Mantis St Helena

Our recent stay at the Mantis was our fourth which indicates how much we have enjoyed our time there - since unsuccessful stays are not repeated! The staff were delightful, courteous and attentive without being intrusive, the accommodation was clean, tidy and comfortable as always and the menu interesting and varied. We were impressed by the steps being taken to ensure that the hotel is more environmentally aware whilst not adversely affecting it's high standard of service. St Helena is a small island with no near neighbours and whilst its fantastic scenery, history etc. are a great attraction for visitors, its isolation must make the practicalities of running a hotel to this high standard quite a demanding challenge. Our compliments and thanks to all involved in meeting the challenge so successfully.

Pour notre semaine inoubliable à Sainte Hélène, le Mantis qui est le seul véritable hôtel de l'île a été le refuge parfait. Tout d'abord, il y a cet emplacement central dans la minuscule ville de Jamestown, juste en face du jardin public et de la Porteus house où Napoléon a passé sa première nuit et surtout à quelques pas de la jetée sur le minuscule port, du musée et du Jacob's ladder que vous monterez à tous les coups. Ensuite, il y a eu l'accueil très amical assuré par Itayi (d'une gentillesse et d'une bonne humeur communicative) et le nouveau manager, Jean, qui fait que l'on se sent tout de suite en famille. Il faut dire que quand nous y étions, il n'y avait que trois chambres occupées. Il y a aussi ces chambres héritages tout confort, grand lit confortable, grande salle de bain avec une très belle douche italienne le tout dans une très grande chambre joliment décorée. Il y a la salle du restaurant agrémentée de belles photos des lieux emblématiques de Sainte Hélène dans laquelle nous prenions tous nos petits déjeuners (j'y reviendrai) et la très grande majorité des repas. Enfin ce petit bar, très cosy où on a envie de passer du temps. Tout le personnel, sauf une personne, la serveuse du matin, dont le surnom dans l'île est Rambo, est très agréable et poli. La carte est plutôt variée mais le gros problème était le service totalement désorganisé, surtout le matin où les mets arrivaient dans le plus grand désordre et dont un grand nombre étaient "sold out" .Ce qui fait que le matin les portions étaient vraiment minimales surtout quand "Rambo" était de la partie. Elle ramenait une tranche de pain par personne par exemple. Elle a gâché ce moment si important du petit déjeuner qui lance la journée. D'ailleurs les derniers jours, j'allais au Consulate pour acheter des croissants et autres gâteaux vendues par une personne charmante et agréable, quel contraste avec Rambo qui n'exerce pas le bon métier! Nous avons pu en discuter avec Jean qui a pour mission de réorganiser tout cela. Mais le Mantis restera un superbe souvenir. Quant à Sainte Hélène, c'est un joyau à découvrir empreint d'histoire et de paysages époustouflants.

We booked the Mantis for 2021, rescheduled for 2022 and finally made it, post Covid, in 2024! It was definitely worth waiting for - a fabulous week’s stay. We reserved one of the heritage rooms (#3) which is super: spacious, high ceiling, nice sofa and chairs, large comfortable bed, big safe for camera equipment and a good selection of sports channels on the tv. I thoroughly enjoyed all the premier league matches I subjected my wife to! The bathroom is also spacious with a fine walk-in shower. The room overlooks the Castle Gardens. Well worth the extra cost. The hotel itself is superbly situated and the presentation and decor of a high standard. We enjoyed the bar and restaurant. The regular menu is supplemented by daily specials, some great fish and we were lucky - lobster on our last night. The food was very good. Nice service too. We enjoyed the breakfasts - the hot food is buffet. And that brings me to the staff. Just like the people make the island special, so too in the hotel. Mr Itayi on reception gave us a very warm welcome and was helpful and fun all week. We had great service also from Junaid, Juliet, Jingle and Shadie and others whose names I can’t recall. Some of our favourite hotels on our travels have been those where the manager is visible and chats to his or her customers. That’s certainly the case here with Ian. A well run ship! So this is a lovely hotel on an awesome island. Go there and enjoy!

Friendly and kind hospitality like nowhere else in the world! This team is an absolutely gem who will transform a standard vacation into a stay with ‘family.’ Zunaid, Bob, Cynthia, Itayi and Hotel Manager Ian are so very welcoming and have such exceptional hospitality that a stay at Mantis feel like being home. They really exceed expectations in order to tailor your stay to your desire. The Heritage Room is huge, tastefully decorated and yet still cosy. The view of the gardens was beautiful and windows can be opened to enjoy fully. Perfect location downtown and close to the waterfront, and the restaurant serves a great selection of food – the breakfast buffet / a la carte is extensive too!

This was my second stay and it was another excellent one. The hotel is conveniently located in Jamestown. Rooms are nicely decorated with air conditioning - vital when it’s so warm! Ian and his team couldn’t have been more helpful and made us feel more welcome throughout both of our stays. We will definitely be back again

Great location in town. Comfortable hotel in a historical building. Wonderful staff who are so friendly. Don't expect the facilities that you would find on the continent and remember that you are in a remote place in the middle of nowhere. Great experience and definitely worth going and staying in this hotel.