Marlon Brando’s luxury Tetiaroa resort is perfect for weddings

I never thought much about Marlon Brando, but now I wish I could shake his hand.

The legendary actor purchased the French Polynesian island of Tetiaroa in the early 1960s when he was filming the location for Mutiny on the Bounty. It consists of 14 extremely beautiful small atolls that form a crescent around an incredible blue lagoon, and you can enjoy stunning views during a 20-minute flight from Tahiti.

The site was formerly a resort for Tahitian royalty, used especially for pre-wedding rest and beauty rituals, and before that for sacred ceremonies by Polynesian tribes – making it perfect for a traditional Tahitian wedding and honeymoon on the pristine coast.

Brando was a little ahead of his time when he decided to build a luxury resort on the island. He wanted an eco-first, fully sustainable development that would respect Tetiaroa’s heritage and protect it in perpetuity.

As a result, The Brando, which opened in 2014, ten years after Brando’s death, has become one of the most exclusive private island resorts in the world.

If you’re trying to hide from the paparazzi, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a lot of discretion here – no information about guests has been revealed, but Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Pippa Middleton (Kate’s sister), Conan O’Brien (a huge Brando fan), Kim Kardashian and the Obamas have all been reported to have vacationed here.

The resort has 35 one, two and three-bedroom villas and one luxury residence, all overlooking the white sand beach and each with a private infinity pool.

The space is cool and elegant, with tropical breezes blowing in.

Surrounded by the island’s lush vegetation, guests have complete privacy and peace – you’ll fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing against the barrier reef.

Transportation around the island is by bike, perhaps for a pre-wedding beauty treatment at the gorgeous spa, with its meandering stream, lily-filled ponds and aviary-designed treatment pods.

Or head to restaurants, including the beachfront Beachcomber Café and Les Mutinés, designed to look like the bow of the Bounty. French chef Jean Imbert uses seasonal ingredients sourced from the island’s abundant gardens to create delicious dishes.

The upscale Tu Manu Bar has private nooks and crannies, but it’s Bob’s Bar on the Beach, the island’s original hub in the late 1960s, that you’ll want to visit. Brando came here every day for cocktails, and the leather-bound menu is carefully crafted from his diaries, complete with historical Brando photos and quotes.

Sure, the cocktails had names like “Apocalypse Now” and “On The Waterfront,” but the highlight was Brando’s invention of the dessert, which he called “a real-life Mounds bar”—a half coconut filled with sun-melted chocolate. (No wonder he weighed over 300 pounds when he died…)

Through a partnership with the Brando Family Trust, the island is managed by the Tetiaroa Association, which not only manages sustainability but also conducts scientific research and, according to its website, aims to “introduce resort guests to the island’s nature and culture and establish Tetiaroa as a model for island/planet sustainability.”

Most of these ideas came directly from Brando, who helped create their inventive Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC) system, which pumped in cold, deep seawater to cool the villa.

It’s an ingenious system, also currently in use at Ta’aone Hospital in Tahiti, that saves money and protects the planet.

Needless to say, his idea of ​​using electric eels to generate electricity never came to fruition, but arrays of solar panels could make it possible, while recycling and compression could reduce the carbon footprint.

The society’s docents take you on artistic and cultural tours—thinking, weaving, singing and cooking—and can take you on a boat tour of the atoll, where you’ll see giant coconut crabs and fluffy boobies chicks. Swim in the Queen’s Baths, a favorite bay for royal bridal showers, as the turquoise waters and soft white sand act as an excellent natural exfoliant when rubbed onto the skin.

Brando had always been dismissive of acting, calling it a “tramp’s job,” but Tetiaroa captured his heart and soul. It was fitting that his ashes were scattered here, in a place he called “indescribably beautiful.”

If you’re lucky enough to be a guest here, you’ll know what he means.

Nightly rates start at $5,471, all-inclusive; brando