, according to listing agent Scott Morris of Marisol Malibu Realty.
Home: A Park City, Utah, Mountain-top Gem Price: $4.95 million
This contemporary residence boasts unobstructed views of Deer Valley and Park City ski resorts. The nine-bedroom, 10-bathroom home encompasses a total of 22,000 square feet. It has a safe room complete with oxygen and water supplies, emergency exit and fake entrance door, according to listing agent Michael Lapay from Summit Sotheby’s International Realty.
Home: Florida’s 2017 Show Home Price: $5.929 million
Situated along Lake Nona’s world-renowned championship golf course, this 8,245-square-foot house in Orlando, Florida, was designed and built as the 2017 Show Home for the International Builders’ Show. It has five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms. The master suite boasts a morning bar and a safe room, which doubles as the closet. A barn door covers the metal safe-room door, according to the listing broker Lake Nona Realty.
Home: A Hamptons, New York, Home of Builders Own Quality Price: $3.385 million
Sitting on a 1.2-acre lot, this 5,600-square-foot residence includes six bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, an open kitchen and a gym. The current owners added a safe room in 2011 for their valuable antique and gun collections. It is equipped with a concrete wall, solid steel door, surveillance camera and intercom, according to listing agent James Keogh from Douglas Elliman.
Home: Florida Custom Home With Catfish Pond Price: $11 million
Sitting on a five-acre lot, this seven-bedroom residence in Wellington, Florida, features two master suites and marble flooring throughout the entire home. All the glass windows and doors are hurricane-proof. In the middle of the home, there is a home theater that doubles as a safe room, built with concrete walls. There also happens to be a pond with tilapia and catfish on the premises, according to listing agent Penny Reilly of Keller Williams.
Write to Fang Block at fang.block@dowjones.com