CONCILIATING TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, THE SUCCESSFUL STORY OF “THE BRANDO”

Enchanted, actor Marlon Brando made it his refuge in the 1960s, during the filming of “Révoltés du Bounty”. His deepest wish was to make it possible to live there and a place to experience something both authentic and luxurious while preserving its splendor and housing a “university of the sea”. That dream is The Brando, an inspiring example for the tourism of tomorrow and all hospitality professions.

An ecological pioneer and passionate about the Polynesian way of life, Marlon Brando wanted to preserve the natural beauty and the cultural heritage that touched him in Tetiaora. Convinced that the atoll, a former retreat of the Tahitian royal family, could become both a paradise resort and a marine protection center, he began to dream of a Polynesian cultural promoting eco-domain

In 1999, his encounter with Richard Bailey, a pioneer in the sustainable management of hotel facilities, enabled him to carry out an avant-garde project: to create a hotel as luxurious as it is exemplary on this atoll lost in the middle of the ocean, made up of ten islets surrounded by a coral reef.

Richard Bailey recalls: “We worked on our shared vision for five years, right until his death. And it was only 10 years later that The Brando opened its doors, in 2014. Insularity presents an advantage where preservation is concerned but also presents the challenge of providing innovative responses so as to adapt to isolation. We had to find ways of offering the experience of a lifetime in the great outdoors, with all the comforts required, without affecting the atoll’s character, beauty and sustainability. ”

The villas blend into the vegetation, without altering the atoll’s silhouette. Here, there are no stilt constructions rising out of the water and a single motu (island in Tahitian) is dedicated to the hotel, leaving the others devoid of any human presence, for the good of the fauna and the seabirds. The wood or woven palm used for the buildings and the decoration come from the Polynesian archipelago and are of certified origin, renewable or recycled.

Tropical bicycle paths wind through lush flora, embellished with no less than 36 native plants, from the smallest flower to a huge 20-meter-tall tree. An organic vegetable garden providing fruits, vegetables and herbs is fertilized thanks to the methanization of all of the island’s organic waste.

Located 50 km from Papeete, Tetiaora imposes autonomy and inspiration for new solutions. As Richard Bailey points out, “Hotels are great consumers of energy, especially in the tropics where air conditioning is concerned.  We are obliged to provide our guests with the level of comfort they expect from a luxury establishment. All island countries face infrastructure and delivery challenges. Isolation and remoteness have been, for us, the driving force towards finding renewable and cheaper sources of energy. This is why The Brando is the first hotel in the world to be energy self-sufficient, without any fossil fuels.”

The 5,000 solar panels installed along the airstrip cover 70% of the electricity needs. The rest is provided by a unique and completely ecological installation: a generator powered by a biofuel made from copra oil, obtained from coconuts collected on the atoll.

The revolutionary air conditioning system uses seawater, drew from beyond the reef at 5°C. Thanks to a heat exchanger, it cools the air which is silently redistributed through the buildings with a 90% impact reduction compared to that of a conventional system and without any discharge into the atmosphere. The production of drinking water by desalination and the treatment of wastewater are also ecological and autonomous. Being the first hotel in the world to achieve the platinum level of LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certification, The Brando proves that it is possible to achieve carbon neutrality while maintaining a high level of service for its customers.

“Marlon Brando’s ecological vision of Tetiaora’s was that of a place to welcome guests but also to be a center for scientific research”, explains his son Teihotu Brando. This plan is brought to life through the Tetiaora Society, a central component of the sustainable development program implemented by The Brando. A non-profit organization founded by Richard Bailey in 2010, based on three principles: education, conservation and scientific study. It encourages research by hosting teams of researchers and carrying out awareness-raising actions amongst its clients as well as schoolchildren so as to share its knowledge of the ecosystem and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the islands and their inhabitants.

This philosophy happily reconciles luxury tourism and sustainability. “All our efforts work towards the same goal,” sums up Richard Bailey, “to be a global model of sustainable development that draws its strength from innovation and the desire to inspire others to take action so as to preserve the planet. With this in mind, we have established partnerships with hotel facilities around the world who share our values of excellence, authenticity and work towards protecting nature and safeguarding cultural heritage for future generations. Among these establishments, we recommend Troplong Mondot, a wine estate benefiting from an exceptional terroir and great biodiversity, which defines itself as a refuge offering tailor-made experiences allowing one to live in harmony with the land.”