The Brando
The Brando is a LEED Platinum private-island resort on Tetiaroa where seawater cools the villas, solar meets 60 percent of power needs and the Tetiaroa Society protects nesting turtles and seabirds.
Google reviews
Google rating · 4.7/5 · 257 reviews
Stored Google rating; this is separate from the Accommodation Eco Score or Throne Score. The current Google rating may have changed.
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Environmental evidence and weighted assessment
4.2/5 Accommodation Eco Score · Evidence coverage 100% · Evidenced performance 80%
Green flags
- Nature, biodiversity and regeneration, level 4/4.
The Tetiaroa Society runs an atoll restoration programme eradicating rats and invasive ants, and turtle monitoring recorded about 161 nests and over 15,614 hatchlings in the 2024 to 2025 season.
Source · 2026-10-29 · Corroborating source - Energy and climate, level 4/4.
Over 4,700 solar panels on the airstrip meet 60 percent of energy needs with lithium battery storage, and the deep seawater air conditioning system (2014) cuts AC energy use by up to 90 percent.
Source · 2026-10-29 - Water, level 3/4.
Seawater is desalinated by reverse osmosis, rainwater from rooftops and the aquifer supplies pools, sanitation and laundry, and treated wastewater is reused for irrigation.
Source · 2026-10-29 - Waste and plastic, level 3/4.
Food waste is composted within 24 hours in eco digesters, glass is crushed for concrete by a Tahitian company, aluminium is sold for recycling and used cooking oil goes to biofuel.
Source · 2026-10-29 - Buildings, heritage reuse and land use, level 3/4.
The resort says it was the first in the world to earn LEED Platinum, covering every structure. USGBC directory not checked.
Source · 2026-10-29
| Pillar | Weight | Level and what it means | Contribution | Evidence, quote and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature, biodiversity and regeneration | 30% | 4/4 · Legal protection such as a reserve or conservation easement, or measured outcomes published with dates and figures (hectares restored, species monitored, nests or hatchlings counted) | 30 / 30 points | The Tetiaroa Society runs an atoll restoration programme eradicating rats and invasive ants, and turtle monitoring recorded about 161 nests and over 15,614 hatchlings in the 2024 to 2025 season. Source · 2026-10-29 · Corroborating source |
| Energy and climate | 15% | 4/4 · Measured and published, with at least 50% of electricity from on site or directly supplied renewables, or under 88 kWh per occupied room (better than three quarters of Caribbean resorts, Cornell CHSB 2023), or a verified off grid renewable supply. Offsets and certificates earn nothing | 15 / 15 points | Over 4,700 solar panels on the airstrip meet 60 percent of energy needs with lithium battery storage, and the deep seawater air conditioning system (2014) cuts AC energy use by up to 90 percent. Source · 2026-10-29 |
| Water | 10% | 3/4 · Several systems, such as rain harvesting plus wastewater treatment and reuse plus low flow fittings | 7.5 / 10 points | Seawater is desalinated by reverse osmosis, rainwater from rooftops and the aquifer supplies pools, sanitation and laundry, and treated wastewater is reused for irrigation. Source · 2026-10-29 |
| Waste and plastic | 10% | 3/4 · Composting plus recycling plus no single use plastic in rooms and food service | 7.5 / 10 points | Food waste is composted within 24 hours in eco digesters, glass is crushed for concrete by a Tahitian company, aluminium is sold for recycling and used cooking oil goes to biofuel. Source · 2026-10-29 |
| Food, farming and sourcing | 15% | 2/4 · A named own garden or named local farms supply part of the menu | 7.5 / 15 points | The resort garden, fertilised with its own compost, grows fruit, herbs and vegetables used daily in the restaurants and bars. Source · 2026-10-29 |
| Buildings, heritage reuse and land use | 15% | 3/4 · Several practices, such as reuse of existing structures, local natural materials, passive design and a small footprint on the land | 11.25 / 15 points | The resort says it was the first in the world to earn LEED Platinum, covering every structure. USGBC directory not checked. Source · 2026-10-29 |
| Measurement, transparency and certification | 5% | 1/4 · General commitments without specifics or results | 1.25 / 5 points | The sustainability page says the resort holds AFNOR's CSR Committed label and is implementing ISO 26000. The label could not be confirmed in an AFNOR directory, so it counts as a claim only. Source · 2026-10-29 · Corroborating source |
Throne Standard for stays 2.2. Accommodation Eco Score weights: Nature, biodiversity and regeneration 30%, Energy and climate 15%, Water 10%, Waste and plastic 10%, Food, farming and sourcing 15%, Buildings, heritage reuse and land use 15%, Measurement, transparency and certification 5%. Each pillar earns its weight times its level divided by four. The score is 1 plus 4 times the evidenced performance, shown to one decimal, so 0% is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. A pillar the stay does not disclose, after we read its own pages, counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. Every finding quotes its source word for word. Below 85% coverage, below 70% performance, or with less than half the weight at level 2 or above, the score is held under the next whole number (3.4 or 2.4). A 5.0 band needs 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight and the key pillar at level 3 or above. Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4. Every level can be earned from public, dated evidence; no score requires a visit. Evidence must be rechecked within two years. Guest travel is not scored; everyone gets there how they can.
