Estate Living Digital Publication Issue 7 July 2015 | Page 38

Visionaries - The Mantis Collection

VISIONARIES

38

The company began with a small insignificant piece
of eroded and abused land in the bushveld valley,
measuring just 2000 acres. From this grew Shamwari
Game Reserve, now an overwhelming 25, 000
hectares and home to all the large game that once
occurred in the Eastern Cape. A local man with global
vision, Adrian was the first person to put the Eastern
Cape on the tourist map and despite being sold to
the Dubai World, has still has his private home on the
reserve with traversing rights. Shamwari has since
become a blueprint model, internationally recognised
for successful sustainable conservation tourism, and
the winning recipe was soon replicated with the 54,
000-hectare Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in the Western
Cape.
With two flourishing wildlife reserves under his belt,
Adrian then found the parent company Mantis in
2000 after recognising the opportunity in providing a
consistent high-quality tourism experience from start
to finish, where properties could join forces under one
group and provide a one-stop shop for international
visitors wishing to travel the world in the ultimate lap
of luxury.
Adrian’s ambitions for the company fuel its continuous
growth. His significant contribution to the tourism
industry has successfully put Port Elizabeth on the
global map and his momentous efforts to help with
the conservation of African habitats and wildlife will
undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy.
Despite the successes and reproduction of a formula
that seems to be doing so well, changing methods
in the traditional way of doing business means the
Mantis brand is never content. Together with its
formidable founder, Adrian Gardiner, it is exploring

new and exciting developments, which are sure to
yield even more rewards.
The Mantis Hotel at Pearl Valley Golf and Lifestyle
Estate. Locating that one exceptional setting is the
reason that Mantis has chosen Pearl Valley Golf and
Lifestyle Estate for its latest luxury hotel. This will be the
largest hotel in the region, catering for larger events,
but small enough to provide the quality service and
personal attention for which both Mantis and Pearl
Valley are renowned.
The hotel will comprise 10 freestanding double-storey
buildings and a total of 68 keys or 80 bedrooms are split
between a combination of single and double rooms.
Suite owners will gain membership to the Pearl Valley
Golf & Country Estate and access all facilities as well
as no owner costs outside of the initial investment,
30 days annual usage rights and exclusive access to
specials at other Mantis-operated hotels.
Owners will also benefit from capital appreciation and
earnings benefits in the form of the potential revenue
and profits earned by the hotel, shared by room
owners, whilst all levies, rates and taxes, insurances
and upkeep costs will be covered under the rental pool
agreement. An adjacent conference centre, built as
part of the development plan with further maximise
earning potential.
Upon completion, the hotel will capture both the
leisure and business sectors of the market and have
the ability to drive occupancies even outside the
typical peak usage periods.
www.pearlvalleyhotel.com