The Location

Mount Lofty sits at the highest point of the southern Mount Lofty Ranges, yet the estate is only around 20 minutes from Adelaide’s city centre and 30 minutes from the airport. The lodge borders Cleland National Park and the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, so wallabies and kangaroos graze below the balconies and the Heysen Trail runs along the ridge. The estate itself includes formal gardens, walking trails, a tennis court and South Australia’s two highest-altitude vineyards.

From here, more than 200 cellar doors lie within an hour’s drive, across the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, the Barossa and Eden Valley. Sequoia’s curation team builds itineraries around them, from winery tours and truffle hunts in the cooler months to koala encounters at Cleland and ceramics with local makers. Chauffeured transfers can be arranged, and guests can arrive by helicopter.

The Lodge

Each of the fourteen open-plan suites faces east over the valley, catching the sunrise from the bed, the bath and the balcony. A sunken lounge gathers around a stone-clad gas fireplace, a king bed sits beneath a moon window for stargazing, and the balcony holds an expansive daybed. In the light-filled bathroom, switch-glass privacy windows, a freestanding bath and a double wellness shower open onto a stone-walled courtyard with a water feature. Underfloor heating, a pillow menu and fully automated mood settings keep everything effortless.

The interiors were brought together by South Australian craftspeople, in a calm palette warmed by timber and stone. Every suite hangs an original oil painting by resident artist Stephen Trebilcock, known for his detailed studies of native flora, alongside Nick Mount glass, JamFactory ceramics and Jurlique amenities. For couples who want more privacy still, the Wellness Suite adds a screened deck over the valley with a four-person cedar barrel sauna and cedar hot tub, a wellness minibar and an in-suite wellness breakfast, and interconnects with a neighbouring suite for friends travelling together.

Beyond the suites, the lodge lounge offers multiple fireplaces, sunken seating, 180-degree valley views and a panoramic sun deck. Two artesian spring-fed hot pools, kept at 38°C, sit on the valley rim alongside an infinity pool, an infrared sauna and a gym. Gatekeeper’s Day Spa, in the cottage at the estate’s historic entrance gate, adds treatments, saunas, an ice bath and a hot tub, with in-suite massage available on request.

The Experience

Every stay includes more than 32 signature inclusions and experiences, structured around the rhythm of the day. Mornings begin with guided yoga at 8am and an à la carte breakfast served in the lounge or in-suite, followed by a guided nature walk along the Heysen Trail. Afternoons might bring a South Australian cheese discovery, a mixology class, a hosted bee experience or a private session in the hot pools. At sunset, guests gather for the Lodge Welcome to hear stories of the region over a glass of local wine, and the evening ends with turndown, regional treats and the lodge telescope for stargazing. A locally curated minibar, Nespresso coffee and 24-hour Sequoia Hosts are part of every stay.

Dining in the Sequoia Lounge is reserved for lodge guests. French-trained Head Chef Nicolas Reverte, whose career includes time in the kitchen of Martín Berasategui in Spain, cooks contemporary Australian menus from local produce, with bread and pastries made in-house and black truffle dinners through the Adelaide Hills winter. Meals can be taken in the lounge, in your suite or packed into a picnic hamper for touring. A short walk across the estate, Mount Lofty House adds three-hat Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, Martha Hardy’s Restaurant, Hardy’s Bar, a garden champagne bar and access to the 175-year-old estate cellar of around 1,300 labels.

Two packages shape the stay. The Sequoia Experience covers the full set of signature inclusions, while Sequoia Indulgence adds daily lunch, nightly dinner, an inclusive drinks list, a gin flight and a spa credit, with a degustation dinner at Hardy’s Verandah, high tea and massages for longer stays. The whole lodge can also be booked for exclusive use, for private celebrations, family gatherings or executive retreats.