The Brando, Tetiaroa Private Island

No place like it on earth. Went here on our honeymoon and the service was incredible, food was the best we had in all of FP by a sizable margin, not to mention the fact that it feels like you have the entire island to yourself. Anyone considering heading to FP and spending the whole time in Bora Bora, DON'T. This will be the most memorable place you will stay during your visit and it won't be close. So happy we included this in our itinerary. Despite us saying this was going to be a once in a lifetime trip to FP, we will definitely be back!

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.