AccorHotels has announced a strategic partnership with the South Africa-based Mantis Group, a collection of award winning, privately owned, managed and branded five star properties and lodges located around the world, across all seven continents.
From boutique hotels, eco lodges, game reserves and luxury houseboats to adventure tourism as well as a bespoke tour operating division, the agreement reinforces AccorHotels as a leader in curated one-of-a-kind experiences and resonates with the Group’s conservation platform with Planet 21.
This strategic partnership – which includes AccorHotels acquiring a 50% stake in Mantis Group – is accompanied by the launch of Community Conservation Fund Africa (CCFA), a non-profit organization (NGO) which aims to amplify both Groups’ commitment towards preventing the accelerating decline of Africa’s wildlife and bringing together three internationally renowned conservation organizations – Wilderness Foundation, Tusk Trust and African Parks.
AccorHotels Chairman and CEO, Sebastien Bazin, said: “Mantis is a pioneer in customized one-of-a-kind travel services in some of the most imaginative hotels across the world. With this strategic partnership, we are reinforcing the Group’s footprint in Africa and we have access to a brand with strong roots and heritage, recognised for its commitment to preserve the environment and its prestigious credentials in the hospitality space.”
Mantis Group Founder and Chairman, Adrian Gardiner, said: “AccorHotels is one of the fastest growing hotel and travel operators worldwide. This agreement presents an attractive proposition for the Mantis Group to utilize AccorHotels’ robust distribution channels and world-wide reach to further develop the hospitality concepts and sustainability projects we have worked so tirelessly to grow. We are excited to embark upon this new chapter alongside AccorHotels where we will act as ambassadors for the development of both our Groups’ portfolios and offerings.”
The Mantis network features 28 managed properties, plus a global network of branded hotels and residences, including boutique villas and flagship properties such as Founders Lodge – a South African game reserve located in the Eastern Cape, Mantis St Helena – a boutique hotel on the remote island in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Draycott Hotel in London, synonymous with Old World elegance and quintessential British luxury.
Celebrated for its far-flung experiences for the adventure curious, the Mantis Group also owns and operates a number of unique luxury houseboats and a lodge under the Zambezi Queen Collection brand.
This strategic partnership will strengthen AccorHotels’ leadership position in Africa and will combine the vision of embodying conservation and education into its operations. Highlights of Mantis’ success in conservation include the support and sponsorship of initiatives for the Wilderness Foundation Africa, Tusk Trust and various other conservation NGOs. Mantis strives to conserve the biodiversity of the landscapes that host its properties and share the ecotourism benefits with local communities via job creation. Education, also a core value of the Mantis Group, is exemplified in “Worldwide Experience”, which offers international students the opportunity to take up conservation placements throughout Southern Africa. The Group has a partnership with Stenden University, a hotel management institution in South Africa that educates students in hospitality and disaster management and also offers practical experience via internships at Mantis properties and is the only institution in the world that offers a course in Conservation and Lodge Management at a private game reserve.