Fun-Filled Summer Stays

Wassim Hallal moved to Denmark in 1985 and, after working in some of the country’s best restaurants, opened his own place, Frederikshøj, in 2009. Housed within the former staff lodge of the Royal Palace, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 2015 and its second in 2022. The same year, Wassim was also awarded the Chef Mentor Award. His menus are a sensory journey in refinement and rendition without a horizon. Following the seasons, he creates technically superior and deeply personal dishes, with the utmost respect for his ingredients. Unrestrained by traditional conventions, he believes that care, excitement and dedication can be both felt and tasted. Wassim has also published several cookbooks and appeared on Hell’s Kitchen Denmark and MasterChef Denmark. He is also a proud ambassador for the Aarhus region, shining a light on the quality of local produce through his precise and creative cooking style.

Born in the city of Zamora, Mexico, former professional footballer Rafael Márquez Álvarez is regarded as the best defender in Mexico’s history and one of the best Mexican players of all time. He discovered his natural talent for football at a very young age and made his professional debut with the Atlas de Guadalajara in 1996, becoming part of the squad known as the ‘golden generation’. Rafael went on to play for AS Monaco for four years, during which time he helped win the EFL League One and Coupe de France. In 2003 he transferred to FC Barcelona, becoming the first-ever Mexican to represent the club. While with the squad, he won four La Liga, three Spanish Super Cups and two Champions League titles, among several other accolades. In 2010, he joined the New York Red Bulls along with his Barcelona former teammate, the French legend, Thierry Henry. After playing for the Red Bulls for three years, he returned home in 2013 to León FC, where he led them as a captain to two consecutive Mexican league trophies. He then transferred to the Italian team Hellas of Verona to reinforce their defence. After a year and a half in Italy, he returned to the team that shaped him and saw him grow to become a football icon, Atlas de Guadalajara, where he concluded his journey as a professional footballer two years later.

Executive Chef at Restaurant Merlet in Schoorl, Netherlands, since 2015, Jonathan Zandbergen is considered one of the greatest Dutch culinary talents. With cooking methods that combine both tradition and innovation, he has won numerous prestigious awards, including the ‘Prix Culinary Le Taittinger’ in 2014, as well as being crowned Gault & Millau’s ‘Most Talented Chef’ in 2017. The Dutch public became better acquainted with Zandbergen through his TV appearances, most recently as a jury member in the RTL series, Topchef Academy and as a judge on Masterchef Holland in 2018. With over 20 years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and cooking competitions, Zandbergen has created his own unique style of Dutch cuisine, inspiring people from all over the world through his culinary streaming platform, CHEFFD. Chef Jonathan Zandbergen will be hosting a series of exclusive dining events at Soneva Fushi & Soneva Jani during his stay.

Son of a Greek father and an Austrian mother, chef Konstantin Filippou honed his signature multicultural cooking style while working in the kitchen of Vienna-based Mediterranean restaurant Novelli. Shaping the story of his success, he earned the restaurant a Michelin Star and a third Gault Millau bonnet in both 2009 and 2010. Just two years later, chef Konstantin was nominated for the gourmet magazine A La Carte’s Trophée Gourmet and won the supreme title of “Austria’s Most Creative Chef”. In 2013, he opened his first eponymous restaurant, Konstantin Filippou, where his Greek and Austrian background is reflected in both his dishes and the spirit of the dining room. After just seven months in operation, the restaurant was awarded three bonnets by Gault Millau. A Michelin star shortly followed in 2014 and his second star in 2018. Gault Millau later awarded him with 19 points and five bonnets in 2019, making Konstantin one of only 5 19-pointers in Austria. He opened a natural wine bistro O boufés at the same address as his restaurant in 2015, which received two bonnets (15 points) in the Gault Millau. Today the bistro holds 15.5 points and three bonnets.