El Solano, a 1919 Mizner masterpiece, sits on 1.3 acres of South Ocean Boulevard, overlooking the Atlantic. The stucco façade and terra‑cotta roof echo the Mediterranean Revival that defined early Palm Beach luxury. The seven‑bedroom estate was bought by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in January 1980 for $725,000.
Lennon was killed in New York that December, before the couple could even step inside. Ono returned to Palm Beach, finished the renovations, and sold the home in 1986 for $3.15 million to developer Howard Fafard.
The property changed hands again in 1990 for $4.31 million, and in 2016 it fetched $23 million from John C. Sites Jr. and Cindy Sites, illustrating a steady rise in Palm Beach’s ultra‑luxury market.
On 12 Aug 2020, the estate closed for $36 million, a price that was well below the $47.5 million asking but more than ten times Ono’s 1986 sale price. Architectural Digest noted the sale, and the buyer, a young family from the Northeast, will keep the historic Mizner design intact.
El Solano remains a symbol of celebrity legacy and architectural heritage, proving that a property’s story can outlast its owners and keep demanding a premium in the world’s most expensive real‑estate market.