John ‘Singo’ Singleton says his new luxury Grand Saddles Lodge will be “10 stars, not five”.  The Grand Saddles Lodge, set to open in spring 2026, will rise from the bushland surrounding the estate’s established precinct, which includes The Barn, The Caravan and The Homestead, named one of the World’s Most Beautiful Restaurants by Condé Nast Traveller.

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Luxury lodge raises the bar

Singleton, who has lived in Mount White for 25 years, says the lodge grew out of a simple operational problem: The Homestead was constantly booked out, but visitors had nowhere to stay after dinner.

“I had a simple coffee shop, but no bar. And nowhere to go after 5pm,” he says. His solution was to acquire the bush block next door – a stretch of land wrapped around a lake and hemmed in by native trees – and build a luxury retreat that gives visitors “somewhere to have a drink… somewhere to stay”.

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“It was like the Hunter Valley, but 45 minutes from Sydney, two minutes from the Hawkesbury River, [and] 30 minutes from the beaches,” Singleton says of the location. “Most importantly, it’s 41 minutes from Woolloomooloo Wharf. Google can confirm that.”

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Art Deco glamour meets native bushland

Designed by Michelle Leslie with White + Dickson Architects, the property channels the Art Deco glamour of a landmark Upper East Side hotel, complete with a brass revolving door that Singleton claims is “the likes of which I’ve only ever seen at The Carlyle in New York”.

The design also leans heavily into its Australian setting. Guests will arrive via a winding bush driveway that opens onto a glass-domed central lodge, before making their way to one of 20 villas tucked into the grey-green canopy. Interiors feature local sandstone, spotted gum, brass fittings and artworks from Central Coast creatives.

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Everything onsite, Singleton says, is tethered to the Hawkesbury. “Even the art in the rooms. I want it to come through everywhere. The local artists have created custom artworks to reflect the river, the trees.”

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Each villa includes a living space warmed by an open fireplace, locally crafted furniture and a private terrace with a plunge pool, alongside access to a communal infinity pool and bar overlooking the bush. Singleton says the lodge will entice visitors for an escape stretching from morning coffee to late-night drinks.

“You can come and have brekky and sit all day,” he says. “Have a cup of coffee, sit in the sun, looking at the lake. Have a lovely lunch inside or outside,” he says.

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From produce-led dining to late-night piano

Wining and dining remains central to the Mount White experience. The lodge’s new restaurant will be open to the public and showcase prime Australian produce – from fresh, local seafood and organic meats to an extensive international wine list – shaped by the estate’s onsite kitchen garden. “The food is world-class. Only the finest,” Singleton says. “If it’s not the best, it’s not on the menu. All the food is local.”

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For those staying late, a new piano bar called Ned’s offers an intimate space designed for conversation. “The piano plays to the soft lyrics of Sinatra, the greats,” Singleton says. “It tinkles its way through dinner, both for the lodge guests and for lucky locals.”

‘The best spa in the world’

The Grand Saddles Lodge Spa rounds out the offering, with five treatment rooms, traditional and infrared saunas, ice baths and Australian botanical body therapies, alongside private terrace plunge pools and an infinity pool. Singleton says the Spa is one of his favourite new additions to the Saddles Mount White precinct. “The Wellness Spa? Best in the world. You need to see it to believe it. World class. The brief I gave to my designer Michelle Leslie, best designer in the world, was that it had to be the best in the world. And it is.”

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Grand Saddles Lodge officially opens in spring 2026. For bookings, visit grandsaddleslodge.com.au