Marlon Brando’s private island, Tetiaroa, opened to the public for the first time this past July. The island houses the newly-opened resort, called The Brando, where room rates reach £7,500 a night. The resort has been opened to commemorate the tenth anniversary of The Godfather actor’s death.
The eco-friendly luxury resort is a true getaway on a French Polynesia private atoll located 30 miles north of Tahiti.
Brando first came to Tetiaroa while filming Mutiny on the Bounty and was immediately smitten with the island’s beauty and the sense it gave of being closer to paradise. Enchanted by the Polynesian way of life, and especially by leading lady Tarita Teriipaia, he resolved to own the island in 1967. It was in this natural destination that he settled down, and finally found a home. Brando, Tarita and his Tahitian children lived on Tetiaroa for several years.
Brando was passionate about preserving Tetiaroa’s natural beauty and cultural richness.
“My mind is always soothed when I imagine myself sitting on my South Sea island at night. If I have my way, Tetiaroa will remain forever a place that reminds Tahitians of what they are and what they were centuries ago,” the late actor stated.
In 1999 he partnered with Richard Bailey, a long-time resident of Tahiti who would create and operate some of the region’s finest resorts. Together, Brando and Bailey formed a partnership to pursue a vision of creating the world’s first post-carbon resort — an island where new technologies would enable a self-sustaining luxury environment for hotel guests, scientific research and full-time residents.
The all-inclusive resort features 35 deluxe villas each with its own private beach area and plunge pool, restaurants showcasing Polynesian and French cuisine, a Polynesian spa, a lagoon-view bar, beach bar, pool, organic garden, library, boutique, water sports, and an environmental research station with guest programs.
The hotel also offers world-class cuisine, with Guy Martin, Chef Propriétaire of the three Michelin-starred Le Grand Véfour, one of Paris’s top eateries, in charge of the a la carte menu at the two six-star restaurants, which will feature traditional Polynesian dishes.
The 2.5-mile-long island is only accessible by private plane, and boasts white-sand beaches, swaying coconut palms, exotic birds, and abundant marine life.
Online at thebrando.com
