Founders Lodge by Mantis 5 stars

Name: Founders Lodge by Mantis - ALL
Address: Sidbury Eastern Cape South, Africa, PORT ELIZABETH, 6001, ZA
Telephone: +27415550009
Rating: 5.0

Customer review rating (ALL Rating) 5.0/5 62 reviews

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Sidbury Eastern Cape South, Africa, 6001 PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa

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Founders Lodge by Mantis

Boutique hotels with personality for a remarkable travel experience

Founders Lodge by Mantis, an hour's drive from Gqeberha's Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport 's in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, is a game reserve with 5-star hospitality focused on tailored and convivial service, authentic South African cuisine and magnificent game viewing. This 7-suite lodge and newly renovated Founders Railway Carriage offers a pampered safari with an intimate, romantic experience for couples or an engaging, interactive social environment for families and friends.

Located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, Founders Lodge by Mantis is the birthplace of conservation in the region.

A celebration of essential beginnings in sustainable tourism, culture, conservation and community inclusion. It is a monument to conservation history and offers soul-reviving safaris in the place where Adrian Gardiner pioneered private game reserves.

Craig Turner, Hotel Management

Founders Lodge is more than just a safari destination, it is an embodiment of the lasting legacy of which founder, Adrian Gardiner, dreamt. It is about preserving and nurturing, as well as conservation of our wildlife and nature for future generations.
Hotel News:
In line with meeting our guests' standards, we will be carrying out some essential maintenance work 04 - 26 June 2025 that will greatly enhance our lodge and ultimately benefit to your clients.

Hotel extras

4x4 guided game drives on 25 000ha of wilderness area
Gymnasium and steam room
Outdoor Pool
Community and conservation focused guest experiences
Home to the first South African Bear Gryll's Survival Academy Kids Experience

Our accommodation(s)

Room

Honeymoon Pod

2 pers. max
32 m² / 344 sq ft

Bedding 1 x King size bed(s)
Views: Hills view or Panorama view
Most of the accommodation: Balcony

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Fees and taxes included

1 night | 1 adult

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Not available on the dates requested See availabilities

Suite

Heritage Suite

2 pers. max
30 m² / 322 sq ft

Bedding 1 x Single bed(s)
Views: Garden View or Hills view
Most of the accommodation: Terrace

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Fees and taxes included

1 night | 1 adult

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Suite

Master Suite

3 pers. max
40 m² / 430 sq ft

Bedding 1 x King size bed(s)
Views: Garden View or Hills view
Most of the accommodation: Terrace

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Fees and taxes included

1 night | 1 adult

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Suite

Contemporary Suites

3 pers. max
35 m² / 376 sq ft

Bedding 1 x Joinable bed(s)
Views: Garden View or Hills view
Most of the accommodation: Terrace

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Fees and taxes included

1 night | 1 adult

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Suite

The Founders Railway Carriage

5 pers. max
18 m² / 193 sq ft

Bedding 2 x Single bed(s)
Views: Hills view
Most of the accommodation: Fireplace or Private Pool or Terrace

From NaN ZAR NaN ZAR Note

Fees and taxes included

1 night | 1 adult

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Not available on the dates requested See availabilities

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Hotel location

Founders Lodge by Mantis

Sidbury Eastern Cape South, Africa
6001 PORT ELIZABETH
South Africa

GPS:-33.457189, 26.123962

+27 41 555 0009

Hotel services

Check-in from 01:00 PM - Check out up to 11:00 AM

On site

Swimming pool
Car park
Restaurant
Fitness center
Wi-Fi
Air conditioning
Breakfast
Bar
100% Non Smoking Property

FOUNDERS

Enjoy the enticing flavours of the Eastern Cape, traditional BBQ dinners and sumptuous lunches.

Our guest reviews

100% genuine reviews from our guests

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ALL Rating 5.0/5 62 reviews

TripAdvisor Rating 5.0/5 202 reviews

Peter B. Families - 1/6/2026 Confirmed reviews ALL

We were made to feel special. Founders employees including rangers went out of their way to deliver a 5star experience

Thank you for this great review, Peter - we really appreciate it :)

Michaela E. Families - 1/2/2026 Confirmed reviews ALL

The Mantis Founder's Lodge is a magical place! The Lodge itself is so welcoming, so clean and just well-managed. The big 'bonus' is the watering-hole hide out - that's been the most amazing thing ever! I'd say the Lodge is really well managed by Craig and his wife. Yet the team overall still needs a bit of guidance and we felt their absence in the way the service was lacking a little. The rangers, on the other hand, were absolutely TOP! We had ranger Skuh and he was the most knowledgeable, patient, fun ranger we could have wished for! Overall, we had a wonderful time and would happily come back.

Dear Michaela Thank you for taking the time to share your delightful experience at Founders Lodge. We are thrilled to hear that you found our lodge welcoming, clean, and well-managed, and that you enjoyed the unique encounters with wildlife, particularly at the hide. We appreciate your feedback regarding the service provided by our team. It is our aim to ensure all guests receive the highest level of service, and we will certainly take your comments into consideration for continuous improvement. We are grateful for your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable stay in the future.

Rick B. Families - 12/27/2025 Confirmed reviews ALL

The hide at Founder's lodge provides a front row seat to wildlife viewing at a water hole, which is just the most incredible perspective! The game viewing on the park was incredible. Amazing ranger, and incredible service at the lodge.

Thank you so much, Rick, Jacqui & Neve, for this great review! We loved having the three of you here at Founders and hope to welcome you back in the future.

Heinrich C. Families - 12/9/2025 Confirmed reviews ALL

An unforgettable stay! Warm hospitality, breathtaking wildlife encounters, and luxurious comfort made this the best experience ever. Every detail was perfect, from the game drives to dining —truly magical and memorable. They looked after our kids so well, making the experience even greater for the whole family.

Thank you Heinrich - we so appreciate your review :)

Our visit to Founders Lodge was over 3 days - all I can say, it was fabulous from the moment we arrived until the sad moment we

Verna M 12/6/2025 TripAdvisor review

The whole experience of staying at Founders Lodge was fantastic. The safaris were brilliant, the rooms, the food and staff were wonderful.

We love getting great reviews like this - thank you so much!

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Web-users rating

Other web-users rate our hotel

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Price from: 1 night for 1 person in the room category identified within the same price range, excluding additional services and breakfast. This refers to the lowest public price, including all taxes (Some taxes may be payable on arrival at the hotel (for example, tourist tax), depending on current local regulations.) for the accommodation concerned, found on https://all.accor.com/ site today, for a one-night stay in the next 20 days. Varies according to period and availability. The price is only guaranteed at the time of booking. All bookings (foreign) are payable in the local currency where the hotel is situated. Only the amount confirmed during the booking in the hotels local currency is guaranteed. An estimated conversion in your local currency may be given for reference but is not part of the contract. Your bank may charge you bank fees and/or exchange fees at the time of payment.