Patina Maldives, Fari Islands — Hotel in Malé Atoll

I’ve been lucky enough to go regularly to the Maldives for over 20 years. Each year a few new islands/resorts open up, often trying to learn everything from the improvements the last set made & so there’s a kind of ‘Good Arms Race’ there, where every year the ‘luxury ante’ has been raised yet again. ||Patina is only a couple of years ‘old’ and still has the feel of everything being new and contemporary. Everything works, and they’ve all mod cons and every gadget known to mankind, including every imaginable motorised water sport amenity.||The suites are beautifully designed and finished. The aesthetic is sort of scandi & undeniably ‘boxie’ on the outside, but soft and luxurious on the inside, from which you have the spectacular ocean views – unimpeded in the case of the ocean villas, in one of which we stayed. I loved the careful & sensitive landscaping of the whole island – no harsh straight lines here – and all the ‘views’ throughout the island have been carefully composed to take your breath away. Plus, the gardening team are very good at their jobs: THIS paradise is manicured. (On the ‘built environment’ literally the only thing I’d change is the ‘rough’ surface of the villa pool’s concrete base/bench which I didn’t find terribly comfortable, but that might just be me & I anyway found a sort of ‘cushion work-around.’)||The island is a lot larger than many, though never felt unpleasantly busy, even at 95% occupancy. This gives them the ‘critical mass’ and simply the space, to do a lot that many other islands cannot: The spa is very extensive and even during their busiest week of the year (XmasNY) we did not struggle to get treatments at/very near preferred times, and every treatment was truly excellent.||But possibly the most unusual thing about the island is its network of differently themed Restaurants and casual dining options. I think I counted 13! And the range and quality of the food I simply have never seen bettered anywhere in the Maldives, quite extraordinary. I don’t often photograph my food, but even I did occasionally on Patina, so exquisite was the presentation; if only photos could convey the mouth-watering flavours! The ‘banquets’ put on for New Year’s and a few other nights were extraordinary, and the entertainers & singers were very high quality. There is an Middle Eastern-themed restaurant ('Arabesque') operated by neighbouring island Ritz Carlton whose dishes were SO outstanding that we changed our plans so that we could go twice! (And should say I make all these culinary comments having a slightly unusual diet, but they handled it almost perfectly; keto bread rolls were the only thing missing for me, but that is very niche & I have a feeling that if I’d asked in advance they would have made that happen too!) ||Indeed ‘making it happen’ for you, WHATEVER your ‘it’ is, seems to be their guiding principle. You have a butler (slightly confusingly/unnecessarily called an ‘Essentialist’) who takes care of you all the way – I appreciated being able to WhatsApp ours and although by the end of the trip she was caring for 5 or 6 villas, she was virtually available at any time. She was so wonderfully friendly & kind it was like liaising with an old friend from beginning to end.||In fact everybody was wonderfully friendly, and not in a forced way. You could tell they work hard but are well managed and cared for and so the warmth of the hospitality is coming from a really genuine and positive place. ||We had a couple of wet days, global warming means it is no longer possible to time your trip completely to avoid those, but they dealt very well with them. I’ve never seen a gym as busy on a Maldivian island, and I think it is a candidate for expansion and upgrade, but all the basics are there, including even a PT, and with a little flexing we got everything done.||Not something they can upgrade any time soon, alas, is the House Reef. Having been so often over the years, it did not in any way spoil the experience of the island, and all the fish you’d expect are there, but not in profusion and of course much of the coral is bleached – as is the case in most islands – and the net of that is that you don’t feel the ‘pull’ just to grab your snorkel & fins and nip out to the drop-off nearly as much as on other islands. The Dive team are lovely, of course, and lead group or private trips to drop-offs very nearby that are much busier and more exciting, but it does mean you have to get in a boat to do that. ||But this is to nit-pick a place so near to perfection as makes virtually no odds. Amazing staff doing amazing things, thank you and Well Done,...

The resort is 5+ star level (6 stars): Upon arrival, we were greeted by an airport staff at luggage claiming, than introduced to member of Patina staff for shuttle boat arranging to be transported to the resort. Speedboat

The speedboat was a luxurious, air conditioned, spacious, with TV, Wi-Fi access internet, and it was for Patina resort visitors only.

At boat, we were welcomed by the crew with cold bottled water and 3-type of sweets: seedless dates, cupcake, and cookies which was amazing, fresh, and tasty.

As we approch the resort, we were welcomed at entrance by the general manager and several staffs chanting in a welcoming manner with a cold Mango lassi, a cold towel, and a toy for our boy :) . Than we got escorted by our essentialist (butler) to our villa for check-in INSIDE OUR VILLA by our essentialist, we didn't need to sit at the reception waiting for our turn to check-in like in standard resorts.

From luggage claiming to our villa at the resort, we didn't need to touch/carry our luggages as it was handled by airport staff and resort staffs.

We didn't need for a local sim regarding internet access, as our whole vacation was covered with Wi-Fi access internet from speed luxury boat to our villa and the whole resort.

In villa, we were welcomed with non-alcoholic champagne, a cake, and sweets for our wedding anniversary (everything was delicious and tasty)

Mini-bar was filled with complementary daily refillable soda drinks, juices, milk, and sparkling water. Alcohols, boxed nuts, and boxed sweets were chargeable, however they were very welcoming in removing alcohol drinks for the mini-bar in respect for our islamic believes.

