This luxury resort in paradise doesn’t skimp on sustainability

What we love

➤ Ultra-private accommodations: The 35 big, tasteful standalone one-or-two-bedroom oceanfront villas (plus a couple of much larger, multi-bedroom villas) are all set quite well apart from another and positioned so that each has sight lines of the ocean rather than other rooms. Each has a plunge pool, outdoor shower, and direct beach access.

➤ Eco-oriented: A certified LEED Platinum property, The Brando uses solar power for more than 60 percent of its electricity, and 90 percent of the air conditioning is generated by an innovative subterranean Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC) system that resembles a set from Lost. [See video]

➤ Spectacular setting: This remote island paradise, formerly owned by Marlon Brando, sits on the atoll’s main island (or, motu), with wide open views in every direction of the outlandishly blue lagoon, brilliantly white sandy beaches, nearby palm tree-filled motus, and the vast Pacific enveloping it all. And there are no mosquitoes!

➤ Activities for days: A wide variety of offerings are available from sportier (kayaking, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, paddle boarding), to a whole list of serene options at the lagoon-facing Polynesian-inspired spa, as well as tennis, bike rides, a lagoon school for kids, and a long list of nature hikes/land-based adventures.   

Things to consider

➤ High price: Unsurprisingly, a stay at this star-loved paradise is very expensive. And the base villa price includes breakfast and some access to beach equipment but no other meals, drinks, or the Air Tetiaroa flight to/from Papeete.

➤ Leave the young kids at home: As a favorite honeymooner haven, many of the activities and two of the three main restaurants are more adult-oriented.

➤ It’s out there: First you need to get to Tahiti, which is close to almost nowhere. Then there’s a quick flight to the island, which doesn’t always connect well with international flights, so it will likely mean overnighting in so-so Papeete on your way in and/or out.

Backstory: For centuries, this atoll was a retreat for Tahitian royalty, but in recent history it’s best known as the private island Marlon Brando fell in love with while filming Mutiny on the Bounty. Brando apparently fantasized about finding this sort of spot while growing up: “I loved reading the National Geographic. It would take me far afield, to places I’d never been, never even heard of. … The culture which fascinated me most, which seemed most attractive to me, was the Polynesian culture. … Here was this lovely and timeless place before me, in the pages of a magazine, and I thought, ‘One day, I’m going to go there.’” 

In a feat of impressive wish fulfillment, Brando bought the whole atoll in 1966 and cherished it until his death in 2004. A decade later, the ultra-luxe Brando Resort opened in 2014, a partnership with the Brando Family Trust and the Tetiaroa Society, which helps manage, conserve, and protect the whole atoll. And now what was once just Brando’s has been turned into dream getaway destination for an elite class of jet-setters like the Obamas, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyonce, and many more who can’t be named because the resort has a thoughtful “please don’t take pictures of anyone outside your party” agreement by which all guests are kindly asked to abide.

First impressions: After a short flight from Papeete over some impossibly blue water, I disembarked on an airstrip with the assembled staff singing a song and swaying to the music as the ocean breeze pushed through the surrounding palm trees—a very White Lotus arrival. Then a golf cart appeared to whisk me off to my waterfront villa for the lowest-key of check-ins.

Essential information: Check-in time is 3 p.m., and check-out time is 11 a.m. The hotel offers free bikes for every bungalow to get around the island and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property. The lowest rates only include an American breakfast (at the restaurant or in your villa), along with access to the fitness center, tennis court, and all beach equipment (kayak, paddle board, snorkeling gear). I’d advise a step up to “all inclusive” (most food and beverages included, along with a spa treatment), since there’s nowhere else to eat.

My room: I stayed in a one bedroom villa, which was quite spacious (a little over 1,000 square feet), secluded, and handsomely decorated with a mix of contemporary Polynesian decor, along with a few obviously French touches (cylindrical towers for bathroom sinks). The room’s standouts were the restful king-sized bed overlooking the beach and ocean, two separate sitting rooms, a large bright bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a small plunge pool, a palapa-ed area for surf-sound dining, and floor-to-ceiling windows offering pretty stunning views of the ocean from almost everywhere.

Resort amenities: The resort has a surprisingly wide range of activities for a property with just 35 rooms. When you decide you want to leave your villa, the options include all the obvious water activities cataloged above, some cultural ones (Polynesian dance, weaving lessons, music lessons, pareu dying and tying), and a range of science-y nature treks. If you’re interested in sustainability, I recommend the Green Tour (see video), and I also tagged along with a young biologist sponsored by the Tetiaroa Society, who brought me to one of the other motus where he was studying native birds.

Dining and drinking: For an island that’s quite literally in the middle of nowhere, the dining experiences at The Brando were both exceptional, and surprising. The resort’s French chef, Jean Imbert, brings a level of culinary prowess and understanding of what one might want to eat on a French Polynesian paradise to his menus. The fusion of French and Polynesian cuisine works really well on all the menus, but particularly that of the signature Les Mutinés, a Mutiny on the Bounty-themed restaurant that takes you on a whimsical culinary journey inspired by the film that could be hokey but turns out to be delicious. The other restaurants are both very good, but everyone’s favorite spot is Bob’s Bar on the beach, where you can have a killer Mai Tai (not too sweet) and a surprisingly good burger.  

Not-to-miss: As much as there is to do at The Brando, I think the smart move is to spend at least one day barely leaving your villa: Get your meals delivered, go snorkeling in the water right off your private slice of beach, and doze listening to the wind rustle the palm fronds overhead.

Sustainability: Because it’s been created in partnership with the world-renowned Tetiaroa Society, The Brando is a rare resort that doesn’t just talk the talk but actually walks the walk when it comes to green initiatives. In addition to its novel sustainable power sources (that seawater air conditioning system is the largest in the world!), bathrooms use gray water, and the property has both an impressive recycling system and massive food bio-digesters that compost green waste. The Tetiaroa Society also sponsors cohorts of visiting scientists who are studying the local ecology and helping to protect species and help them thrive. It’s one of the best examples I’ve encountered over decades of traveling of a place that has managed to incorporate green principles without compromising on the guest experience.

What's nearby:  Absolutely nothing, and that’s what makes it magnificent, and well worth the trip.

Who I'd recommend it to: If you want to splurge on an “get away from it all” vacation, or a blowout honeymoon, The Brando is among the most satisfying luxury escapes anywhere.