Marlon Brando's private atoll was once a playground for Tahitian royalty. Now, one of his friends, French Polynesian hotel developer Richard Bailey, is working to carry out the late actor's dream of turning the island into the ultimate sustainable, experiential luxury destination.
"The unique thing about our product is it will be the juxtaposition of no-compromise luxury in an absolute pure and pristine natural environment," Bailey said.
The resort is set to open in 2012 on Tetiaroa, about 30 miles from Tahiti.
Bailey insisted that his development would go far beyond the sustainability efforts of green luxury leaders such as Banyan Tree and Six Senses. He said his goal was to achieve Platinum LEED status, the top ranking available under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program.
Power at the resort will be 100% autonomous, using renewable energy. For instance, he said, the resort will use fuel made from coconut oil, buildings will be air-conditioned by an ocean-powered cooling system and the rest of the resort's power will be solar.
"We are setting the bar very high," he said, adding that the island has a history of eco-type tourism dating back to when royalty came for spa-type cures and treatments as well as recreation.
"This is a very unique place. It was the exclusive reserve of Tahitian royalty for 100,000 years. ... It's a place that holds a special place in the hearts of Polynesians. We feel very strongly the responsibility that we have to do the right thing on this project."
Tetiaroa is a 13-island atoll circled by a coral reef. Brando first encountered it while filming "Mutiny on the Bounty" in 1961, and he bought it in 1965.
In 2005, executors of the Brando estate sold development rights to Bailey, owner of four InterContinental resorts in French Polynesia as well as Paul Gauguin Cruises.
Developing the island into an eco-resort, Bailey said, was one of Brando's unfulfilled dreams.
"He was a man of lots of dreams that never came to fruition," Bailey said. "We met in 1999 and worked together pretty much up until the year he died, in 2004, on a common vision ... for his island."
The Brando will be the only resort on Tetiaroa. It will have 47 bungalow villas with private plunge pools, a spa, a fitness center and a community pool. The Brando will offer island activities such as scuba diving and archaeological tours of royal Tahitian sites.
Bailey said there are also plans for residences and research facilities on the island, which is a well-known sea turtle hatching ground.
"It is important to understand we really don't view this as building a hotel; we are building a community," he said, adding that the island will need full-time residents to work at the hotel.
"Marlon's idea was to have a community ... where people can visit and encounter Polynesians in a natural setting. ... We're not talking about a large number of people; we're talking about a community of 250 to 300 people."