The Brando resort has opened on French Polynesia’s private atoll, Tetiaroa-Marlon Brando’s former home.
The hotel boasts sustainable technology with seawater air-conditioning and renewable energy systems. Designed to reflect Polynesian lifestyle and culture, the resort features 35 villas, each with its own private beach area and plunge pool.
The Brando was inspired by Brando’s original vision for a sustainable development that fosters opportunities to get to know both the place and people of French Polynesia. He was passionate about preserving the atoll’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and cultural richness and was determined to find a way in which it could be a center for research and education and a model of sustainability.
In 1999, Brando asked Richard Bailey-president and CEO of Pacific Beachcomber and a longtime resident of Tahiti who shared his passion for the environment and who had created some of the region’s finest resorts-to help him conceive a plan that would achieve his dream. Together, Brando and Bailey created a vision for the world’s first and foremost post-carbon resort-an island where innovative new technologies would enable a self-sustaining luxury environment for resort guests, residents, and scientific research.
“The mission of The Brando is to provide one of the most luxurious, authentic, and enriching travel experiences available anywhere, in an environmentally sensitive, sustainable and culturally rich manner,” says Bailey. “We are committed to preserving and protecting the natural splendor and precious biodiversity of Tetiaroa; respecting and supporting Polynesian culture, hospitality, and traditions; and striving to be a model for the rest of the world.”
An ecostation on Tetiaroa has been established with its operation entrusted to nonprofit organization the Tetiaroa Society. Current projects include a survey of the archaeological sites of Tetiaroa, a GIS mapping of the atoll, and ocean acidification research. Guests of The Brando will be able to experience Brando’s vision of having a “university of the sea” by visiting the ecostation, interacting with scientists in the field, and actively participating in studies. The resort is also working closely with Te Mana O Te Moana, a Tahiti-based nonprofit organization devoted to the conservation of marine wildlife.
