10 Mar 2004

French Polynesian hotel on Tetiaroa closes

7:22 am on 10 March 2004

Reports from French Polynesia say the Tetiaroa Village Hotel has been closed.

The Tahitipresse news agency says the 14 hotel staff have been dismissed and made to leave the atoll which is about 50 kilometres from Tahiti.

The agency says Air Moorea stopped flying to the atoll in January after a directive of the civil aviation authorities which imposed new conditions once they became aware that the atoll's runway was shorter than its officially declared length.

Reports also say the Tahiti Beachcomber group may relaunch a luxury hotel on Tetiaroa which has been owned by the American actor, Marlon Brando, for nearly 40 years.