365Playground Blog
Luxury Brand The Chedi Arrives in Switzerland
365Playground would like to congratulate The Chedi Andermatt, as well as our friend General Manager Alain Bachmann, on their upcoming opening. The renowned Chedi brand will enter into one of the most exclusive tourist countries in the world — and a new region for the brand — Switzerland, on December 20th. Located in the picturesque…
The Culinary Vision of Qbara
We would like to extend our congratulations to our friends from Patrick John, Sakura Maruyama and Elmar Pichorner on their opening of chic new restaurant Qbara. Qbara is the brainchild of JAS Hospitality, bringing forth compelling food combined with immaculate service, all to the glamorous backdrop of Dubai. With stunning interiors conceived by award-winning Tokyo-based…
Is the Hotel Star-Rating System Outdated and Unneeded?
How important is a hotel’s star-rating these days, especially in light of social media’s influence on consumer decisions? According to the Asia-based branding and communications agency Quo, not very important at all. They recently released a study concentrating on the Asian hotel industry, and found that the long dependable hotel star system no longer holds…
Basque Cuisine Meets Thailand: Phuket’s Aziamendi Restaurant
Martin Michalik is the Founder and Managing Director of 365Playground Management. I was recently honored to be invited to the soft opening dinner at Aziamendi in Phuket, a new restaurant from acclaimed 3 Michelin star chef Eneko Atxa and the sister restaurant of Azurmendi in Bilbao. I would like thank to my friends Danny Drinkwater,…
4-Time Triathlon World Champion Chris McCormack Takes Reins at Thanyapura Phuket
Thanyapura Phuket has appointed multiple world champion athlete, Chris McCormack, as Executive Chairman of the world-class megaplex, marking a huge stride forward into introducing Thanyapura’s lifestyle concept internationally. With the help of the 365Playground team, Martin Michalik led the process of taking Thanyapura from a dream to reality, from design to the opening of its doors….
Brazil’s Newest Dining Experience: ASSUQ
The creative mind behind Brazil’s newest dining experience, ASSUQ, finds that the simplicity of life moves him to create. As executive chef and 365Playground team member Alex Nassar says, “To be alive and healthy is an inspiration.” That purity and simplicity translates well at ASSUQ, where key philosophies and elements — simplicity, freshness, local, the…
Japan’s Season of Kouyou
365Playground’s own Akino Nourdine (Corporate Business Development, Sales & Marketing & Training) guest blogs about her home country of Japan, and the beauty of its season of “Kouyou”. Autumn leaf colour season is another magical time of the year in Japan. Like the cherry blossom, autumn-coloured foliage (“Kouyou” 紅葉) has a special place in the heart of…
25 Greatest Travel Photographers Right Now
Complex Magazine has compiled a list of the 25 Greatest Travel Photographers Right Now, and we were excited — though unsurprised — to see that 365Playground partner Jason Michael Lang made the list! Jason’s work has long been admired world-wide, and working for the best and brightest brands, including Conde Nast Traveller, Vogue, Alila Resorts, Banyan…
Nike’s 5 Lessons of Design and Success
Regardless of the industry, any brand can easily agree that Nike is an icon of the modern age. Not limited to making great strides within sports, Nike has used design to great effect, propelling forward a $60 billion business. Fast Company sat down with Nike President & CEO Mark Parker and VP of Global Design…
Heston Blumenthal, Chef of the Decade
Outrageous ideas will get you far in the culinary universe — Heston Blumenthal, whose restaurant Dinner is ranked top 10 in the world, and is well-known for his innovative molecular food creations, was recently crowned Chef of the Decade by Observer Food Monthly. Blumenthal’s celebrity status was cemented through his cutting edge experimentations at his…