The world’s oldest perfume house, Farina est. 1709, and The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli resort have formalized a strategic partnership that brings together the history of European perfumery and hospitality in the Indian Ocean.
Launching with the April 2026 season, the collaboration aims to bring the cultural heritage of the fragrance created by Johann Maria Farina to a setting defined by natural conservation and contemporary luxury.
The partnership brings together two institutions whose understanding of luxury is rooted in legacy.
Farina est. 1709 is the birthplace of modern perfumery. Its creation, the original Eau de Cologne, transformed 18th-century perfumery with a citrus freshness that broke with the heavy scents of the era, becoming the standard of elegance in the royal courts of Europe.
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, meanwhile, represents the contemporary evolution of the hotel brand founded by John Jacob Astor IV in New York. Set in Dhaalu Atoll and reachable only by seaplane, the resort is distinguished by architecture inspired by marine life, among its landmarks, a bar shaped like a whale shark and villas that echo the form of manta rays, cementing its reputation as a byword for exclusivity and biomorphic design in the archipelago.
April program: a tasting menu inspired by fragrance notes
At the heart of this collaboration is a gastronomic experience that reimagines the historical fragrance’s scent profile as a multi-course meal.
On April 1, 2026, the resort will host a dinner in which each course is inspired by a specific note of the perfume.
The menu includes lemon-fish ceviche with black truffle to represent bergamot, prawns paired with orange blossom, and lobster ravioli with grapefruit sabayon. The final course weaves mandarin, vanilla, lavender, and jasmine into an artisanal mille-feuille.
The collaboration is not a standalone event, it extends throughout the entire month of April with signature cocktails at the Whale Bar, where a bespoke cocktail replicates the citrus-forward freshness of the original Eau de Cologne.
Perfumery classes and the fall 2026 program
Beyond the culinary offering, the partnership includes a series of workshops led by Louise Farina, a ninth-generation member of the founding family.
Guests will be able to participate in classes designed to explore how raw materials interact and create their own interpretation of the original scent, connecting centuries of perfumery expertise to their stay on the atoll.
Vincent Pauchon, the resort’s general manager, notes that the initiative seeks to deliver experiences with narrative depth and cultural value.
Following the April season, the program will continue in fall 2026, coinciding with the resort’s tenth anniversary celebrations.
In this second phase, new fragrances inspired by global destinations will be introduced, maintaining its focus on the intersection of gastronomy, oenology, and the history of perfume.
