The Brando
One of the Most Exclusive Resorts in the World
Oh, the Brando. I have been swooning over this resort since I first got into the travel industry, so I was beyond thrilled when I finally got the chance to visit. This tiny island (ahem, atoll, more on that below) has a long history among the Polynesian people. It's considered a sacred place, and it used to be where Polynesian royalty would vacation.
In 1967 the land was bought by late actor Marlon Brando, who fell in love with the island while filming Mutiny on the Bounty. Passionate about preserving Tetiaroa’s natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural richness, he dreamed of creating an ultra-luxe completely sustainable resort. Though he sadly passed away before it was open, his vision of creating the world’s first and foremost post-carbon resort came to fruition, and his legacy lives on.
Today, the Brando is the most exclusive resort in all of French Polynesia, and perhaps, the world. Accessible only by the Brando's private jet - if you're not a guest, you're not allowed to visit.
Check out my instagram story for photos and details.
Why the Brando is worth the cost:
It's an all villa property, ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms. The villas are super private and every villa has a private plunge pool and each villa has private beach access. It's landscaped so you cannot see any other properties from your beach front patio. You can easily feel like you're the only person on the island. It's a celeb hot spot because of this (there were three VERY famous people there during my stay and that's normal for the property!
It is evidence that luxury resorts can be eco-friendly and sustainable. Their goal is to be 100% energy independent, and it's doing incredible things to achieve that. It's the first resort in the world to use deep seawater for air conditioning, which reduces your energy requirement by two-thirds. The rest of the energy is from solar and coconut oil, which is a biofuel and allows the resort to remain carbon neutral.
Tetiaroa is an atoll made made up of a dozen islands that surround a giant lagoon. The Brando is located on one of the islands along with the airstrip. The other surrounding islands are bird sanctuaries and have no structures or people living on them but can be visited by guests.
The food is incredible. There's three restaurants - beachfront casual, Japanese, and fine dining - and I thought every one of them was excellent. If you don't feel like leaving your villa, you can order right to your room. I became obsessed with the raw tuna trio and seared foie with Tahitian vanilla sauce, and ordered it for lunch every. single.day. I still dream of that.
If this isn't on your bucket list, it should be. Rates will be increasing soon so let’s connect if you are interested in getting this locked in before then!