The Brando: a man meeting an island
The Brando opened its doors in 2014 on 6-km2 atoll Tetiaroa, located 53 kilometres north of Tahiti.
The history of Marlon Brando’s Polynesian sanctuary is well-known. The star discovered the island during a location scouting for the movie Mutiny on the Bounty (1963). In the past, the territory belonged to the Tahitian royalty and was offered by a king to an American dentist. In 1966, Brando bought it from this dentist’s family.
Approaching the atoll by air already conveys a magical and unreal feeling. This very small coral point, lost in the middle of sharp blue tones, gives the impression of a Technicolor scenery. The twelve small islands, or motu, are surrounded by a coral reef tracing the line of an ancient volcano’s engulfed caldera. The resort’s deep connection with its incredibly beautiful natural environment, as well as the Polynesians’ radiant hospitality, contribute to suspend the moment.
A luxury hotel with an environmental commitment
The Brando is much more than a South Pacific luxurious haven: it was created on the basis of a sustainable philosophy that Marlon Brando himself dreamed of. He had set up a non-profit organisation on the island, Tetiaroa Society, composed by eminent scientists who had the mandate to preserve, restore and protect the atoll, as well as to transform it into a sustainable model that could be replicated elsewhere. Tetiaroa is therefore intended as a preservation laboratory for the environment.
The presence of scientists on the island allows the resort’s residents to get closer to the local fauna and better understand it. Indeed, the hotel proposes above or underwater lagoon visits, nature hiking outings, and ornithological, ecological or archaeological visits. The presence of a fitness centre, of a tennis court and of nautical sports can be added to these activities.
An Eden that lives on
Brando’s hotel dreams were concretised much later by Richard “Dick” Bailey, renowned as the leader of Polynesian prestige accommodation. Both men shared the same vision of the atoll’s future, which had to be exclusive and luxurious, but also eco-friendly and perfectly integrated in the environment.
However, behind the glitter of all this luxury (150 people are at the hotel hosts’ service), the original ecological approach was indeed respected, in particular with the installation of a carbon-free air-conditioning system using ocean water drawn from the depths, and of solar panels along the 775-meter landing strip to ensure lighting.
Running water supply is ensured by the recovery of rain or desalination of sea water. Water used in the Varua Spa is therefore 100% recyclable. Hidden in the coconut palms, the spa proposes Polynesian sensual treatments.
An exclusive isolated sanctuary
The 35 beach-facing villas are hidden in palm trees, appearing in the form of elegant one, two or three-bedroom cottages, surrounded by tiara bushes. They all feature a private pool and a direct access to the beach.
Their thatched-roofed traditional style offers all the comfort that can be expected from a hotel of this standard: their bathrooms are vast and they feature a complete multimedia equipment. Each villa has a dining room and a terrace. Bicycles are at the guests’ disposal to move around the motu.
The hotel has three restaurants. The Beachcomber Café offers a Polynesian and French-inspired cuisine.
Les Mutinés breathes a more intimate and elegant atmosphere with a superb wine cellar. Menus are signed by chef Guy Martin, of the famous two-star restaurant Le Grand Véfour. Nami, run by chef Nakamura, proposes a teppanyaki Japanese cuisine. It is interesting to note that all herbs, fruit and vegetables are cultivated on the atoll.
Two bars complete the restoration offer: Bob’s Bar, located on the beach, and stilted bar Te Manu.
In the heart of an imposing and intensely beautiful landscape, passing from turquoise blue to red when the sun sets, The Brando not only incarnates a man’s vision, but also a new tendency for luxury venues to become the engines safeguarding the fragile environments they move into.
The Brando, 5*
Tetiaroa, Arue 98702
French Polynesia
+689 40 86 63 00
(Photo credit: The Brando)
