About Lush Private Lodge
CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS 1 JUNE - 5 JULY. INCLUDES DRINKS! Our choice as arguably THE most stylish and luxurious lodge in the Pilanesberg – Lush has just 8 spacious rooms each boasting the latest in contemporary safari style, including private plunge pools!
One of the noticeable trends when it comes to the Pilanesberg is the launch of more upmarket, luxurious and stylish lodges – and the new Lush Private Lodge has effortlessly leapt to the head of the pack! Boasting the latest contemporary safari lodge styling and décor touches more commonly associated with the top lodges in the Sabi Sands for example, fashionistas not wanting to travel that far (nor pay the extreme prices!) can now rejoice as Lush has now brought this cutting-edge safari aesthetic to the reserve most conveniently accessed from Gauteng.
In fact, Lush Private Lodge is actually located in the Black Rhino reserve, a private conservancy on the north-western side of the Pilanesberg which has been incorporated into the National Park. As such you get the best of both worlds – you are able to traverse in the exclusive area covered by the Black Rhino reserve, or travel further afield and access the extensive public road network of the main Pilanesberg reserve (obviously though, in doing this you will also be exposed to public road traffic, so it’s not as exclusive an experience as the private reserves bordering Kruger for example) Nor are you allowed to head off road as in the private reserves. The usual pattern is for morning drives to go into Pilanesberg whilst evening drives stay inside the Black Rhino reserve.
But whilst game viewing in the Pilanesberg can be rewarding and varied, we’re willing to bet that, for many of the guests staying at Lush over the years to come, this is unlikely to be on the top of their list of priorities. Instead, many of them will primarily be looking at Lush as a stylish, luxurious and romantic place where they can escape to enjoy a quick break from the city - the tranquility of the surrounding bush and being able to go on game drives will simply be the cream on top.
There will certainly be plenty for style aficionados to get excited about at Lush! The lodge’s architecture and décor is unapologetically minimalistic and contemporary – for example there is extensive use of raw concrete surfaces, but this has been beautifully balanced through the extensive use of raw natural wood for instance, along with more traditional elements like thatch roofs with exposed ceilings, so that the overall effect is never in danger of becoming too cold and clinical.
The main public areas are spacious and stylish with probably the highlight being the wrap-around viewing and dining deck, from which guests can enjoy gorgeous views of the mountains looming over the lodge. With comfortable lounging areas inside and out, this is a lovely spot to order a drink from the friendly barman and chill out. And if even that isn't good enough, there's also a separate upstairs viewing deck available where you can relax with a good book and pair of binoculars and soak up the views! At night, with lighting atmospherically provided by plenty of lanterns, the romantic ambience in the public areas is heightened.
But whilst the public areas might be attractive, for us the stars of the show at Lush have to be the 5 superb Suites (3 of which look out into the bush and the other 2 with views over the mountains) and 3 Deluxe Suites. Quite frankly they’re all absolutely gorgeous with a string of features that’ll have guests swooning with delight – from the private plunge pools (the first in the Pilanesberg to our knowledge) to the romantic stand-alone baths which are actually inside the bedrooms (with the rest of the stylish bathrooms tucked around the corner), not to mention the lovely outdoor shower on the deck! Add in a Smeg mini-bar and Nespresso machine and we wouldn’t blame you if you stayed ensconced in your room for virtually the entire duration of your stay, just emerging at meal times to enjoy another delicious meal! Whilst the Suites are stunning, the 3 Deluxe Suites are even better, adding more space and privacy to the mix, including an upstairs viewing lounge - the clincher perhaps for choosing these 3 Deluxe Suites though (especially in the winter months), is that their plunge pools are also heated!
The other highlight judging by the rave reviews of many guests is the superb dining on offer at Lush (remember too that drinks are also included in your rate at Lush!) If anything there's almost too much delicious food on offer and it seems to just keep on coming - from rusks and coffee before morning game drive, to a full brunch on your return with lunch served just a couple of hours later! Notwithstanding that, you can also tuck into a scrumptious afternoon tea before heading out for your second drive of the day, with dinner awaiting you on your return, with many guests reporting the regular boma evenings as their highlight. You may just want to make use though of the on-site gym to avoid going home after your stay at Lush without a significantly expanded waist line!
