The Patina Maldives: Here luxury meets art, sustainability and innovation

Despite the pandemic, a cluster of exciting new hotels were launched in 2021. In the North Malé Atoll, a 50-minute jaunt across the sea from the airport, the Fari Islands house the ultra-luxurious brand new and hip resort – Patina Maldives.

From solar plants and zero-waste kitchens, to low-carbon cocktails and free diving lessons, the Patina Maldives Fari Islands resort has set new standards for sustainability in the Maldives. Inspired by the beauty and metaphorical significance of the island landscape, a delicate, rhythmic aesthetic runs through the resort, with low-lying lines ensuring views are never obscured, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces and verdant landscaping that lets nature take centre stage. Inviting guests to embrace barefoot luxury island living, the design simultaneously fuses a sense of belonging with the sense of seclusion post-pandemic travellers recognise as important.

Discover your sanctuary

Escape to the golden fringes of the island for mellow serenity. Or tune into marine wonder within the reaches of the lagoon. Patina Maldives, Fari Islands offers 90 villas – split between the golden beachfront and azure ocean – neutral in palette and contemporary in design. Earthy colour palettes, subtle textures and matte surfaces are complemented by Arcadian materials to create a dialogue with nature. The 20 studios sit on the edge of the vibrant Fari Marina Village, offering guests easy, instant access to the Beach Club, art gallery and boutiques; while the villas face the perfect sunrises or sunsets. All exude warm, rustic simplicity. Unique in the Maldives, floor to ceiling windows open up to blend the indoors with the out, and the more typical private pools are offered at all villas, each a sanctuary where guests can bask in their luxurious private digs.

Soothe your senses and soul

 At Patina Maldives, they harness the power of nature, wellness, creativity, and exploration to lay bare an unimaginable euphoria during your stay. The Spa is an island within an island. Within this soulful space, you will be liberated through therapeutic prowess, clean products, scientific technologies, and the ebb and flow of water. Treatment suites include couple’s hammam beds and a room dedicated to the practice of Watsu. A floatation zone soothes mind and body. Saunas and cold showers enable the vascular and cognitive benefits of contrast hydrotherapy. And red-light therapy encourages cellular renewal.

Wine ‘n dine

A handpicked ensemble of the finest cuisine, each of the resort’s 12 concepts presents a fresh perspective, where the best ingredients and processes take centre stage. While Roots provides a fresh flair plant-based meal experience centred around nutritious, organic and home grown produce, on the other hand witness an enigmatic, theatrical marriage between Japanese and Nordic cuisine at K?en. Brasa is all about a Latin play of fire, smoke and spice, featuring rustic grilled meat dishes originating from the Patagonian region of South America. Go Go Burgers is also a top favourite for South American burgers, served from a striking food truck. Love Asian cuisine? Head to Wok Society – a high-energy social club with soulful Asian creations and craft beers, or Tum Tum – a festive food trailer offering cuisines from across Asia. At Helios’ Aegean kitchen, nourish your senses over hearty Mediterranean treats while enjoying the perfect sunset. Sweeten the affair with divine pastries and fresh roast coffee at the resort’s Farine bakery or a scoop of ice-cream and gelato from Tuk Tuk Gelato. Arabesque honours Lebanese and Indian traditions. At Veli Bar, you can unwind by the pool with expertly crafted light bites and refreshing cocktails. The Fari Beach Club however is the highlight. An ideal place to relax during the day, it turns into a great location to socialise and dine in the evening. The Fari Beach Club serves delicate tapas and extraordinary cocktails in a very laid-back atmosphere. Enjoy a multi-course international menu created by the multi-Michelin star chef Nick Bril.

The highlight

What makes the Patina special is that you will find art pieces all around the resort; from the villas to the spa area and multiple art installation on the island. The key art piece is called “Skyspace” by the renowned Californian artist James Turrell. You can step into it to become one with the installation and feel the deep connection with art and the space. In the centre of the art piece is a window which looks like a canvas and is facing the sky. So each time you come to it, the “Skyspace” will have a completely different mood depending on the weather and the time of the day. Sustainability is another part the resort highlights. All planted trees are rescued from other islands where they needed to be removed – you will even find a huge banyan tree at the beach club pool which got saved from a construction site. All buildings are made of natural and renewable materials, the power is harvested from the sun and the drinking water preserved and filtered on the island itself. Many ingredients at the restaurants – especially the vegan signature restaurant Roots – come straight from the organic garden on the island without any use of plastic. Children can get in contact with the nature at the kids club and can even participate at a free scuba diving session to explore the reef. Even though the Fari Islands are manmade, you can still find a great reef right in front of the sunset water villas which will be protected at all costs.