Name of hotel
The Brando
Year opened
2014
Neighbourhood
The Brando is a luxury resort on French Polynesia’s breathtakingly beautiful private atoll of Tetiaroa—an atoll composed of a dozen small islands surrounding a sparkling lagoon 30 miles north of Tahiti.
Size and style:
The Brando was inspired by Marlon Brando’s vision to create a venture of sustainable development that resonates with visitors and fosters opportunities to get to know both the place and people of French Polynesia. With access by Air Tetiaroa, the resort is a pioneering model of sustainable technology with sea water air-conditioning and renewable energies and offers carefree luxury in the midst of pristine nature. The all-inclusive resort features restaurants showcasing Polynesian and French cuisine, a luxurious Polynesian spa, a lagoon-view bar, beach bar, pool, organic garden, library, pearl shop, boutique, water sports, and an Ecostation.
The Brando has 33 Villas. The 22 villas along West Turtle Beach and 13 along South Mermaid Bay have been carefully designed to reflect the Polynesian lifestyle and traditions, with luxurious furnishings, deluxe amenities including a private plunge pool, and windows as big as doors that let guests indulge in the sun, the breeze, and lagoon views. The villa’s timbered walls and native gardens are surrounded by exquisite scenery. All one, two and three bedroom villas feature Wi-Fi and flat screen TVs.
Guest profile:
Affluent travellers, celebrities and honeymooners.
Family friendly:
Yes. The Lagoon School is specially designed for children ages 4 to 12 years staying at the resort and is operated by Te Mana O Te Moana. With more than 10 years of experience in education of the environment, the organization educates future generations to become eco-citizens. Kids learn about Tetiaroa through a variety of fun, pedagogic activities and board games and also through lectures, visits, and discoveries in the field.
Airport transfers:
Yes. When an international or domestic flight arrives at Faa’a International Airport in Papeete, Tahiti, guests will be transferred to Air Tetiaroa’s private terminal for their 20-minute flight to paradise. Although the flight is brief, it will provide you an unforgettable introduction to Tetiaroa. Rates for flights between Papeete, Tahiti, and Tetiaroa can be found here.
On site drinking and dining facilities:
The cuisine at The Brando is prepared by The Brando’s Executive Chef under the direction of Guy Martin of the Michelin two-star restaurant, Le Grand Véfour in Paris. The organic garden and orchard provides organically grown fruits and vegetables for the day and the honey is made by Tetiaroa Bees for cocktails, desserts, breakfast and other dishes.
Les Mutinés by Guy Martin is the fine dining restaurant featuring elegant décor in beautiful tones of tropical light and sand and a moat that surrounds the restaurant provides the sensation of floating on a lagoon. The intimate restaurant, which is open in the evenings, also includes a world-class wine cellar in a carefully climate- controlled glass enclosure.
The Beachcomber Café is on the beach, offering Polynesian-inspired dishes alongside classic French cuisine with exceptional lagoon and ocean views for savouring breakfast, lunch, and dinner in this casually elegant, indoor/outdoor venue.
The Brando also offers a vegan menu in its Les Mutinés by Guy Martin fine dining restaurant, Beachcomber Café, and in-room dining. The Brando commissioned Kelvin Au-Ieong, chef and owner of the celebrated and revolutionary Invitation V Vegan Bistro in Montreal, Quebec, to design an innovative and sophisticated vegan menu for The Brando.
Te Manu Bar is an open air bar with spectacular lagoon views, the perfect spot for a sunset cocktail. In addition to the main lounge, there are several private tree-level seating areas that can be reached on walkways through the palm canopy.
Bob’s Bar is a casual setting on the beach for conversation and making friends, is named in memory of Marlon Brando’s factotum (assistant) on film sets. The Brando’s Bob’s Bar has retained the original bar from the lodge Brando built and the name has been kept to honor Bob and all others who have worked, and continue to work, anonymously to bring Brando’s visions to life.
On-site facilities:
Parking
Guests arrive via airplane only.
Gym
The Fitness Center at The Brando offers an air-conditioned area with cardio and strength training equipment and is accessible 24 hours a day. Fitness coaching and fitness classes: aquafitness, circuit training, body sculpt, body dance, body attitude. Private classes are available upon request.
Pool
At The Brando there is a main infinity pool plus each villa has their own private plunge pool.
Spa
Varua Te Ora Polynesian Spa is a unique haven of tranquility, nestled on a restful pond in the heart of the atoll of Tetiaroa. Varua, meaning “the soul,” perpetuates the tradition established by the Royal family who used to retreat here to relax and indulge in beauty rituals. Aware of the need to preserve its pure and unspoiled habitat, it offers unrivalled holistic treatments inspired by international and ancestral Polynesian techniques in a truly exceptional setting.
The spa suites offer amazing views over 2,000 square meters of natural landscape on an islet covered in abundant vegetation. High above in the trees, sits Fare Manu, a spa suite nesting like a cocoon between heaven and earth. The spa also has quiet spaces for relaxation including a steam bath, a waterfall, a tea lounge, and the Fare Mana—an area set aside for gentle energies.
Eco and community initiatives:
The Brando earned the prestigious LEED Platinum certification designation in 2016 based on its commitment to conservation and sustainability efforts in the development and overall operation of the pristine island resort. This certification is the culmination of more than six years of work carried out by the resort’s owners, designers and architects, and establishes The Brando as the first project to earn LEED certification in French Polynesia. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.
The Brando has set a goal of Net Zero carbon impact. To reduce or eliminate travel-related emissions, the resort provides bicycles to all guests and uses electric club cars with rechargeable batteries. Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC) reduces energy demands by almost 70 percent, while solar power and the biofuel thermal power station provide the resort’s energy needs.
The Ecostation is a hub where scientists from around the world can lead research into sustainable interdependence, implement these lessons on Tetiaroa, and teach them globally
to improve our relationship with nature. It is a cornerstone of the project Brando envisioned but was unable to complete. The Ecostation on Tetiaroa consists of two buildings: one for accommodations and the other for wet and dry laboratories with the basic equipment needed for the analysis and preservation of field samples. Pacific Beachcomber, a key partner in The Brando, has entrusted the operation of it to Tetiaroa Society, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) U.S. nonprofit dedicated to exploring innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues relating to sustainable interdependence. Tetiaroa Society directs all scientific research and creative science taking place on Tetiaroa from its research station, which was built and donated by The Brando.
Concierge recommends:
Activities are abundant at The Brando and available every day including bicycling, snorkelling, bird watching, scuba diving and paddle boarding.
The Brando’s Library and Explorer Centre offers books to read about French Polynesia. Lectures and demonstrations about Polynesian culture, history, and lifestyle are also available. And, the onsite research scientists are delighted to talk about their research and the amazing birds and marine life found on the atoll.
Aerial view of a villa at The Brando