The villa gets cleaned twice daily: morning and evening with a high level of cleaning, organizing, and smell of freshness.

Regarding having a 1-year old baby with us, villa was filled with baby needed equipments: bottle warmer, bottle sterilization, dipper can, and bathing tab. Also All organic shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, body shower, and body cream.

Toilet seat was high-tech with water spray (electric bidet) for cleaning (we didn't need to use our travel bidet).

The resort is huge but thankful to the staffs in management position, a fleet of buggy vehicles were provided for its visitors comfortable transportation which in itself is a complimentary rather necessity (as some reviewers complained about it being late or has 5-10 minute delay) I feel appreciate by having this service instead of walking or biking. As for it 5-10 minutes delay, you will always be sitting in comfortable area for a buggy vehicle to arrive.

We stayed at both beach villa and overwater villa: Beach villa: more suitable for family with children, beginner/non diver swimmers, spacious outdoor area surrounded with green plants for privacy, and easy access to the beach. FYI the villa was free from Geckos and insects :)) Overwater villa: more suitable for couples, advance swimmers/divers/snorkelers as sea level is more than 2 meters, occasionally a baby shark will swim by (doesn't attack humans), no sandy feet, and beach access about 5 mins walk.

Breakfast buffet is fulled with diverse food from Maldivian, Chinese, Indian, European, Mediterranean, Pastries, Smoothies, and if you want specific food or tea like we ordered foul medames, falafel, masala chai, and Karak Tea 1 day in advance and they were very happy to make it for us.

We tried 3 different restaurants: Wok Society (Chinese), Portico (international and has a secondary menu as Indian cuisine) , and Fari Beach (Japanese) all have excellent, delicious, and high-end courses which put our mind at ease as food was a big concern for us

For us, we were impressed with staff professionalism, hospitality, friendliness, and observation skills, resort architecture, transportation buggy/boat, and level of greenness, and variety of delicious outstanding foods

In the end, thanks to all the staff for making our vacation as smoothing and relaxing as possible, we did enjoy our stay at...

Arrival at Male Airport, jaw dropped at the stunning views and that’s before our luxury speedboat transfer. Our luggage was collected and stored safely onboard our speedboat towards the island which took about 50 minutes.

I knew I was in for something special as soon as we docked and were greeted by the staffed who performed their welcome ceremony and you felt at ease, feeling like you were a part of the family.

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful staff working here. Not only do they genuinely care about each and every guest and take care of their needs, it was a sense of familiarity as they remember your name. Fubu was an amazing essentialist (butler). He was such a lovely person and very approachable. Communication via WhatsApp was swiftly replied to and our buggy for transport magically appeared each time and request for any activities were quickly booked. At Flow, Jinkey was my masseuse and she was highly personable and delivered a firm but soothing massage. Rachel in Portico had served me a few times for breakfast and remembered me which always a special touch. She had a sunny disposition and a credit to the team.

We were immediately whisked off on the buggy with our luggage heading towards the cool blue ocean. We had the One Bedroom Sunset Water Pool Villa. It was palatial to say the least. The essentialist (butler) helped deliver the luggage into the villa and explained the functions of your accommodation. Upon entering there is lovely art work on the walls with a pair of sun hats hanging on one side. A large work desk sits in one corner where check-in is done in room (such a luxury not having to do it at front desk). There is a super comfortable king bed with the plushest linen and pillows. A lounge with a coffee table sits on the other side of the room with a comfortable rocking chair. The mini bar is extensive and complimentary non alcoholic beverages are replenished daily. The bathroom is grand and the walk in shower is a sight to behold. There are also dual vanities and walk-in wardrobe areas. The Japanese style toilet is tucked away in its own room. The missing feature of the room is a tv which was explained to me that it was on request as the power outlet is in the middle of the room thus blocking your view. I did not miss the tv as once you looked into the great blue yonder, you will be memorised what’s on the outside and not inside. I stepped onto the generously sized patio and there was an inviting hammock (perched a bit above the ground but well worth trying), a couple of chairs with a table, a private plunge pool, a pair of loungers, and an outdoor bath tub (it’s a treat on a balmy evening to have the essentialist draw a bath for you). What you see in pictures does not do it justice when you see it in person.

There are 13 food and beverage outlets dotted on the island as well as ones you can use at the Ritz Carlton. Each one has its own personality and cuisine. Even if you stayed here for a longer period , the choice should be more than enough for you not to get bored. We got to try Helios on our first night. It was set up differently than usual (it is usually Mediterranean cuisine) as food was served buffet style as Cafe Del Mondo was performing a set on stage this evening. Floating breakfast the next morning was a treat. Fari Beach Club is international but leans more towards Asian. Breakfast at Portico is great. Consisting of a few areas, you get the choice of a la carte, buffet or both! Loved the fruits and juices. My favourite was dinner at Wok Society. Geared towards Chinese food, the dumplings are spectacular and food is fantastic. Gogo Burger is a burger truck that does casual dining on the beach. Staff at all venues were great.

Lots to do on the island and we got did a private cooking class at Koen, a sunset cruise with Jolly Roger (with the spectacular views of dolphins swimming close to the boat), and aforementioned massage. I also kayaked on the water towards other islands and it was indescribable.

Make sure you enjoy a...