Purity, what touches your body
1.4/5 Purity Score · Evidence coverage 100% · Evidenced performance 8.8%
| Pillar | Weight | Level and what it means | Contribution | Evidence, quote and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water you drink and bathe in | 25% | 0/4 · Not disclosed on the stay's own pages | 0 / 25 points | Not disclosed on the stay's own pages, checked 2026-11-03. Page read · 2026-11-03 · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read |
| Food on your plate | 20% | 1/4 · Claim only, such as fresh or organic with no named source | 5 / 20 points | The Polynesian art and culture page says organic gardens supply produce to the resort restaurants, with no share or garden detail given. “verdant organic gardens yield fresh produce that graces the tables of the resort's dining establishments” Source · 2026-11-03 |
| Grounds and pest control | 15% | 1/4 · Claim only | 3.75 / 15 points | The Tetiaroa Society page describes a mosquito control research project on the main motu, without describing the method. “controlling mosquito reproduction, well-known vectors of severe viral diseases, thus ensuring that Onetahi is entirely free from these harmful insects” Source · 2026-11-03 |
| Cleaning, laundry and fragrance | 15% | 0/4 · Not disclosed on the stay's own pages | 0 / 15 points | Not disclosed on the stay's own pages, checked 2026-11-03. Page read · 2026-11-03 · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read |
| Linen, towels and mattresses | 10% | 0/4 · Not disclosed on the stay's own pages | 0 / 10 points | Not disclosed on the stay's own pages, checked 2026-11-03. Page read · 2026-11-03 · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read |
| Air and quiet | 10% | 0/4 · Not disclosed on the stay's own pages | 0 / 10 points | Not disclosed on the stay's own pages, checked 2026-11-03. Page read · 2026-11-03 · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read |
| Pool and bathing water | 5% | 0/4 · Not disclosed on the stay's own pages | 0 / 5 points | The accommodations page lists private plunge pools but the stay's pages do not say how the pool water is treated. Page read · 2026-11-03 · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read |
Throne Standard for stays 2.2. Purity Score weights: Water you drink and bathe in 25%, Food on your plate 20%, Grounds and pest control 15%, Cleaning, laundry and fragrance 15%, Linen, towels and mattresses 10%, Air and quiet 10%, Pool and bathing water 5%. Each pillar earns its weight times its level divided by four. The score is 1 plus 4 times the evidenced performance, shown to one decimal, so 0% is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. A pillar the stay does not disclose, after we read its own pages, counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. Every finding quotes its source word for word. Below 85% coverage, below 70% performance, or with less than half the weight at level 2 or above, the score is held under the next whole number (3.4 or 2.4). A 5.0 band needs 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight and the key pillar at level 3 or above. Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4. Every level can be earned from public, dated evidence; no score requires a visit. Evidence must be rechecked within two years.
People, ownership, work and community
2.1/5 People Score · Evidence coverage 100% · Evidenced performance 26.3%
| Pillar | Weight | Level and what it means | Contribution | Evidence, quote and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership and control | 30% | 1/4 · Ownership stated without detail | 7.5 / 30 points | The Tetiaroa Society page names Pacific Beachcomber as the owner of the resort, a hotel group, so ownership is stated without local or family detail. “the Marlon Brando Estate and Pacific Beachcomber, the owner of The Brando” Source · 2026-11-03 |
| Local work and fair pay | 25% | 1/4 · Claim only, such as local staff | 6.25 / 25 points | The home page says Polynesian guides lead guests across the atoll, but gives no share of local staff. “a renowned resort lives in harmony with the natural world, where Polynesian guides lead you on a journey through their ancestral lands” Source · 2026-11-03 |
| Community benefit | 20% | 2/4 · A named community programme, such as a school, fund or training | 10 / 20 points | The Tetiaroa Society runs an education programme that brings school children to the atoll and gives teachers online modules. “Tetiaroa Society conducts a unique and life-changing Education Program on Tetiaroa that teaches school children about the nature and rich culture of the atoll” Source · 2026-11-03 |
| Access to beach and land | 15% | 0/4 · Not disclosed on the stay's own pages | 0 / 15 points | Not disclosed on the stay's own pages, checked 2026-11-03. Page read · 2026-11-03 · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read · Page read |
| Culture and heritage | 10% | 1/4 · Claim only | 2.5 / 10 points | The Tetiaroa Society page says a cultural heritage programme records traditional knowledge and protects archaeological sites, with no named makers. “A strong cultural heritage program is also actively recording traditional knowledge related to the island and protecting the archaeological sites.” Source · 2026-11-03 |
Throne Standard for stays 2.2. People Score weights: Ownership and control 30%, Local work and fair pay 25%, Community benefit 20%, Access to beach and land 15%, Culture and heritage 10%. Each pillar earns its weight times its level divided by four. The score is 1 plus 4 times the evidenced performance, shown to one decimal, so 0% is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. A pillar the stay does not disclose, after we read its own pages, counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. Every finding quotes its source word for word. Below 85% coverage, below 70% performance, or with less than half the weight at level 2 or above, the score is held under the next whole number (3.4 or 2.4). A 5.0 band needs 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight and the key pillar at level 3 or above. Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4. Every level can be earned from public, dated evidence; no score requires a visit. Evidence must be rechecked within two years.
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Collected research sources
These source pages were captured on 2026-10-02. Capturing a page does not establish a rating or verify its claims. Only the reviewed pillar evidence above earns assessment points. Missing findings remain unavailable.
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