What does a hospitality feasibility study include?

A hospitality feasibility study tests whether a proposed project is viable across seven dimensions: site, market demand, product fit, operating cost, capital cost, regulatory risk and exit value. The deliverable is a written report with quantified ranges, risk flags and a clear recommendation: proceed, redirect, or stop.

How long does a feasibility study take?

A primary feasibility study for a defined site runs eight to fourteen weeks. Greenfield sites with no existing infrastructure data, or projects requiring environmental impact pre-screening, can extend to twenty weeks.

How much does a hospitality feasibility study cost?

A primary feasibility study for a remote-location eco-lodge or boutique hotel typically costs between USD 25,000 and USD 90,000, depending on site complexity, the number of product scenarios tested, and the regulatory environment.

What is the difference between a market study and a feasibility study?

A market study reports demand. A feasibility study tests viability, which is demand plus site, cost, product fit, regulation and exit. A market study is one input to a feasibility study, not a substitute for one.

When is a feasibility study the wrong tool?

Where a large site needs a master plan first, where an investor needs a smaller concept test first, or where the project is already non-viable from site visit alone.

Does Terra Nova Create charge success fees on feasibility work?

No. Success fees are not used at the feasibility stage. The deliverable is paid on completion, not on the project proceeding. Independence is the single largest determinant of report quality.

What is master planning in hospitality?

Master planning is the discipline of resolving the spatial, operational and infrastructure logic of a hospitality site before any building is designed. Architecture follows the master plan; it does not produce it.

What is the difference between a master plan and an architectural concept?

A master plan resolves the whole site, including arrival, accommodation, guest flow, back-of-house, infrastructure and phasing. An architectural concept resolves a single building or building type within the master plan.

How long does a hospitality master plan take?

Six to twelve weeks for a primary master plan on a defined site. Greenfield sites with no infrastructure data can take longer. Iteration with the operator and conservation team adds a further two to four weeks.

Who produces a hospitality master plan?

A hospitality development consultant or specialist master planner, working with the operator, the conservation team, and the architect. Architect-led plans frequently optimise for the building at the expense of the operation.

Can the master plan change once architecture has started?

Yes, but at significant cost. Each later iteration multiplies in cost because architecture, services and approvals are already in motion. The master plan should be substantially settled before architectural work is commissioned.

What happens when a project skips master planning?

Most stranded or under-performing lodges did exactly that. The architecture proceeds without resolved infrastructure, phasing, operational flow or biodiversity response. The asset is then rebuilt, value-engineered, or sold below cost.

What does project delivery in hospitality involve?

Project delivery is the discipline of taking a finalised master plan and design through procurement, construction coordination, services commissioning, and launch readiness.

How long does it take to build a remote eco-lodge?

Twelve to twenty-four months from breaking ground for a typical eight-to-twenty-key remote luxury lodge. Greenfield sites without existing road, power or water typically run twenty to thirty months.

What is an owner representative in a hospitality build?

An owner representative acts for the principal across the full delivery cycle, independent of the contractor, the architect, and the operator. The role coordinates trades, controls cost and programme reporting, and protects the owner's financial and design interests.

What permits are needed to build a lodge in a conservation area?

Environmental impact approval, concession or lease compliance, building plan approval, tourism licence, and any sector-specific overlays. In many African jurisdictions the EIA process alone runs six to eighteen months.

Does Terra Nova Create take referrals from preferred contractors?

No. Contractor selection is independent. No preferred-supplier kickbacks, no commission tied to particular suppliers. Conflating the two is the single most common source of cost overrun in remote builds.

What is the most common reason remote lodge builds run over budget?

Materials lead time slippage compounding into wage-on-site overruns. Bespoke fixtures arrive late; crews wait on site; costs accumulate. The fix is sequencing.

What is conservation-led hospitality?

A hospitality development model in which conservation outcomes, biodiversity baselines and community partnership are scoped at the feasibility stage and built into the operating model.

What is the difference between sustainable and regenerative tourism?

Sustainable tourism aims to minimise harm. Regenerative tourism aims to leave the place better. Sustainability is the floor; regeneration is the test.

How do you measure regenerative impact in hospitality?

Against pre-construction baselines, across biodiversity, soil, water, community economic, and capability indicators. Measurement requires an external auditor, an annual cadence, and willingness to publish outcomes.

What does conservation strategy add to a hospitality project?

Ecological credibility that compounds into exit value, permit access in jurisdictions tightening their conservation requirements, and a defensible market position that travellers and partner operators increasingly look for.

When does conservation strategy enter the project sequence?

At feasibility, not at marketing. Conservation determined at feasibility shapes site selection, product fit, operating model and capital plan, producing a project that is structurally regenerative rather than rhetorically so.

