A stay built around different uses
In episode 268 of Sports Management Podcast, published in September 2026, Marcus Filipsson speaks with Chris King, founder of Crafted. The conversation starts with a project combining accommodation, sport, nature, wellness and workspaces. Padel forms part of that whole: its role makes sense in relation to the place and its different uses.
For MPI, this is an interesting starting point because it draws attention to the stay itself. A court alone does not explain a hospitality experience. Opportunities to meet, spend time on site and share a moment also give people a reason to return.
Watch · Sports Management Podcast · Marcus Filipsson
At Crafted, padel is part of the stay
Original video — Sports Management Podcast · Marcus Filipsson.
Watch on YouTube ↗The court within the wider place
The chapter guide provides clear navigation: padel's role comes up at 04:10, the hotel experience at 08:28 and guests' uses at 12:26. King explains the place given to sport alongside other activities.
Our reading: the value of this approach lies in treating the court as part of a programme. Offering an activity and giving it a role in the life of a hotel are different decisions. The interview provides a concrete case to explore, without establishing a universal formula.
Meeting in fragmented working days
From 13:04, the discussion turns to loneliness associated with remote work, followed by the combination of work, travel and hospitality. This raises an everyday question: where do people meet when their days no longer revolve around a shared office?
This is the section we would recommend first. It offers a way of understanding these spaces through the needs their creators seek to address. Belonging remains an ambition of the project presented; the interview does not measure its effect on visitors.
Useful viewing points
Wellness also occupies part of the conversation, notably at 06:33, with a discussion about the constant pursuit of health optimisation. The episode later returns to King's professional journey.
This conversation gives access to a founder's perspective. Its interest for our viewing selection lies in the specific subjects it covers: hospitality, uses of time, meeting places and the role of sport. The embedded player streams the video from Sports Management Podcast's channel.