The Brando

Words cannot describe how beautiful this place is! We were fortunate to be allocated a villa on Mermaid Bay which we did request as our preference. The view was breathtaking. The sand is pure white and the water is turquoise. We walked out for what seemed miles into the sea- it was so shallow! We could see lots of fish by simply walking by the waters edge. Their colours were beautiful. We spent a lot of time by our pool in the villa which was a lovely size. We travelled to The Brando for a relaxing break and we didn't take advantage of many activities. We did combine our spa credits however, and visited 3-4 times during our 7 day stay. I would recommend the facials! The privacy you experience is exactly what we were looking for. We felt like we were on a private island and with the exception of attending the restaurants/bars we did not see many other guests. We enjoyed our wedding anniversary while we were there- a delicious chocolate cake was left in our room along with some decoration on our bed and some hand woven items such as a hat and bag. A really kind touch. My husband loved the Brando Burger and still raves about it now! We did find the menu became repetitive as we stayed for 7 nights, therefore we did eat a number of dishes more than once. However this did not detract or spoil our stay at all. The staff ordered smoked salmon in advance of our stay so we could eat eggs Benedict with smoked Salmon for breakfast- nothing was too much trouble! We enjoyed Les Mutines restaurant and experienced the Polynesian show twice during our visit. We loved every minute of our stay and only wish we lived much closer to the Island to visit again. It is not cheap to visit, however if you appreciate a tropical island experience and crave beautiful water and beaches, you must visit The Brando at least once in your lifetime! We hope to return again in the future.

Service is exceptional. We came in a big group (5 rooms) and Alizee, Kevin, Kitty, Steeve, Thomas, Joris, Tehiana, Tautu, Margeaux, Lana, Lucie, and numerous other staff pampered us. The rooms are beautiful and spacious. The staff do a good job with keeping the rooms stocked with drinks and snacks. They also provided various pastries each day. We did encounter a hot water issue in one of the rooms and it wasn’t properly addressed for 2 days. The food, drinks, and alcohol included in the all inclusive option are great. We didn’t see much value in many of the upcharge items. According to our friends that have been here before, many of the items (like scallops in Nami) used to be part of the all inclusive, but they now charge US$100 per person to have it added to your meal. Snorkeling here isn’t the best so don’t have high expectations.

Multiple visits repeat Brando guest again left underwhelmed and disappointed by the food at The Brando. New fancy famous French chef who sold his name to the Brando but is not on sight would be embarrassed to be served many of the dishes…a so called “lobster roll” that is 90 % mayonnaise and 10% lobster with a shallow slit in the bun to give the appearance of an overloaded lobster roll was inedible. A small burger completely lost in an oversized brioche bun. Consumers at this level know all the tricks. So best to deliver quality product. Missing is what you would expect at a luxury resort beach restaurant…lots of crudo and sushi INCLUDED in the daily meal plan, poke bowls with generous portions of locally caught tuna and swordfish, fish tacos, ceviche’s, gourmet flatbreads and creative pasta dishes, DAILY specials… Perhaps abandoning a meal plan and going to an Ala carte would fix the problem? You are trying to profit by cutting corners on quality. Get a chef who will live ON ISLAND and babysit the kitchen staff while executing proper food for a 5 star private island resort. The island is spectacular, the villas are gorgeous and the spa is wonderful. I am not sure I will return until the food is fixed….spoke to many other guests while there and the feeling is mutual amongst most hotel guests.

I brought my parents to The Brando to celebrate my Fathers retirement and it was the absolute best choice I could have made. We didn't mention to the staff why we were there but we were of course treated like absolute royalty anyway. I can't even imagine how the service could have been better. It was actually straight up perfection. My parents and I are all well traveled and we all agreed service at the Brando is unmatched. As far as the resort itself I would simply describe it as otherworldly. Its absolutely stunning and picturesque at every turn. Words, pictures and videos truly don't do justice to just how magnificent this place really is. You've got to come see it for yourself. Thank you so much to staff and management at the Brando for an unforgettable trip. We really appreciate you all so much.

