I THINK THAT THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING THIS BIG BROTHER ( ACCOR ) BEHIND US IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BE A DIFFERENTIATOR FOR US . THE LOYALTY , THE DISTRIBUTION AND OUR VISION FOR RECREATING A BETTER PLANET – WE PLUG ALL OF THAT IN AND IT CAN GIVE US A LOT OF BANG FOR BUCK .
– PAUL GARDINER the Gardiner family sold in 2010 . In addition , Paul Gardiner says he has already recruited The Lodge at Feline Fields in Botswana as a franchise , as well as the eight-key Origins Lodge in Costa Rica . Both lodges will retain their identity and tack “ by Mantis ” to the property names .
“ A lot of these eco-warrior lodges have amazing owners with big aspirations to do things right . They ’ ve got the money to do that , too ,” Gardiner says . “ So , I think we ’ ll be in good hands , but we just have to watch very carefully what we do .”
The bigger plan with Accor calls for a portfolio that is about 80 % eco-driven lodges and 20 % gateway hotels . For example , Mantis already has the 35-room Draycott Hotel in London , which can act as a gateway to other Mantis properties in the
Scottish Highlands . “ We are busy doing a couple of interesting ecoproperties in and around the UK ( Chester , Oxfordshire and on the Isle of Wight ),” Gardiner adds .
The partnership also gives Accor a real opportunity to make a difference in the eco-tourism world , says Gardiner , who got his start in the business as a game ranger at Shamwari in 1996 . “ I think it ’ s going to do them good , because if you look at all the big boys , none of them really have an eco-warrior brand – perhaps IHG to a degree with Six Senses … I think Accor realizes they ’ ve got this green flag that they need to be waving absolutely everywhere because it gives you a lot of credibility today .”
GROWTH PLANS Looking ahead , Mantis in October announced a deal to reposition and
Siringit Migration Camp Sundowner
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