Accor Mantis India Debuts With Nagarhole Signing

BENGALURU, May 20, 2026: Accor has signed Mantis Nagarhole, a wildlife-focused eco-luxury retreat planned near the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, marking the debut of its Mantis brand in India and adding a distinctive new segment to the group's rapidly expanding South Asia portfolio.

The signing, announced on May 20, 2026, brings one of Accor's most conservation-oriented brands to the Indian market for the first time. The resort, expected to open in 2028, will sit across nearly 13 acres within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest protected forest corridors in South Asia, and will offer 31 premium cottages and rooms to guests seeking an immersive encounter with one of India's most celebrated wildlife destinations.

Mantis brand India entry targets the wildlife eco-luxury segment

The Mantis brand positions itself at the intersection of premium hospitality and responsible conservation. Accor describes the brand's philosophy as centered on biodiversity protection, community engagement and low-impact development, values designed to appeal to travellers who prioritise environmental accountability alongside luxury comfort.

The Nagarhole property will include an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, a spa, a gym and a swimming pool, alongside outdoor viewing spaces built to take advantage of the surrounding forest landscape. Guests will have access to guided safari experiences, nature walks led by trained naturalists and curated cultural immersions in the region.

The development will follow a sustainability-focused construction and operations model, with emphasis on energy efficiency, water conservation and sourcing practices aligned with the Mantis brand's conservation commitments.

South India developer leads the project

The resort is being developed by a South India-based hospitality and real estate group led by Hirehal Jairaj Balram. The developer holds interests across hospitality and property development in the region and identified Nagarhole as a destination with long-term potential for nature-driven premium tourism.

Balram said the partnership with Accor aims to create a hospitality destination grounded in regional authenticity, wildlife conservation and the kind of immersive experience that increasingly defines the preferences of premium travellers from India and abroad.

Accor bets on experience-led travel to drive India growth

Ranju Alex, chief executive officer of Accor for South Asia, said the Mantis Nagarhole signing reflects a broader shift in Indian travel preferences, with more guests actively seeking destinations rooted in nature, wildlife and experience rather than conventional urban hospitality.

Alex, who joined Accor as CEO for South Asia in late 2025 after three decades of leadership at Marriott International and The Oberoi Group, has made high-value leisure destinations a focal point of the group's regional expansion strategy. The Mantis signing represents one of the early moves under her tenure to place Accor in under-served premium segments within India.

Accor currently operates 74 hotels in India across its portfolio, which includes brands from Raffles and Fairmont at the luxury end to Pullman, Novotel and ibis. The Mantis addition opens a new tier within the Indian portfolio, one built around wildlife proximity and conservation rather than urban business or resort infrastructure.

Nagarhole emerges as eco-tourism destination

The Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve, part of the broader Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve shared across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, has attracted growing interest from both domestic and international travellers over the past several years. The reserve is home to tigers, leopards, wild elephants and a range of endemic bird species, making it one of the richer biodiversity hotspots in peninsular India.

Existing high-end properties in the Nagarhole corridor have demonstrated strong occupancy from premium travel segments. The Mantis Nagarhole signing signals that global hotel groups now view the Nilgiri wildlife circuit as sufficiently mature to support internationally branded eco-luxury accommodation.

Part of Accor's broader India expansion drive

The Mantis signing forms part of a larger growth strategy Accor is executing in partnership with InterGlobe, India's largest aviation conglomerate and the parent company of IndiGo airline. The two companies formed a joint venture earlier this year with the stated aim of growing Accor's India footprint to 300 hotels by 2030, a target that would make the group one of the three largest hotel operators in the country.

Accor currently has approximately 40 hotels in various stages of development across South Asia in addition to its operational hotels. The Mantis Nagarhole property, with its 2028 opening target, sits within that development pipeline and adds a brand that Accor has not previously operated in the Indian market.

Sources: Hospitality Biz India (May 20, 2026); Accor official press release on Ranju Alex appointment (August 27, 2025); BW Hotelier; Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Department.