Est. 1890 · Old East Hill · Pensacola, Florida
The Old Spanish Consulate
The Old Spanish Consulate at 714 E La Rua St in Pensacola, Florida, is for sale, and it is one of the rarest investment opportunities to come to market in northwest Florida. The nationally registered Queen Anne Victorian estate, built in 1890 and meticulously restored in 2014, spans 7,574 square feet across two matched structures with 12 suites and 13.5 private baths wrapped around a heated saltwater pool and infinity spa courtyard. It operates today as an Airbnb Five-Star Superhost income-generating property with strong, documented short-term rental revenue. The listing is offered by Cynthia Tant, Broker/Owner of Gulf Coast Home Experts, and showings are by appointment only.
Showings by appointment only · 7,574 sq ft
- 7,574
- square feet
- 12
- suites
- 13.5
- private baths
- 0.31
- acre compound
- 1890
- year built
- Five-star
- Airbnb Superhost
The story
A house that once held a consulate
714 E La Rua Street is a nationally registered Queen Anne Victorian estate in Pensacola's Old East Hill Preservation District. Built in 1890, it served as the Spanish Consulate during the Spanish-American War, which is how it earned the name The Old Spanish Consulate. After a meticulous restoration in 2014 and a National Register listing in 2016, the compound now operates as a five-star short-term rental with twelve suites across two matched structures.
The house was built for Louis D. Marzoni, chief lumber inspector for lumber baron Henry Baars, at the height of the city's yellow-pine boom. Its interior woodwork came from the Baars mills, and by 1900 the three-story house had doubled in size, crowned by an octagonal tower. During the Spanish-American War of 1898 the residence served as the Spanish Consulate in Pensacola, while Baars' own house a few doors away acted as the Austrian-Hungarian consulate. Marzoni lived here until his death in 1907.
In the decades that followed, the grand house softened into disrepair, as century-old East Hill homes sometimes do. A loving restoration in 2014 returned the stairways, the stained glass, and the carved trim to their original voice, and on May 10, 2016 the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Marzoni House. Today it carries two names: the Marzoni House on the register, and the Old Spanish Consulate to everyone who has ever stayed.
"This is not a standard income property. It is a legacy asset: a historic destination with strong, documented short-term rental revenue, scarce supply characteristics, and a compelling upside narrative for buyers."
The consulate staircase
The compound, from above
The estate
Two Houses, One Courtyard
This is not a single historic house; it is a small campus. A three-story main house with a turret suite and a fourth-floor loft stands beside a detached carriage house, and between them a sunken courtyard holds a heated saltwater pool and an infinity spa. In all: 7,574 square feet, twelve suites, and thirteen and a half baths on a 0.31-acre lot in one of Florida's most protected historic districts.
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The main house
Three stories of parlors, dining rooms, and suites, crowned by the octagonal turret with its own bedroom and a fourth-floor loft.
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The carriage house
A detached, fully matched structure wrapped around the courtyard, adding suites and private baths a few steps from the pool.
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The courtyard
A heated saltwater pool, an infinity spa with a cascading stone waterfall, and terraces shaded by palms within tall hedges.
The courtyard
Saltwater, Stone, and Sunset
The courtyard is the heart of the compound. The carriage house wraps the heated saltwater pool on three sides; the infinity spa spills a stone waterfall into the deep end. By evening the lights come up, the palms throw long shadows across the terraces, and the whole estate turns into one warm, private room.
The courtyard at dusk
The kitchens
The soaking baths
Stained glass
The tower stair
The opportunity
A legacy asset with proven income
The estate operates today as an Airbnb Five-Star Superhost income-generating property with strong, documented short-term rental revenue. Its scarcity is structural: National Register income properties on the Gulf Coast are vanishingly rare, twelve-suite compounds rarer still, and a twelve-suite compound inside a working five-star hospitality operation, rarer again.
For buyers who see the convergence of architectural scarcity, proven hospitality demand, and Pensacola's accelerating coastal tourism market, this is less a house than a thesis. Cynthia can walk you through the operating history, the two structures, and the upside narrative in one private sitting.
5-star
Superhost record
12
rentable suites
2
matched structures
NR 2016
National Register
"The patience, the communication, the genuine desire to see people succeed. It all carried over from the classroom to the closing table."