Our Team

Bruce McNicol

Terra Nova Co-Founder

Bruce McNicol co-founded Terra Nova Create in 2023 after an eight-year tenure leading the Development and Technical Services division for the Mantis Collection. With over 20 years of international experience, Bruce has a track record of managing high-value, complex projects in the hotel and lodge sector, including boutique hotels, golf estates, game reserves, and eco-lodges. His focus on sustainability and innovation has positioned Terra Nova SA as a premier partner for luxury hospitality investors and property owners.

Bruce’s portfolio includes numerous high-value developments, ranging between $2m and $20m. Current projects include the St Francis Links Villas and Apartments and an Eco Lodge, Mantis Hiddn in Addo, a 14-key off-grid luxury lodge developed in partnership with SANParks, supporting a strategic wildlife corridor within Addo Elephant National Park, reflecting Bruce's expertise in both luxury and sustainable development.

Recently concluded project highlights include leading the development of Hazendal Wine Estate Boutique Hotel in South Africa and the Pearl Valley Hotel on the prestigious Pearl Valley Golf Estate. Other notable projects include the development of the Mantis St Helena Hotel on St Helena Island and the Kalba Kingfisher Tented Camp in the UAE.

In addition to his recent work, Bruce’s experience includes six years at a prominent South African PQS firm, and six years in the UK as a Senior Quantity Surveyor, where he contributed to projects such as Heathrow’s Terminal Five and Transport for London’s Head Office.

This background, combined with extensive experience in high-value, complex developments, enables Terra Nova SA to provide unparalleled expertise in creating successful and impactful hospitality ventures.

Paul Gardiner

Terra Nova Co-Founder

Paul's journey in eco-tourism commenced with Shamwari, a game reserve his family developed in South Africa over 30 years ago. They successfully revitalized a once-degraded piece of land, establishing one of Africa's most prosperous eco-tourism ventures. The replicable model shaped at Shamwari forms the cornerstone of Terra Nova, with the goal of exporting this success globally.

In collaboration with adventurer Bear Grylls, Paul also co-founded and licensee and Managing Director of the Bear Grylls Survival Academy in South Africa, and today, they integrate this intellectual property and experience into their tourism products, collaborating with other talents to elevate the guest experience. Conservation is Paul's true passion, dedicating himself to preserving wildlife and championing the vital message of protecting our planet's last wild places—an integral aspect of what Terra Nova brings to the table.

Terra Nova Create is redefining the landscape of eco-friendly travel by specializing in crafting distinctive eco lodges for investors eager to make their mark in this transformative sector. Join Terra Nova and Paul Gardiner, where sustainability and innovation converge to create thriving, eco-friendly destinations. Let's embark on a journey together to redefine the possibilities of responsible tourism."

Ashleigh Lawrence

Terra Nova Co-Founder

Ashleigh is an accomplished and results-oriented professional with a solid history of success in leading negotiations on multiple master planning projects in the eco- hospitality space, as well as overseeing financial and business development strategies.

Prior to joining Terra Nova Create, Ashleigh was the lead business development manager for the Mantis Group (part of the Accor Group) in the UK focusing on securing global eco- lodge opportunities outside of Southern Africa with particular emphasis in the Middle East region, where she secured multiple hotel management deals.

Ashleigh completed her Business Science Degree & Honours specialising in Finance and Accounting at the University of Cape Town and qualified as a South African Chartered Accountant at Deloitte in London.

Her love for Africa, people and travel encouraged her to leave Deloitte and to join the Mantis Group in 2018 which is where she started a global master planning division built around sustainability and innovation. Her team comprises of well-established independent consultants which each bring their own level of expertise and experience to each project.

Ashleigh Lawrence Co-Founder Terra Nova Create

Ignus le Roux

Commercial Director

Ignus has been in the Tourism and Hospitality industry for nearly 3 decades. He started his hospitality career at Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the late 1990’s as a financial controller and gradually worked his way up in the business. His commercial career started to take off, when he joined Mantis in the mid 2000’s as the Group Sales and Marketing Services Manager.

Over time as Mantis grew its worldwide footprint, his role evolved to oversee the overall Sales and Marketing division of Mantis, balancing the ever-changing needs and wants of the market, with the needs and wants of the operations on the ground.

He obtained his MBA in 2015 from the Nelson Mandela Bay Business School and successfully completed a Hospitality Leadership Course at the UCT Graduate School of Business in 2017.

Currently Ignus is overseeing and plays an active role in the private property portfolio and group of companies of Adrian Gardiner, which includes hotels and lodges, residential property developments, and the formation of a Big 5 game reserve between 2 cities.

With a strong foundation in both business and hospitality, Ignus brings a unique blend of strategic insight and hands-on experience to each project.