Global hotel giant buys half of SA Mantis Group

WORLDWIDE hospitality conglomerate AccorHotels has acquired a 50% stake in the South African-based Mantis Group, it was announced yesterday.

Founded in the Eastern Cape by prominent businessman Adrian Gardiner, the Mantis Group is a collection of privately owned and managed five-star properties and lodges located around the world.

AccorHotels employs 270 000 people in 100 countries.

Sebastien Bazin, the chairperson and chief executive of AccorHotels, says the group has 115 hotels in Africa and aims to expand its footprint in Southern Africa.

“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 credentials in the hospitality space,” said Bazin.

Gardiner said the agreement presented an attractive proposition for the Mantis Group to use AccorHotels’ distribution channels and worldwide reach to develop the hospitality concepts and sustainability projects.

“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 game reserve in the Eastern Cape, Mantis St Helena, a boutique hotel on the remote island in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Draycott Hotel in London.

Celebrated for its far-flung experiences for the adventurous, the Mantis Group also owns and operates a number of luxury houseboats and a lodge under the Zambezi Queen Collection brand.

The Mantis Group is also in partnership with Stenden University, a hotel management institution in Port Alfred, that educates students in hospitality and disaster management and offers practical experience via internships at Mantis properties.

It is the only institution in the world that offers a course in conservation and lodge management at a private game reserve. – African News Agency (ANA)