Accor Signs Mantis Nagarhole, Bringing Conservation Brand to India

BENGALURU, May 20, 2026: Accor has signed Mantis Nagarhole, a 31-key eco-resort on 13 acres at the edge of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, marking the debut of the Mantis brand in India. The property is scheduled to open in 2028 and is being developed by Macs Max Private Limited, led by Balram Hirehal Jairaj. It will sit within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest and most ecologically significant protected areas in South Asia.

Mantis is not a brand that lands easily or casually in a new market. Founded in South Africa and built around the idea that exceptional hospitality and active conservation are not competing values but inseparable ones, it operates in some of the world's most sensitive natural environments. Bringing it to India, and placing it specifically in Nagarhole, is a deliberate signal about where Accor sees the premium end of Indian eco-tourism heading.

Mantis Nagarhole: what the resort will offer

The resort will feature cottages and rooms across its 31 keys, spread over 13 acres of land bordering the reserve. An all-day dining restaurant, a bar, a swimming pool, a spa, and a gym will form the core amenities. The property will also include a viewing tower, a considered addition in a setting where a clear sightline over the forest canopy at dawn or dusk can define an entire stay.

Beyond the built infrastructure, the guest experience is anchored in the landscape itself. Guided safaris, nature trails, and cultural activities will form the programming layer, the reasons someone extends a night into three. The resort will be developed with low-impact construction methods, and its ESG framework will address energy efficiency, biodiversity conservation, and environmental resilience in line with Accor's global sustainability standards.

Why Nagarhole, and why now

Nagarhole, formally the Rajiv Gandhi National Park, is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-designated landscape that spans Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and represents one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The park holds significant tiger, elephant, leopard, and wild dog populations. It draws serious wildlife photographers and naturalists alongside first-time safari guests and honeymooners.

The Nagarhole corridor has been developing as a luxury eco-tourism destination for several years, with a growing number of premium lodges responding to demand for low-density, high-quality wildlife experiences. What it has not had until now is a globally recognised conservation brand with the specific philosophy that Mantis carries, one where the resort is not simply located near wildlife but actively participates in the long-term health of the ecosystem around it.

Community engagement is written into the Mantis model, not added as a feature. For a region where local communities live alongside one of the country's most protected forests, that distinction matters, both for the guests who choose the property because of it, and for the reserve itself.

What Accor's South Asia CEO said about the signing

Ranju Alex, CEO – South Asia, Accor, placed the Mantis Nagarhole signing inside a broader strategic intention to expand into high-value leisure destinations that combine natural authenticity with responsible development.

"India's travel landscape is evolving rapidly, with a growing appetite for meaningful, experience-led journeys rooted in nature and authenticity. The signing of Mantis Nagarhole reflects our strategic focus on expanding in high-value leisure destinations while staying deeply committed to sustainability and conservation. This retreat will not only offer an extraordinary wildlife experience but also embody the Mantis philosophy of responsible tourism, community engagement, and environmental responsibility. We are delighted to partner with a visionary ownership group to bring this unique offering to life in one of India's most pristine ecosystems."

— Ranju Alex, CEO – South Asia, Accor

The language of "meaningful journeys" and "authenticity" is common in hospitality press releases. What makes it sit differently here is the specificity of the address. Nagarhole is not a vague aspirational setting, it is a named, protected, scientifically significant landscape where what the resort does or does not do has measurable consequences. That specificity gives the philosophy weight it would not have in a generic wellness or eco-resort context.

The developer's vision for the project

Balram Hirehal Jairaj, Director, Macs Max Private Limited, described the project as a convergence of regional opportunity and international expertise.

"The signing of Mantis Nagarhole marks an important milestone in our vision to create meaningful hospitality experiences rooted in nature, sustainability, and regional authenticity. Nagarhole is one of India's most extraordinary wildlife destinations, and we saw a strong opportunity to develop a retreat that celebrates the beauty of the region while offering guests a deeply immersive and responsible luxury experience. Our partnership with Accor and the globally acclaimed Mantis brand brings together international expertise in eco-luxury hospitality and our commitment to developing distinctive destinations in South India. We look forward to bringing this landmark project to life and contributing to the growth of experiential tourism in Karnataka."

— Balram Hirehal Jairaj, Director, Macs Max Private Limited

What the Mantis brand brings to India

Mantis was founded in South Africa in 2000 by Adrian Gardiner, a conservationist who built Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape and used hospitality revenue to fund wildlife rehabilitation. The brand has since grown into a global collection of boutique hotels and eco-resorts in wildlife-rich environments, operating across Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe under Accor's umbrella.

In India, Mantis enters a market where the premium wildlife lodge segment is growing but remains underpenetrated by internationally branded operators. Most of the high-end properties near tiger reserves and biosphere areas are independently operated or owned by domestic luxury groups. A globally recognised conservation brand with Accor's distribution, loyalty programme, and ESG infrastructure represents a different kind of offer, one that can reach international wildlife travellers who book on reputation alone.

Accor's broader India expansion in 2026

The Mantis signing is the latest in a sustained period of development activity for Accor in South Asia. The group recently brought its TRIBE brand to the region with a Kathmandu signing, and has been actively expanding its mid-market and premium leisure portfolio across India. The Nagarhole project adds a genuinely distinctive conservation dimension to that pipeline, a property type that no other Accor brand in its current India portfolio occupies.

When Mantis Nagarhole opens in 2028, it will offer 31 rooms in one of the country's most protected and ecologically significant landscapes. By the standards of luxury hospitality development, that is a small footprint. By the standards of Mantis, that is exactly the point.