The Brando is an exceptional luxury resort on the secluded private atoll of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia and a model for sustainable tourism.
A dozen small islands surround a gorgeous lagoon 30 miles north of Tahiti in this South Pacific sanctuary.
The Brando boasts 35 ultra-private villas, two restaurants, a bar and a spa. But it’s not typical resort getaway.
Since its inauguration in 2014, the Brando has hosted everyone famous from Leonardo DiCaprio to former President Barack Obama.
But this magnificent resort has even more to show off than an exclusive celebrity guest list.
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The Brando aims to create a sustainable development that will resonate with visitors and provide opportunities to learn more about the place and the people of French Polynesia.
The hotel is also a state-of-the-art eco-research center with a variety of activities and programs aimed at fighting global warming, reversing habitat destruction and preventing the extinction of endangered plant and animal species.
11 of the atoll’s 12 islands are uninhabited and protected. The twelfth, Motu Onetahi, is home to the LEED platinum-certified, carbon-neutral resort designed by Richard Bailey of Pacific Beachcomber. as per The Points Guy.
“In addition to a $12 million sustainable sea water air conditioning system (known as SWAC) that uses cool ocean water to partially power the property’s AC units, the resort is powered by generators running on locally produced coconut oil and thousands of solar panels,” as per The Points Guy.
A desalination plant, composting facility and dozens of beehives that produce honey for on-site use and consumption are also part of the resort’s features.
The Tetiaroa Society operates an on-site eco-station that provides education, research, and important data and information for other hotels looking to follow suit.
Everything has been thought through, from minimizing waste and carbon footprint to exceptional care for the atoll’s wildlife.
“It’s a real moment of transparency with our guests who understand the behind the scenes of our eco-resort,” says Anne-Laure Amabile, The Brando’s corporate social responsibility coordinator. “They realize that sustainable issues can be solved when we work on a large scale.”