My family of 4 stayed on one of the world's most exclusive private islands. See inside our $6,000-a-night one-bedroom villa.
My family stayed in a one-bedroom villa at The Brando on a private island in French Polynesia where celebrities stay. Here's what it's like inside.
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Alesandra Dubin
- My family stayed at The Brando on an exclusive private island in French Polynesia.
- A stay in this one-bedroom villa could typically cost about $6,000 a night.
- The villa was right on the beach and had a private pool, outdoor tub, and great views.
An ultra-exclusive private island escape in French Polynesia, The Brando has been at the top of my bucket list for years.
I first heard of The Brando around the time Barack Obama spent a month there writing his memoir after leaving the White House in 2017. It came to mind again when Kim Kardashian hosted her lavish 40th birthday there in 2020.
Spread across a private South Pacific island 30 miles north of Tahiti, the property consists of just 35 private villas and one private residence, plus a central common space with three restaurants, as well as a staff village.
It seemed like the ultimate destination for private-island luxury and exclusivity — and I had to see it for myself. Finally, my family of four got the chance to stay in a one-bedroom villa for six nights in December.
As a travel writer, I received a discounted media rate for our stay at The Brando. Our stay (including food, drinks, and some activities) would typically cost about $6,000 a night — or about $36,000 total.
With these photos from my visit, take a look inside the lodging that comes with such an eye-popping price tag.
Alesandra Dubin
Each villa is fairly far apart from the next and shrouded in lush foliage.
A covered area in front of our villa protected our bikes from the nighttime rain and provided seating where we could rest in the shade.
Alesandra Dubin
To get inside our villa, we crossed a secluded, pier-like wooden walkway woven through the trees.
Alesandra Dubin
The indoor living space of our one-bedroom villa was about 1,033 square feet.
The villa's front door opened to a central lounge area, set with a sofa and small dining table. The space also housed the bar and coffee station, plus a minibar and fridge.
Doors slid open to create a breezeway to the outside space, with spectacular pool and lagoon views.
Alesandra Dubin
My husband and I slept great in the king-size bed in the primary bedroom.
When we checked in, the attendant who showed us around noted the retractable TV hiding beneath the bedroom's picture window.
He recommended we not use it, though, and instead enjoy the view of the stars and sea.
We used the TV just once to watch the three-hour-long epic "Mutiny on the Bounty," which comes pre-loaded onto a memory stick in each villa.
It's the 1962 movie Marlon Brando (who helped develop the resort) was filming in the area when he fell in love with Tahiti and bought the entire atoll on which his namesake resort now stands.
Alesandra Dubin
Across the villa from the primary bedroom was the kids' sleeping area, which appeared to be a converted lounge space.
We had two twin beds as well as a large TV and a workspace with ample power outlets.
Alesandra Dubin
Since we had tons of closet space, I unpacked fully so I could really make myself at home for the week.
The closet also held a beach bag and Brando-branded flip-flops for the whole family (all were ours to use during the visit and to take home after).
Alesandra Dubin
The airy and bright room had a modern, crisp look and tons of space.
With curtains opening right into the trees, the room felt one with the environment.
Alesandra Dubin
I'm a bath person, and this tub afforded me an epic soak for the ages.
The bathroom also came stocked with a jar of bath salts to create a spa-like experience in the sizable outdoor tub.
Alesandra Dubin
Our villa led onto the nearby beach, where a hammock between two trees was waiting for us.
The swaying hammock was downright intoxicating. I logged some heavenly reading and naptime here while the natural environment (waves crashing, birds singing, and trees rustling) provided the dreamy soundtrack.
Alesandra Dubin
We spent a ton of time in our 10-square-meter private pool, though the resort also had a larger, common pool we could enjoy.
Our pool was big enough for my whole family to hang out in (and for my kids to coordinate races in).
Alesandra Dubin
Whenever we ordered food to the villa, the room-service staff asked us whether we wanted our spread set up indoors or outside.
Anytime we chose outside, they set up a beautiful table for us beneath our own private, shaded structure.
Alesandra Dubin
One of the most astounding things about this place is how few people we encountered throughout our stay. It truly has a deserted-island vibe but in a luxurious way.
Looking all the way in either direction from our beachfront space, we never saw another guest.