We spent a week at The Brando in October and WOW…our family is still talking about it! The property itself is absolutely stunning and the service is honestly out of this world. Every single detail is thought through. The staff is so friendly and on top of everything. They must study everyone’s itinerary daily because, no matter who you pass, they’ll know your plans for the day and wish you well. We’ve never stayed somewhere with a similar level of service as The Brando. The partnership with Tetiaroa makes the stay even more special. We spent so much time learning and exploring and the positive impact that they’re having on the environment will be felt for generations to come. The Brando belongs in a league of their own but, until that exists, every 5 star hotel GM should stay here in order to raise their own bar of service excellence. We joke that they have ruined us for future travel. 5 stars all around! Our only challenge now is to figure out how to make this “once in a lifetime trip” an annual vacation.

The island wasvery beautiful, we went for scuba diving as they have a dive center, but there was no reef system. So we didn't dive after first 2. We could not enjoy ANYWHERE OUTDOORS due to the flies!!! They make their own compost so there's a major issue! The dinner and lunch menus are very limited. A burger, club sandwich with 4 drinks over $300! It was a total waste, I do not recommend this exclusive island. They did refund us $27,000, but it was not worth the hassle of getting there.

This is the place of my dreams. Me and my husband visited for our honeymoon and it was beyond our greatest expectations. It is quite literally the best hotel we have visited ever. The rooms were pristine, clean and impeccable, the food was exceptional, but the service was the best of all. Everyone in the island is super exited to be working there, and make you feel at home at every moment. We will definitely be coming back. 10/10 recommend. Sof and Miguel

The Brando is an uber luxurious resort, and the only one located on the "Motu" (Island) of Onetahi on Tetiaroa atoll, which is a 20 minute (charter) flight from Papeete. It consists of just 35 rooms, but still manages to offer an array of dining and activity options to keep even the most active people from getting bored. We ended our 10 night French Polynesian trip by saving the best for last. This followed our stay at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora - while they are different resorts and offer enough contrasts to make it a great combo stay, if we had to choose one it would be The Brando, hands down. It's less crowded, has better food, more polished service and has an air of luxury that the FS can't match. That said, we did enjoy the scenery and the overwater bungalow experience at the FS, as well as the magnificent shark and ray snorkeling tour, which should not be missed should you pay a visit to Bora Bora. We stayed in a 1BR Beachfront Villa on the Turtle Bay side. Our room (#202) was luxuriously appointed and had most of the amenities (toothbrush, body lotion, face moisturizer, etc.) that one would expect at a world-class resort. Two nits to pick: there was a treacherous step in the room (between bedroom and living room, and between the bathroom and bedroom) which - if you have a misstep - could easily ruin one's vacation. The other was the absence of a washlet toilet, which I feel should be mandatory for all top hotels by now. Our Villa was within short walking distance to everything (all restaurants, concierge, water sports shack, etc.), so we didn't even need to ride the bikes anywhere, which was nice. There are plenty of activities on offer; some of them are guided (most tours that requires a motor boat such as island hopping or snorkeling/scuba diving/fishing further out on the reef), while others can be done on your own, including kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkeling, among others. We did a half-day boat tour that included a visit to Reiono Island, where we did some light hiking in search of the infamous "Coconut Crab" (yes, we saw a pretty large one.) At the end of the tour we had a private lunch on the beach of an uninhabited island. We also did a tour with a naturalist who took us to the best spots on the atoll for snorkeling, followed by another high-quality lunch in an idyllic setting. One thing that stands out at The Brando is the food quality. Given its remote location and the fact that - generally - tropical seafood just isn't the best (relative to colder water fish like Sea Bass or Tuna, there's only so much you can do with Mahi Mahi or Parrot Fish), we enjoyed most of the dishes that we tried. They largely revamped the dining experience earlier this year - Jean Imbert produced the menu for Les Mutinés, as well as many of the offerings at Beachcomber Cafe and Bob's Bar. The Lobster Roll (on an awesome Brioche roll) was incredible, and the servings at Les Mutinés were very nicely done. The Parrot Fish served at the restau

An excellent hotel with top notch service. My wife and I started our Polynesian vacation here (after a brief night in Tahiti) and everything was truly first class and white-glove. It was the perfect start for us, as we really needed to just relax after a busy year (and a long trip). Many others chose to end their vacations here but, for us, starting here was the right call. The hotel is very special with unique excursions built around the remote location. I would especially like to thank Lourine (I hope I spelled her name correctly) for her commitment to excellence.