By Tanner Garrity / January 15, 2019
Cirque du Soleil's Founder Just Built an Outrageous Private Resort in Polynesia
Price for a one-week buyout? $1.1M. Here's what to expect.
Acrobatics, comedy, set design, storytelling … it's little secret that Cirque du Soleil can do it all. And you can now add "luxury hospitality" to that list, as the entertainment group's co-founder, Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberté, recently spent a healthy chunk of his fortune on a French Polynesian private island that hosts up to just 52 people per week.
The cost for these elaborate digs? A "Did I hear that right?" weekly sum of $1.1M — which is just over $21,000 per head. Hope your friends have Venmo.
cds (5 images)
Named Nukutepipi (or Nuku for short, thank goodness), the atoll is just 1.7 miles long. Laliberté searched extensively throughout the South Pacific before settling on the island, prioritzing its untouched reef and an array of avian species that'll send birders into a giddy tailspin. The resort comprises just 13 bungalows alongside a larger master residence with its own spa and movie theater. It also subscribes to a recent trend in high-end and exotic hospitality: welding luxury with sustainability. Guests are encouraged to respect the unspoiled waters, observe humpback whales (who hang out in the area frm July to November) and dine on international fare made with local ingredients.
Obviously, $1.1M is a lot of money. The island justifies the sum with bungalow interiors that make the Four Seasons look like a dusty Best Western, but to get your money's worth, don't just lay on the beach with a book. Take advantage of the resort's many active pursuits, which include kitesurfing, sailing canoes, deep-sea fishing, biking, hiking, reef walks, Polynesian weaving and something called Tahitian javelin.
For more information about the resort and/or booking a stay, head here.
All images via Nukutepipi
h/t Robb Report