A still from the garden
On film
Walk the estate before you arrive
A short film takes you from the front gate through the turret suite, the carriage house, and the pool courtyard at dusk. If the film moves you, the private tour will do the rest. Showings are by appointment only, so every visit is unhurried and guided.
Book the private tourThe estate film · 714 E La Rua St
This marketing video uses CGI for visual effects and composition; verify property details independently.
The celebration
Weddings & Celebrations
Say your vows beneath the Queen Anne gables, then gather your people around the heated saltwater courtyard. The Old Spanish Consulate hosts intimate weddings, vow renewals, and milestone celebrations in a setting that feels like a private historic estate, not a rented ballroom.
Two matched historic houses wrap the pool and infinity spa, so the ceremony, the cocktail hour, and the overnight guests all stay in one beautiful place. With guest suites on the property, the celebration doesn't end when the evening does. Family and friends wake up together and keep the weekend going.
Event inquiries are by appointment. Tell Cynthia your date, guest count, and vision, and she will walk you through how the estate can host your celebration.
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Intimate ceremonies
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Poolside receptions
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Overnight stays
The courtyard at evening
Old East Hill to the bay
The neighborhood
A ten-minute walk from Palafox
The estate anchors Old East Hill, Pensacola's city-designated preservation district of more than 300 restored homes built between 1870 and 1920. Palafox Street's cafés and galleries are a ten-minute walk. The white sands of Pensacola Beach are a twenty-minute drive. Pensacola International Airport sits about five miles away.
Few streets in Florida combine national-register architecture, walkable downtown life, and a Gulf beach in the same afternoon. La Rua does, and 714 sits at the top of it.
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0.4 mi
to Palafox
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9-11 mi
to the beach
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5 mi
to the airport
Cynthia Tant, PhD · Broker/Owner
The agent
A professor who fell in love with old houses
As a college professor, I accidentally fell into real estate investing 30 years ago. I built a portfolio of 10 properties in a 90-day time period (not advised, but it happened!). That wild start lit a fire that never went out.
It began my real estate investment career, which led into leaving academia and pursuing the profession full time. The transition from teaching college students to teaching clients about real estate felt natural. The patience, the communication, the genuine desire to see people succeed. It all carried over.
Today I am Broker-Owner of three separate companies: Gulf Coast Home Experts, my sales brokerage; Gulf Coast Real Estate Management, full-service property management for long-term rentals; and Gulf Coast BnB Rentals, short-term vacation rental management on Pensacola Beach and beyond. That means I can assist with the sale, buy, invest, rehab, rent, or manage your current or future home, all while educating you during the process. A true one-stop-shop client experience.
- Broker/Owner · License Broker · BK3044116 · FL
- Gulf Coast Home Experts, LLC · Sales
- Gulf Coast Real Estate Management · Long-term rentals
- Gulf Coast BnB Rentals · Short-term vacation rentals
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I schedule a showing?
Showings are by appointment only, so every visit is private and guided. Contact Cynthia Tant by phone at (850) 393-5134 or through the contact form to schedule your tour.
Why is it called The Old Spanish Consulate?
Built in 1890, the house served as the Spanish Consulate in Pensacola during the Spanish-American War of 1898. Restored in 2014, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Marzoni House in 2016.
How large is the estate?
The compound spans two matched structures, a three-story main house and a detached carriage house, totaling 7,574 square feet with 12 suites and 13.5 private baths on a 0.31-acre lot. A heated saltwater pool and infinity spa courtyard sits at the center.
Does the estate generate income?
Yes. The estate operates as an Airbnb Five-Star Superhost income-generating property with strong, documented short-term rental revenue. Operating and income history is available on request.
Begin the conversation
Showings are by appointment only. Share your details and Cynthia will be in touch within one business day.
Private by design
Showings by appointment only
The estate is occupied and operating, so every visit is scheduled, guided, and unhurried. Tell Cynthia a little about your timeline and interest, and she will match you with a slot.
- Private guided tours, seven days by appointment
- Operating and income history available on request
- Welcoming investors, owner-users, and hospitality buyers
- The estate film is the best place to start
Prefer to reach out directly?
- (850) 393-5134
- Cindy@Move2FLA.com
- Gulf Coast Home Experts, LLC · 316 W Cervantes St, Ste A, Pensacola, FL 32501