Force of Nature

Patina Maldives may not have a monopoly on the Maldives’ natural attractions, but what it makes of them is uniquely brilliant

WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

Whether rated four stars or five, average or award-winning, the chief — and always mesmerising, no matter how many times you’ve visited — attraction of every resort in the Maldives comes courtesy of Mother Nature. That magnificently hued ocean, cotton-soft sand, and abundant marine life all come as standard.

What separates the finest resorts from the also-rans isn’t always abundantly clear. At Patina Maldives, however, it’s as clear as the ocean that rings it.

Resplendent against the inky night sky in vivid pink and blue, James Turrell’s light-filled, timber-made art installation, Skyspace Amarta, is unlike anything else you’ll set eyes on in the Maldives, a striking, private sky observatory that invites you to walk around inside it, exploring space and the light that inhabits it. Not only does it provide a window to the infinite splendour of the star-stitched sky above you — via an aperture in the ceiling — but also a window to the ethos of the resort as a whole: unique, beautiful, thoughtful. This is certainly the case with the architecture. Designed by acclaimed Brazilian architect, Marcio Kogan (the first time he has applied his considerable skills to a hotel), 90 one- to three-bedroom Beach and Water Pool Villas and 20 Fari Studios merge so well with their environment that their highly refined aesthetic almost goes unnoticed. I say almost, because when you pause to admire (as you will) the sizable rectangular structures that are a feature across the whole island (rooms through to the spa and restaurants), you see how their clean lines draw a parallel with the purity of the island. “We were able to produce architecture that is much less important than nature,” Kogan explains. “Contemporary, classic, and elegant, it is like the hotel does not exist in this place. Everything disappears. Life, people, and nature are more important than architecture.”

Kogan’s belief really feeds into the resort’s overarching philosophy, allowing guests — as my family were for a long weekend — to fully enjoy their spectacular surrounds.

Patina Maldives, the inaugural flagship property of Patina Hotels & Resorts, sits on Fari Islands, an archipelago 45 minutes from Malé that also features a Ritz Carlton, whose restaurants you can visit while staying at Patina, and soon a

Capella, the idea being that this trio of chic resorts will harmoniously form an upscale social environment, the like of which you won’t find anywhere else.

At the heart of it all is Fari Marina Village, home to a vibrant Beach Club, a boutique stocked with a decent range of avant-garde designers, and a winning selection of restaurants that, although they sit side-by-side and share the same design (fully open at the front, moodily lit), have their own unique air. This is the place to come to watch the sun slip away with an inventive cocktail in hand, one characterised by music — ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’; ‘Don’t Let Me Down’; ‘Strawberry Letter 23’; you get the idea — as a nod to the prevailing vibe, which sees a DJ spin the mood. The sushi, sashimi, and citrus-laced ceviches here all hit a high note.

Next door to the Beach Club, and therefore still in earshot of the DJ, is Farine. Normally I wince at the very thought of a buffet, but Farine’s starter spread of antipasto is as fresh and inviting as it is varied, while the short but sweet selection of a la carte mains are all excellent. Standards don’t slip a few sandy steps away in Brasa, where South American flamegrilled meats complement a range of region-wide specialities; particularly good are those drawn from Peru.

By day, the Village is home to a shiny food truck flipping gourmet burgers and a strikingly-hued Tuk Tuk handing out complimentary scoops of ice cream topped with all manner of sugar-loaded sweet treats. No prizes for guessing where my two daughters spent most of the holiday. But Patina’s biggest gastronomic draw card is situated elsewhere in the resort, aside the calming lagoon. Wok Society, for which you have to book in advance to snag a sought-after table, is exceptional right the way through its long menu, with the homemade dim sum as good as any you’ll find anywhere. And while Patina scores very highly for its food — even the all-day dining venue Portico delivers on quality day in, day out — its wow factor is wellbeing. It’s serious business here, and they’ve selected their staff accordingly. The yoga and Pilates instructors were the best I’ve ever come across, as was the massage therapist. There’s a Watsu pool, flotation tank, and in the gym a Pilates reformer to use at your leisure, but what makes you fully aware that they’ve thought of everything is actually a square shaped pond that’s dotted with water lilies. The yoga studio purposefully looks out to it, so that during morning practice you see beams of sunlight kiss the flowers to unveil their spectacular blooms. Naturally, this is one resort we can’t wait to revisit.