As travel continues to be at a standstill, we’ve been hearing positive rumours afloat about travel bubbles and a few soft launches.
One of the soon-to-be-open resorts is the Patina Maldives, part of the Patina Hotels & Resorts, which is a new hospitality brand from the Capella Hotel Group team.
Located on the island of Fari, the resort offers a progressive concept which will appeal to a new generation of traveller.
With a plant-based dining concept, holistic wellness offerings, and a commitment to sustainable living, Patina Maldives is set to shake up the traditional hospitality scene on the archipelago and is a departure from the traditional hotel experience.
READ MORE: We speak to Ellen Franke from Ritz Carlton Langkawi about all things travel
At helm of this new resort is Marco Den Ouden, who joins as the General Manager of the soon-to-open Patina Maldives. He has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, previously being the General Manager of Soneva Jani, Maldives and had spent four years with the Alila group, leading teams as General Manager across three of their sought-after properties across Indonesia and China.
He joins us on Travel Wanderlust to share more about the resort and what he thinks is next for tourism in the Maldives.
Is it risky opening up the resort in a time with limited travel?
Whilst there are certainly challenges facing the travel industry at the moment, I am confident that, once vaccines are effectively rolled out globally, the industry will bounce back.
In particular, people will be looking to visit new destinations and experience new things, so launching a brand such as Patina Hotels & Resorts, which has been designed specifically to appeal to this new generation of travellers, is very timely.
In terms of challenges in the lead up to the opening of Patina Maldives, Fari Islands, one of the main issues we faced was delayed in supply chains.
Additionally, we’ve spent a lot of time internally researching and discussing how the post-covid traveller will feel and what they will look for in their travel experiences so we can ensure we cater to this and are ready to welcome guests when the time is right.
What are the opportunities you are seeing during this time and how do you plan to capitalise on them?
Post-COVID, travel experts have forecasted a change in consumer appetite and demands, predicting that there will be a surge in interest for eco-conscious travels with travel-for-good intentions, off-the-grid and exclusive experiences, as well as higher demand for outdoor experiences.
Travellers will be eager to rediscover the world around them – having spent so much time in their own small part of it – and Patina Maldives will be ready to welcome them.
Capella Hotel Group launched a new elevated lifestyle brand – Patina Hotels & Resorts and our team has conceptualised thoughtful brand pillars that will be the cornerstone of the Patina experience – Perpetuality (sustainability), Sustenance (healthy nutrition), Kinsfolk (community) and Balance (wellness), to name a few.
Each of these ties in with the predicted desires of the post-pandemic traveller, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming them.
In your opinion, when can we expect to get back to a more ‘normal’ travel industry?
It’s so difficult to predict, as the situation is still very volatile. I expect that things will be far from ‘normal’ for many years; whilst I do think there is pent up demand for travel experiences, and people will be very eager to start exploring again when it is safe to do so, there will naturally be some knock-on effects from the pandemic; for example, people may be nervous to go too far from home, or will perhaps look to take longer trips in order to make the higher airfares and potential quarantine measures worthwhile.
We’re feeling lucky to be launching Patina Maldives on the Fari Islands archipelago; the Maldives lends itself well to social distancing – that’s one of the key reasons many choose to visit, after all – which is why the country has been able to continue to welcome foreign tourists more successfully than most other places throughout the past year.
With this in mind, I think the destination will be popular as people start to consider their travel plans once again.
Tell us more about the focus on sustainability for Patina Maldives, Fari Islands.
An emerging generation of travellers are redefining luxury – no longer focused on polished experiences, fine dining and a degree of predictability that comes when staying in traditional hotels. Eco-conscious travel has become the new norm.
These modern-day travellers are increasingly concerned with their own impact on the world, monitoring their own consumption, expenditure and actions in order to ‘do their part’.
They want to nurture a deeper connection within themselves and society, by spending their time responsibly in a place that allows them to fully immerse and impact the community and the regions they visit.
Patina Maldives has established partnerships and relationships with several causes to enable our guests to give back to the Maldives during their time with us. One example if the Olive Ridley Project, which is committed to protecting sea turtles and their habitat.
Guests are encouraged to learn more about the threats facing these turtles and why the important work the Olive Ridley Project does in tracking and identifying the turtles of the Indian Ocean.
We’re also offering guests the opportunity to get involved in our coral propagation programme, which helps to build up a habitat for underwater life, as well as collaborating with the likes of Parley for the Oceans, to organize beach clean ups to strengthen conservation efforts within the Maldives.
In the coming weeks, Patina Maldives will announce more collaborations that encourage kinship between the local community and our guests, as well as memorable activities that reinforce Patina’s positive impact on people and place through art, music, and design.
What makes Patina Maldives, Fari Islands stand out as a destination for travellers?
Patina Maldives, Fari Islands was designed by renowned architect, Marcio Kogan, and boasts 90 beach and water villas, which range from one to three bedrooms, as well as 20 one-bedroom studios. Patina Maldives is located on Fari Islands, an elevated Maldivian resort experience that celebrates nature, craft and connection.
Anchored by three world-class hospitality brands. The archipelago features the picturesque Fari Marina, built around a vibrant Fari Beach Club, charming boutiques and a selection of handpicked, upscale food and beverage options, so guests will have the freedom to move between the islands and make the most of these experiences.
No effort has been spared in ensuring that Patina Maldives provides guests with sustainable, yet nutritious cuisine; our plant-based restaurant will bring together seasonality, nutritional quality, and the inherent freshness of whole-food and raw-food veganism, catering to the needs of a growing trend to consume more plant-based diet. This will be complemented by a selection of high-end and casual dining concepts.
Fueling the body does not stop at nutrition – our rooms and villas are made for thoughtful moments for the spirit and mind. The rooms include meditation packs consisting of a yoga mat, aromatherapy blends from the resort’s personalised Indian Ocean range from Haeckels and breathing technique tutorials on the Patina App curated by our resident Yoga guru.
READ MORE: We explore 10 of the most romantic holiday destinations in the world
The property will be home to a myriad of health professionals – posture experts will analyse and recalibrate movement to maximise wellbeing; physiotherapists will help reset, restore, and realign muscular and skeletal issues; nutritionists will share understanding of diet and food to boost dietary intelligence.
Our guests will also have access to the picturesque Fari Marina, built around a vibrant Beach Club, with charming boutiques and a selection of handpicked, upscale food and beverage options. Fari Islands will push the boundaries of Maldivian hospitality, pursuing creative collaborations with renowned names in art, music, culinary arts, photography, fashion and design.
It?¦s actually a nice and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.