The Brando
First opened in July of 2014, The Brando, on French Polynesia’s private Tetiaroa island, is an exclusive, eco-friendly private-island resort created by its namesake, Marlon Brando. According to CN Traveller, Brando flew over the islands that surround a three-mile blue lagoon in the 1960s while scouting out locations for his then film Mutiny on the Bounty. When Brando spotted Tetiaroa island and the closure of little islands that makeup its DNA, the grand idea for The Brando was born. At the time, The Brando served as Brando’s private-island paradise, and he modeled the getaway to honor Polynesian culture and lifestyle — using local wood to create a village of 12 palm-thatched shacks on the islet of Onetahi and giant shells to create bathroom sinks.
Sixty years later, The Brando came under new ownership — a Tahitian hotel brand — and reopened in 2014 as an exclusive resort hotel for all guests. Now, 35 villas sit on the edge of the beaches surrounding Onetahi, still made of local timber and palm fronds, but now utilizing private little pools, lush beds and bedding, indoor-outdoor bathrooms, and envy-inducing terraces. Twenty-two villas sit along Turtle Beach and 13 more along Mermaid Bay, all with access to the white-sand beaches. Outdoor dining, media rooms, high-speed internet, bicycles, snorkeling, diving, paddle boarding, kayaking, guided marine, bird, and cultural tours, are also available to guests at The Brando.
Les Mutinies by Guy Martin boasts a world-class wine cellar and modern French cuisine; Te Manu Bar is an open-air bar with stunning views of the lagoon below and features tree-top seating areas reachable only via walkways that lead through palm canopies; the Beachcomber Cafe restaurant offers guests indoor or beach-dining options and serves a variety of dishes that showcase local Polynesian fare alongside French dishes.
Reservations for The Brando’s one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas can be made online.
