3 minute read
Sequoia Lodge
by Boylen
ULTRA-LUXE SEQUOIA AN ADELAIDE HILLS SUCCESS
WORDS: LUCY BREWER
Sequoia Lodge is the only place in the world you can find four world-class wine regions within a 50 kilometre radius.
The recently-opened luxury lodge sits on Mount Lofty, above the Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills. It officially opened its doors in August, after more than a year of delays due to COVID-19.
David Horbelt, Sequoia owner and an experienced hotelier, purchased the estate over a decade ago.
Some five years later, Jesse Kornoff, Estate General Manager, joined the project. Jesse’s career had spanned all manner of hotels—predominately five-star—from boutique properties around Australian to 480-room resorts in Queensland, but luxury accommodation was his specialty.
He and David immediately went to work pitching their product internationally. The feedback was clear—to crack the luxury lodge market, Sequoia needed to offer experiences guests couldn’t have anywhere else in the world.
“Sequoia Lodge is the culmination of a vision that started forming more than a decade ago,” said David.
“We wanted to create a hospitality offering of the highest calibre where guests from all over the world would feel at home amongst the incredible wine and gastronomic experiences of the Adelaide Hills and surrounding valleys and vales.”
Sequoia comprises 14 high-end suites overlooking the valley. Everything is bespoke, and the experiences on offer champion locality.
According to Jesse, the lodge is a “gateway into the region… connecting people to not only the region but also the people and experiences and stories behind some of those really iconic brands that we have in South Australia, whether it be Penfolds or Henschke or R.M. Williams or Jurlique.”
The duo wanted Sequoia to be a place to connect with the land via intimate, on-site experiences. The Peramangk people are the traditional custodians of the Adelaide Hills, and at Sequoia, guests can listen to Aboriginal elders explain what Mount Lofty means to their people.
Guests can also enjoy sunrise yoga or a guided nature walk, stargaze, relax in the artisan spring-fed hot pool, or take part in a ‘Maker and Somm’ session where a local winemaker will join a Sequoia sommelier to taste and discuss their wines.
Some of the off-site experiences include going behind the scenes at R.M. Williams, driving a luxury car through the Adelaide Hills thanks to a collaboration with Prancing Horse, visiting Cleland Wildlife Park to hold a koala, or going on a private truffle hunt.
Jesse called COVID-19 a “blessing in disguise” for Sequoia and many regional hotels.
He said the closed borders gave the lodge “a level of market cut through” that may have otherwise taken a number of years to achieve.
The lodge is currently sitting at close to 90% capacity, and has been very popular with locals. According to Jesse, it is the first product of its kind to open in over ten years (Saffire Freycinet Tasmania was the most recent).
“If you were coming to SA and you wanted to stay in the best hotel, you’d choose to come and stay at Mount Lofty House,” said Jesse.
“However, if you were wanting to come and experience something you couldn’t have anywhere else in the world, you would come to Sequoia.
“I think we’re going to be exceptionally busy for a long time.”
