Sequoia Lodge

Sequoia Lodge sits high on Mount Lofty in the Adelaide Hills, on a 30-acre property beside the Mount Lofty House estate, about 20 minutes from the centre of Adelaide. A sequoia tree some 150 years old gives it its name, and the land runs down to the botanic gardens and national park. The lodge is for adults only and has 14 suites, each with a balcony over the Piccadilly Valley, a sunken lounge, a fireplace clad in local sandstone, a freestanding bath and a moon window that frames the night sky. Guests share a private lounge with a deck and a heated plunge pool, and three hot pools fed by an artesian spring sit in the grounds, with an infrared sauna nearby. More than 30 experiences are included, from sunrise yoga and guided nature walks to beekeeping. The lodge's own restaurant, for lodge guests only, serves contemporary Australian cooking from local, seasonal produce from breakfast to dinner, in the lounge or the suite, with a long South Australian wine list. On the estate, the three-hatted Hardy's Verandah Restaurant serves high tea and a degustation dinner, and Martha Hardy's Restaurant is open for dinner seven nights a week, exclusively for in-house guests on Friday and Saturday evenings, while the Gatekeeper's Spa occupies an old building nearby. Kangaroos, wallabies and koalas live on the surrounding trails. A privately and family-owned lodge, it is proudly part of the Relais & Châteaux collection.