AccorHotels Signs Strategic Agreement with Mantis Group

This strategic partnership 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.

Sebastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO, AccorHotels 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."

Founder and Chairman of the Mantis Group, Adrian Gardiner, commented: "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.

The partnership agreement is subject to regulatory approvals.

_{ABOUT MANTIS}

_{Mantis is a unique collection of extraordinary destinations spanning every continent on Earth. Whether small and intimate or vast and complex, on a sweeping African plain, bustling city, private tropical island or frozen snow scape, each is an exceptional place for guests to find themselves. While uniquely different in the experiences they offer, all are linked through a collective obsession to be extraordinary, to be rare in a world that mass-produces sameness. Mantis constantly curates, collects and discovers destinations and experiences that stir the soul, defy expectation and live in the heart forever. We will do anything in our power to advance the cause of sustainability and to promote further appreciation of the land, its creatures and our communities. We believe that the truly rare needs to be looked after and protected for future generations and are wholly committed to Legacy Creation.} ​