The Location

Mount White sits where the bushland of the Hawkesbury begins to give way to the Central Coast, a ridgeline of eucalypt forest and sandstone just north of the river at Brooklyn. Sydney’s CBD and airport are around 45 minutes to an hour by road, close enough for a Friday-afternoon departure and far enough that the city falls away entirely once you turn off the motorway.

The Lodge is part of Saddles Mount White, a 28-acre bushland precinct that Singleton, a Mount White local for more than three decades, has been shaping since 2018. Its anchor is The Homestead at Saddles, a sandstone homestead restaurant with a wraparound veranda over a freshwater dam that Condé Nast Traveller has twice named among the world’s most beautiful restaurants. Alongside it sit The Barn, an aged-timber events venue, and a private aviary home to Singleton’s flock of free-flying macaws. Even the name has a story. Saddles takes its name from master saddler and stuntman Heath Harris, who made the saddle-seat stools at the Homestead bar and has long worked with Singleton’s nearby Strawberry Hills Stud.

The Lodge

Arrival is along a winding driveway through native bush to a glass-domed entrance. Inside, the Lodge is the work of interior designer Michelle Leslie and White + Dickson Architects, the same team behind The Homestead, and it carries the same conviction that a building here should look as though it grew out of Mount White. Sandstone walls, spotted gum, warm brass and furniture made by Central Coast craftspeople set the tone, and local artists’ work hangs throughout.

The twenty villas are tucked among the trees, far enough apart that the soundtrack is mostly birdsong. Each has separate living space with an open fireplace, a private terrace and its own plunge pool, with bathrooms finished in marble and deep copper bathtubs. The in-villa minibar is included and stocked with local treats and premium drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Pour a nightcap by the fire, or take something cold out to the terrace.

For company, a communal infinity pool and pool bar look out over the treetops. The Spa at The Grand Saddles Lodge has five treatment rooms, traditional and infrared saunas and ice baths, with treatments built around Australian native botanicals. Evenings gather at Ned’s, an Art Deco-inspired piano bar anchored by a grand piano, where a pianist sets the tempo before dinner.

The Experience

A stay at The Grand Saddles Lodge is structured as a fully hosted two-night itinerary, and almost everything is taken care of. Mornings begin with a leisurely breakfast at The Homestead. Lunch is served at The Hawkesbury, the Lodge’s own restaurant, on the day you arrive and each day after, with house beverages. Later arrivals are met with a generous afternoon snack instead. Each evening starts with a drink at Ned’s, followed by a five-course set menu at The Hawkesbury that changes daily with the season and the region’s produce, with every course paired by the in-house sommelier.

Four experiences are woven into the stay. The first is an unhurried walk led by the Lodge’s hosts through the stories behind Grand Saddles. It takes in John Singleton’s private art collection and the Saddles White Mountain precinct, pauses at the macaw enclosure, and heads down to the paddock to hand-feed the horses. It ends at dusk around the outdoor firepit with canapés and a glass of wine.

The second takes you twenty minutes to the Hawkesbury River and out by boat to a working oyster farm. There, expert guides explain how Sydney Rock and Pacific oysters are raised in the estuary, from lease to plate. Lunch follows on a secluded beach: freshly shucked oysters and refined seafood with the river as the only view.

The third heads half an hour into Glenworth Valley, one of the most quintessentially Australian landscapes on the Central Coast. Wine and canapés are served at a private vantage point as the valley falls quiet. Then you hear the horses before you see them, as up to 250 surge through the paddocks on their way to graze, an experience few guests forget. Both off-site experiences are fully hosted, with return transfers in the Lodge’s Mercedes Sprinter fleet.

The stay closes on the final morning with seasonal yoga. It is a gentle Hatha-based flow with elements of Taoist chi movement and Japanese seasonal traditions, adapted to the time of year and ending in deep relaxation. Beginners and experienced practitioners are equally welcome.

Property Details

Location: Saddles Mount White, 20 Ashbrookes Road, Mount White, NSW, Australia
Opening: 2 November 2026
Stay structure: Rates quoted on a two-night itinerary for two guests
Inclusions: Daily breakfast at The Homestead; lunch at The Hawkesbury on arrival day and full days (not departure day) with house beverages; pre-dinner drinks at Ned’s; nightly five-course set menu with sommelier-matched wines; premium in-villa minibar; four hosted experiences (art, animal and history tour; Hawkesbury oyster farm immersion with beach lunch; Glenworth Valley “Running of the Horses”; seasonal morning yoga) with transfers
Dining: The Hawkesbury (Lodge restaurant), The Homestead at Saddles, Ned’s Piano Bar, pool bar
Wellness: The Spa at The Grand Saddles Lodge, with five treatment rooms, traditional and infrared saunas, ice baths, and native botanical treatments; communal infinity pool
Design: Michelle Leslie with White + Dickson Architects
Access: Approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour by road from Sydney CBD and Sydney Airport

2 night minimum stay.