Virgin Limited Edition is redesigning both lodges at Ulusaba, its private game reserve in South Africa’s Sabi Sand region. Rock Lodge and Safari Lodge closed at the end of January 2026 for a full reconstruction and will reopen on 1 April 2027. The project will turn the 25-year-old property into a 20-bedroom retreat with all-suite accommodations, private plunge pools, and expanded wellness facilities.
Bookings for the rebuilt Ulusaba Safari Lodge are already open. The lodges sit within Virgin Hotels Collection, the parent hospitality brand behind Virgin Limited Edition. Luxury Frontiers, based in Johannesburg and Memphis, designed the interiors for both lodges, while Orbic led the exterior redesign of Rock Lodge.
New Accommodation and Design
Rock Lodge, built on the granite koppie that gives Ulusaba its name, will offer nine rooms after the rebuild. That total includes five new Rock Suites and two new interconnecting Makwela Suites, alongside two existing Cliff Lodge suites that will remain bookable together exclusively. Children under 12 will continue to stay at Rock Lodge, which runs a Cubs Club program covering bush skills, animal tracking, and Africology spa treatments for kids.
Safari Lodge, set along a dry riverbed, will have 11 accommodation options once work finishes. Eight of these are new Elephant Suites, each with floor-to-ceiling glass doors and vaulted ceilings.
A separate enclave called The Hide will sit in an elevated position overlooking the Xikwenga Dam. It includes three suites and a shared living area with a deck and boma firepit, and it can be booked exclusively by groups. Luxury Frontiers designed Safari Lodge end-to-end, while Orbic focused on Rock Lodge’s exterior given the challenges of building into the koppie.
Wellness and Experience
Wellness facilities will become a central part of the guest offer at both lodges. Virgin Limited Edition is partnering with South African spa brand Africology on treatments built around ethically sourced African ingredients. Each lodge will include multiple treatment rooms, cold plunge pools, Himalayan salt saunas, hydrotherapy pools, and rasul mud experiences.
Guests will also have access to a tactile reflexology walkway and a yoga deck overlooking the reserve. A pickleball court is being added alongside the two existing tennis courts. Luxury Frontiers, winner of the Architectural Digest 2025 Great Design Hotel award, designed the interiors to reflect the surrounding bush and incorporate Tsonga-inspired detailing and craftsmanship.
Joe Margison, CEO of Virgin Hotels Collection, said, “Ulusaba is incredibly special to Virgin Limited Edition and its many loyal guests. This redesign is about carefully evolving what has made Ulusaba so loved over the past 25 years, while also future proofing the lodges for generations of guests to come.”
Sustainability and Community Commitment
The rebuilt lodges will run on up to 60% renewable energy when they reopen, using solar panels already installed at the site. This builds on Ulusaba’s existing conservation and responsible tourism work within the Sabi Sand reserve. The property’s design also draws on Tsonga craftsmanship tied to the surrounding communities.
Pride n’ Purpose, Ulusaba’s not-for-profit arm, will continue its community support work during the closure. Ulusaba staff members are volunteering across various community initiatives while the lodges are rebuilt. The organization has worked with local communities around the reserve for the past two decades.
