One of South Africa’s best wildlife estates, Elephant Point, will open a new ultra-luxury development, Elephant Point River Suites.
Elephant Point is situated opposite the Kruger National Park, with sweeping views of the Sabie River.
The estate is 6km from Paul Kruger Gate, 26km from Skukuza Airport or a five-hour drive from Johannesburg.
Elephant Point, which is managed by the Legacy Group, will soon expand beyond its existing villas, with the opening of an ultra-luxury safari resort, Elephant Point River Suites.
The River Suites development will include a luxury 5-star hotel, a central facility, a spa, a boutique store, a gym, padel and tennis courts, and 60 luxury suites available for investment.
Ahead of its opening later this year, the Legacy Group invited BusinessTech to see the development.
The concept of the River Suites at Elephant Point was born from a combination of the luxury standard set by the estate’s existing privately owned lodges and Legacy’s vision for luxury hotel accommodation.
“The exclusive suites provide the ultimate tranquil and private bush experience supported centrally by world-class hotel amenities and facilities,” said Legacy.
The River Suites will be serviced by an elevated restaurant overlooking a large timber pool deck with boma space, a 25-meter swimming pool, and the Sabie River.
The ground floor, deck and pool are also slightly elevated above an expansive waterhole, while the spa facility is based around a rock outcrop.
It added that the hotel’s central block serves as the heartbeat from where guest experiences will be orchestrated.
All guest transport within the hotel premises is managed using golf carts, ensuring a vehicle-free environment that maintains tranquillity.
The reception space, which also serves as a pickup/drop-off point, will arrange guest excursions, game drives, and transfers to Elephant Point’s other facilities.
The development is also installing two wildlife corridors, which will allow game to walk in areas around the hotel premises while maintaining safety.
Your own personal butler
While managed by Legacy Hotels and Resorts and built by an associated company, the hotel’s suites will be individually owned by investors.
The “deconstructed” hotel model positions suites horizontally rather than in the standard multi-level hotel layout.
Suites will be either simplex (single-level) or duplex (double-storey), with minor differences evident in each unit, including room configuration.
Each suite comprises two keys, which offer a luxury suite and an additional functional en-suite space.
The grand bedroom features a king bed that can be closed off from the bathroom, which includes a freestanding bath overlooking a private garden and an outdoor shower.
Despite the luxury interiors, Legacy noted that the true essence of the bush experience lies in the time spent outdoors.
The Duplex Suites thus feature 60 sqm terraces, which offer shaded views of the Sabie River bank and the wildlife corridor.
Each terrace is designed to offer maximum comfort, featuring a gas braai, beverage cooler, dining facilities, a lounge space with a gas firepit and an open section with sun loungers.
Notably, each suite will include a butler, whose services include driving, liaising with customer service, and even packing and unpacking one’s bags.
While the simplexes do not have views of the Sabie River, on our walk around the development, we saw a buffalo less than 50m from one of the suites under construction.
Zebras were also found walking around the premises. Across the Sabie River, one can also see hippos and elephants, the latter of which the estate is named after.
Following heavy rains and widespread flooding in the Kruger, construction was delayed. However, the first phase of the development should open on 1 May 2026.
The overall development, including phases 1 and 2, will cost roughly R700 million.
According to the latest rankings by New World Wealth, Elephant Point features in the top 10 wildlife estates in South Africa.
Images and renderings of Elephant Point
