It is here where one would invariably get their introduction into the fascinating array of dishes which Patina is able to conjure up, starting with Maldivian staples of mas huni (a tuna omelette with onion, grated coconut, and local chilli). In the light of the morning sun, where island time is an hour ahead of the Maldives, guests arrive at Portico, the de facto breakfast and all-day dining option, which overlooks the main beach and pool. “At Patina, guests have the luxury of choice so it’s important that we make these concepts as distinct as possible.” Patina Maldives’ director of culinary John Bakker. “When you reach a certain capacity, your outlets are unable to cope,” he says.

This came just in time for the Maldives’ traditional peak season, which runs till March, when Patina’s 90 villas and 20 Fari Studios would see high occupancy rates.įor Patina Maldives’ director of culinary John Bakker, the thought process behind these 12 restaurant concepts is that guests can be spread around and have a comfortable dining experience as opposed to the ‘default Maldivian buffet’. In the time since, Patina has also gradually ramped up its F&B offerings, culminating with a dozen restaurant concepts towards the end of last year.

In collaboration with Studio MK27, founded by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, the biophilic accommodations at Patina Maldives are designed to evoke the feeling of being at a stylish friend’s home – with its conscious use of grey Frette bed linen (as opposed to the standard whites), artistic prints on recycled plywood, and architectural cues that open into an endless vista of blue seas and open skies. In May 2021, Patina Maldives opened following three years of reclamation and construction, a phenomenally quick time frame due to the use of prefabricated material, which greatly reduced the environmental impact to the natural lagoon in which it sits. “My family liked coming here, but we also realised that people now want something more progressive – not just to sit on a beach all day with a book,” he says. Evan Kwee, who is the vice chairman of Capella Hotel Group and head of hospitality and design for Pontiac Land, is an avowed fan of the Maldives, having visited since the 1990s. For luxury real estate developer and hotel owner Pontiac Land, the solution lay in the establishment of Fari Islands, with Patina Maldives as its nexus. What has changed in recent times is the idea of getting people to return to the Maldives once they’ve been through that experience. This gave rise to the idea of barefoot luxury – being cast away on an island with endless days of communing with nature, especially the gloriously blue skies that turn into a sea of stars at night. The Maldives has, since the late 1970s, represented a tropical island idyll with its clear aquamarine waters, swaying palms and white sandy beaches. At this point, all it takes to slip into vacation mode is a warm greeting from the hotel’s essentialists: “Welcome to paradise.” Friendly porters quickly help you onto the resort speedboat, and a mere 45 minutes later – coupled with dolphin sightings for those in luck – you find yourself on Patina, one of the four parts that make up the Fari Islands archipelago. For guests of Patina Maldives, the experience starts as you arrive at Velana International Airport in Male.

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