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Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

VICTORIA Falls-based luxury facility Mbano Manor Hotel has officially become a partner of Mantis Collection.

Mantis is a leading conservation-focused hotel group with luxury hotels, eco-lodges, and waterways experiences located across the globe and sustainable travellers have been enjoying eco-tourism, safaris and adventure travel with Mantis since 2000.
Mantis is an Accor collection.

Now named Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls by Mantis, this will be the first internationally branded hotel in Victoria Falls in over a decade.

This is a major boost for Zimbabwe’s hospitality and tourism sector, as Mantis makes a presence in the country through the partnership.

Nestled in a thick teak forest on the edge of Zambezi National Park, the highly rated luxury property Mbano Manor, which opened in 2020, will get to enjoy the Mantis Collection resources and clientele.

Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls was built by Dr Matifadza Martha Nyazema with her family and a passionate team of stakeholders.

She realised her dream of creating a world-class forest hotel amid the splendour of Victoria Falls, and this saw President Mnangagwa opening the boutique hotel, which offers 18 luxury suites and a presidential villa in 2020.

The property whose construction saw none of the trees being cut, is surrounded by the wild beauty of a bird and tree sanctuary, and this is what primarily attracted Mr Adrian Gardiner, the chairman and proprietor of the Mantis Group.

Mr Gardiner visited Mbano Manor in Victoria Falls last year to assess the property and liked it. Dr Nyazema said the partnership does not change management or Mbano Manor brand as it is purely on the marketing side.

“We are thrilled to share some exciting news that as of 1st June 2023 Mbano Manor Hotel will proudly join the Mantis Collection portfolio making a significant milestone for our establishment and enhancing the Mbano Manor experience in Victoria Falls,” she said.

“This is a marketing and not management agreement. It is neither a franchise and we retain our management and ownership. We will run Mbano Manor as before and the team is still in charge. The beauty of this partnership is that they have their systems and we are welcome to access their resources,” said Dr Nyazema.

She said the journey started in 2020 when she and Mr Gardiner engaged each other over the phone before the global Covid-19 pandemic put everything on hold.

Dr Nyazema said when she built the hotel, she positioned it as a five-star facility but because of Covid-19 she was selling its packages as an ordinary hotel just to remain afloat and had to welcome the partnership with open hands.

“They loved our property in line with the synergies they are trying to create and I made a strategic decision to have a quick recovery, and it was in our interest to partner with a big player because their idea resonates with what Mbano Manor is doing, which is nature, conservation, bird and tree sanctuary.

“As a brand, we are already into environmental conservation and very much celebrating locality and heritage,” she said.

Dr Nyazema said the endorsement by Mantis signifies Mbano Manor’s alignment with the curated hotels’ vision and opens up a world of opportunities both for guests and the facility, partners, and stakeholders.

She said this is a win not only for Mbano Manor but for the tourism sector in general.

“It means an even more exceptional and unforgettable experience, promising unparalleled moments and cherished memories that awaits the facility.

“Mantis Collection are bringing a lot on the table: their clients will come to visit Victoria Falls and that automatically brings an international brand to the destination. Victoria Falls is repositioning itself to the international market and the rest of the industry will benefit,” she said.

The new Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls by Mantis will operate in accordance with Accor’s environmental and energy efficiency reporting tools, internal carbon price monitoring, eco-certification programmes, and brand standard sustainability criteria.

In addition to creating exceptional guest experiences, Mantis brings a commitment to preserving its surrounding communities, wildlife and the environment.

Victoria Falls, which has one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is Zimbabwe’s tourism capital.
Accor is a world-leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5 400 properties, 10 000 food and beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces.

The group has one of the industry’s most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 40 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore.

Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics and integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity and inclusion. The group was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in France.

Mantis on its own is rooted in conservation and pursues sustainable business practices and develops tourism products that are respectful of the environment and communities in which they operate.

Its business model successfully combines responsible tourism, conservation, and adventure, which translates to one-of-a-kind travel experiences.
— @ncubeleon.