The Grand Saddles Lodge opens at Mount White on 2 November, bringing 20 private villas, an Art Deco piano bar and a native-botanical day spa to the Central Coast bush.

Just under an hour north of Sydney, where the bushland gives way to the Hawkesbury’s waterways, The Grand Saddles Lodge welcomes its first guests on 2 November 2026, and bookings are now open. It’s the newest chapter from the team behind the wildly popular Homestead restaurant, and it turns the Saddles precinct into somewhere you stay, not just somewhere you lunch. Think: stay, dine, spa, repeat.

What’s included in a stay

Stays have a two-night minimum, and they’re all-inclusive. That covers breakfast each morning at The Homestead, lunch with house beverages (except on the day you leave), pre-dinner drinks at Ned’s, a five-course dinner with paired wines at The Hawkesbury and a premium in-room minibar.

Every stay also includes two signature experiences, with return transfers. You might cruise the Hawkesbury aboard the lodge’s private boat The Grace Kelly, visit nearby oyster farms, head out with a fishing guide or travel into Glenworth Valley to watch the running of the horses. Singleton’s personal art collection hangs throughout the lodge, with works by Arthur Boyd, John Olsen and Sidney Nolan, and guests can explore it on a guided art tour.

The intimate escape among the trees

Conceived by adman John Singleton, The Grand Saddles Lodge is built around just 20 suites, which keeps things intimate rather than sprawling. Each one is set individually in the bushland, with its own living space, open fireplace and private terrace. Plunge pools depend on the category you book. The Gardens open onto secluded garden terraces, with super king beds facing the greenery. The Classics add a private heated circular plunge pool. The four Signature suites go bigger again, with sun lounges, freestanding baths and larger heated plunge pools.

Beyond your suite, there’s an infinity pool, gardens and walking paths, and a fully equipped gym.

Getting there is part of the experience. A winding driveway through native bush leads to a glass-domed entrance, opening into interiors dressed in sandstone, spotted gum and brass. Michelle Leslie Studio designed them alongside White + Dickson Architects, and the buildings follow the site’s natural contours so they feel of Mount White, not dropped onto it. Blacksmith Saul Thompkins made the maître d’ station, the hearth work and the metalwork throughout, and works by Central Coast artists sit alongside custom carpets, sofas and joinery.

“Saddles started because I wanted a decent coffee close to home. I never imagined where that would lead," says Singleton. “The Lodge is the next part of that story. The things I love most, from all over the world, gathered in the place I’ve always come back to. I’ve only ever had one rule: if it’s not the best in the world, you won’t find it here. Mount White has been home for more than 25 years. I hope people arrive for a weekend and find it hard to leave. I still do."

Where to eat and drink

The Hawkesbury is the lodge’s fine-dining restaurant, led by head chef Phillip Roberts, whose career includes ARIA and Oncore by Clare Smyth. The menu draws on local seafood, premium meats and poultry, and herbs and vegetables grown on the estate. Lunch is leisurely, with lighter dishes for sharing, while evenings bring the five-course menu with paired wines.

You don’t have to check in to eat here. The Hawkesbury opens to the public for dinner on Fridays, lunch and dinner on Saturdays, and lunch on Sundays, with a dedicated tasting menu. Diners must be 16 or older.

As the sun goes down, the mood shifts to Ned’s, an Art Deco-inspired cocktail and piano bar built for well-made drinks, live music and evenings that don’t need to be rushed. It’s open daily from 3pm, walk-ins only.

The spa

The Spa at The Grand Saddles Lodge has five treatment rooms and a hydrothermal suite with a Finnish sauna, domed steam room and cold plunge. Treatments are created with Synthesis Organics and combine certified organic Australian skincare, native botanicals, aromatherapy and gemstones.

The signature rituals follow the rhythm of the day:

• Sunrise pairs dry body brushing and massage with a sculpting gemstone facial.
• Heart of the Valley combines reflexology, massage and a tailored facial.
• Sundown is a native botanical body polish followed by a slow, flowing massage.

Spa bookings are open now alongside lodge stays.

Why this matters for the Central Coast

The lodge joins The Homestead and The Barn events venue at Saddles Mount White, cementing the 11-hectare precinct as one of the most exciting luxury destinations within striking distance of Sydney.

Details

Where: 20 Ashbrookes Road, Mount White, NSW

What: 20 all-inclusive suites with plunge pools and open fireplaces. Two-night minimum.

When: Opens 2 November 2026; bookings open now.

Cost: Two nights for two guests is $3800 in a Garden suite, $4200 in a Classic and $4600 in a Signature.