Review: Patina Maldives Fari Islands

Why book

Capella Hotels & Resorts has long been associated with expertly curated hospitality. The Singapore-born brand, with resorts in Bangkok, Ubud, and Hanoi, is firmly established as a brand that puts curating bespoke journeys for all its guests at the heart of its ethos. So the pressure is on the shoulders of Patina Maldives, the debut resort from Capella’s new offshoot, Patina Hotels & Resorts.

Entering the market as a sophisticated lifestyle brand poised to offer curated experiences to independent minds looking to connect on a deeper level with their location, Patina Maldives is already drawing repeat visits, despite having only opened its doors in May 2021.

Location

Within a new, manmade quad of islands, Patina is set on the largest of the four Fari Islands. Spread over a sprawling 42 hectares, despite its infancy, the island is lush and verdant, and fringed by a sugary golden beach and lapped by the gentle waters of a crystalline lagoon. As well as housing Patina, the island is home to the Fari Marina Village, a 20-berth marina and social hub where guests can eat and mingle. Guests of both The Ritz-Carlton and Patina have full access to the marina, as will guests of Capella Maldives, which is set to complete the trifecta of resorts in 2023.

A mosaic of tree-lined paths guides the way to villas dotted along the sun-drenched shore and set on stilts on a winding wooden walkway out over the gently lapping water. Neutral in palette and contemporary in design, earthy colors and tactile textures are complemented by Arcadian materials that create a dialogue with nature. The bedsheets are all slate grey—an unconventional choice for a luxury resort, but one that adds to the modern feel. The best feature of the one-bedroom sunset overwater villa is the open-air deck, where guests can bask in the sunny rays from their private pool, luxuriate in a sumptuous freestanding tub while bathing to the soundtrack of tumbling waves or curl up with a book in the hammock that swings lazily in the ocean breeze. I delight in doing all three.

Food & drink

Gastronomy is of great importance to Patina, and the resort’s collection of cherry-picked head chefs pack their unique personality into each menu. At Roots, a signature eatery that will be a fixture at all Patina resorts, chef Derrick Wales—a pioneer in plant-based dining in the Maldives— takes diners on an epicurean adventure across perfectly plated dishes using many ingredients sourced from the island’s duo of blossoming herb and vegetable gardens. A degustation menu begins with a nourishing cauliflower quinoa, continues with artichoke presented a trio of ways, and impressively concludes with a dairy-free cheesecake, which tastes remarkably like the original.

Chef Caesar Perez of South American steakhouse Brasa brings the flavors of his upbringing in Mexico and Texas coupled with his experience from stints in Copenhagen and Shanghai to his restaurant’s concise menu in the Fari Marina Village, another intimate space where guests get a front row seat to the culinary action at stools facing the show kitchen. The lobster ceviche with punchy citrus notes is the perfect opening plate, followed by octopus glazed in a sticky char siu. The undeniable star is the Wagyu strip loin, presented perfectly pink in the middle and simply flavored with rock salt and served with crispy truffle fries and a chimichurri.

Facilities

The roster of activities available to guests reads like a checklist of the ultimate bucket list Maldives experiences, but each with a unique Patina twist. Dolphin spotting is enjoyed from Patina’s showpiece Adastra superyacht, best described as an aquatic Batmobile thanks to its visionary design; guests can enjoy intimate tastings and private dinners in Farine, a cozy all-wooden space that’s been transformed from a bakery into a charcuterie and tasting room perfect for culinary pop-ups; even the traditional overwater spa goes on-land, with low-lying cubic treatment rooms dotted among the lush landscapes.

Guests also enjoy unlimited access to the Fari Marina Village, the antithesis of the Maldives’ typical seclusion, designed as a social hub where guests can eat and mingle. There’s a community-focused energy courtesy of a duo of curated fashion boutiques, an art gallery, beach club, and a colorful collection of restaurants and food trucks, each sending a waft of flavorful scents from their kitchen into the crisp air as guests wander through. There’s also Fari Beach Club, which hopes to draw not only guests from the Fari Island resorts, but also those arriving on yachts to the luxurious 20-berth Fari Marina, for days spent sipping crisp glasses of chilled grape under the dappled shade of wooden cabanas that encase a generously sized infinity pool.

Eco effort

Patina Maldives must be commended for its eco effort. Single-use plastic is almost entirely eliminated: plastic bottles are replaced with reusable ones, and all bathroom amenities are refillable. But beyond this, a duo of continuously expanding organic gardens growing herbs and vegetables produce an array of ingredients used across the resort, and a dedicated marine conservation program works to grow and protect the corals on the house reef.

Service

The service is standout from start to finish: friendly faces beam and clap as our boat pulls up at the welcome pavilion; at breakfast the berry smoothie I order on our first day arrives moments after we’re seated on the second morning; and there’s already a covered buggy waiting  to escort us back to the villa when a tropical downpour catches us off guard one night. Hassan Shafeeu, our Essentialist (Patina’s answer to private butlers), is available around-the-clock via WhatsApp to arrange dinner reservations, drop off snorkeling kits, and share the best spots for baby shark sightings. He thinks of other thoughtful touches too, like leaving a star-shaped bamboo weave on my pillow one night when stormy clouds roll in and eclipse the twinkling sky.

The verdict

While Patina may still be writing its story, the first chapter is already riveting. Service is slick, guest rooms are stylish while offering quintessential island luxury, and the multitude of happenings make this island feel like there’s non-stop adventure just waiting for you.