The backstory
Don’t be deceived by South Lodge’s more traditional country-house hotel —these six two-bed bamboo-clad lodges invite you to dip toes in to sustainable-luxury living, with every five-star perk. The main hotel is a Victorian mansion in buff-coloured brick, originally built as a family home in the 1880s. Having evolved into a popular wedding venue suited to sipping whisky in tartan-print armchairs, amid wood panelling and oil paintings, this enclave of stand-alone two-story suites marks a new chapter for the independent hotel group, the Exclusive Collection. Owned by the Pecorelli family, they’re understandably proud of their B Corp status, which means the company has been assessed for their social, economic and environmental impact. Starting out in the 60s, Giuseppe Pecorelli worked behind a bar in a hotel in Camberley, where he met his wife-to-be, then after working his way up to managing director of the likes of Trusthouse Forte, now heads up a portfolio of eight UK properties. This refreshing hybrid of old-fashioned hospitality and a new eco-minded concept is evidenced in the biophilic build of this new accommodation. Natural materials and a light-footed frame from RapidRoot mean there was no CO2-emitting cement or the disturbance of any precious root systems or mycelium below ground with the creation of these lakeside lodges.
