Move over tennis — padel has officially become the game of the global jet set.
The fast-growing racket sport, a cross between tennis and squash played in doubles on an enclosed court, has evolved into the newest must-have luxury hotel amenity. Today’s most glamorous resorts and destination clubs are investing in beautifully designed courts, social tournaments, and wellness programming built around the sport, creating entire holidays that revolve around a morning match and a long lunch.
It also helps that padel is inherently social. Unlike tennis, you don’t need years of lessons to enjoy it, and thanks to apps like Playtomic, travelers can book courts almost anywhere in the world — or even join an Open Match, which pairs solo players with others at a similar skill level.
The beauty of padel is that it fits seamlessly into the kind of vacations travelers increasingly crave — active but social, competitive but approachable, wellness-focused without feeling overly serious. This summer, whether you’re rallying above the Mediterranean, playing a historic court in Marbella, squeezing in a match before lunch in the Caribbean, or joining a game in Miami, one thing is clear: this summer, the coolest place to be isn’t necessarily on the beach: it’s on the court.
St. Tropez, France
No destination captures Riviera glamour quite like St. Tropez. At Château de la Messardière, guests can play among sprawling gardens overlooking Pampelonne Bay before heading off to beach clubs and long seaside lunches. The destination is also home to Casa Padel Saint-Tropez, one of the French Riviera’s most prominent dedicated padel clubs and a favorite among summer visitors looking to join matches, book coaching sessions, or play alongside the international crowd that descends on the region each season.
Marbella, Spain
If padel has a spiritual home in Europe, it’s Marbella. The Costa del Sol helped introduce the sport to the continent, and today the destination offers some of the world’s most iconic courts. At Marbella Club Hotel, guests can play on the historic Príncipe Alfonso Pádel Court, a tribute to the property’s role in popularizing the game in Europe. Nearby, Puente Romano Tennis & Padel Club has become one of the continent’s premier racquet destinations, hosting tournaments, coaching programs, and a thriving social scene. For a more modern wellness-focused experience, Unicorn Racquet Club combines padel, fitness, and lifestyle programming in one of the destination’s most talked-about new clubs.
The Cotswolds, England
Known for championing slow living long before it became fashionable, Daylesford has quietly embraced padel as another expression of its wellness-focused lifestyle. Guests can pair a morning match with a farm-to-table breakfast, browse the organic farm shop, book a spa treatment or spend the afternoon exploring the rolling Cotswolds countryside.
Peloponnese, Greece
Perched high above the Aegean, Amanzoe offers one of the world’s most spectacular settings for a game, with its sea-view court framed by olive groves and cypress trees. It’s the kind of place where guests trade a morning workout for a match before disappearing to the Beach Club or retreating to a private pool pavilion for the afternoon. Farther north along the Athens Riviera, One&Only Aesthesis has also made padel part of its active coastal lifestyle, with beautifully designed courts that pair perfectly with afternoons on the private beach, spa treatments and long seaside lunches.
Puglia, Italy
Southern Italy’s most iconic luxury resort has fully embraced the padel craze. Set among ancient olive groves and whitewashed villages, Borgo Egnazia offers dedicated padel courts as part of its expansive sports and wellness program, giving guests yet another excuse to linger between mornings at the beach club and long Puglian lunches. For travelers who prefer a private villa over a hotel, The Thinking Traveller has brought padel to some of southern Italy’s most beautiful homes. Several of its luxury villas throughout Puglia feature private courts, allowing families and groups of friends to build matches into leisurely afternoons spent between the pool, long lunches and sunset aperitivos.
Antigua & Barbuda
Home to the recently opened Coco Beach Estate, Jumby Bay Island has added another reason for guests to leave their beachfront villas for the morning. Surrounded by swaying palms and just steps from the Caribbean Sea, the new courts have quickly become part of the resort’s active-luxury lifestyle, where matches naturally flow into beach lunches, cycling around the private island and afternoons by the water.
Miami, Florida
As the American capital of padel, Miami has become the epicenter of the sport’s explosive growth in the United States. In Sunset Harbour, Sunset Padel has become one of the city’s most fashionable places to play, pairing sleek indoor courts with a highly social atmosphere. Meanwhile, Padel X has elevated the local scene with its state-of-the-art courts, recovery amenities, and exclusive Lacoste partnership, quickly becoming one of the country’s premier destinations. Rounding out the trio, Reserve Padel helped establish padel’s luxury credentials in America, attracting everyone from professional athletes to celebrities and investors while creating one of the sport’s most coveted social scenes.
London, England
Located in the newly transformed Earl’s Court district, Padel Social Club brings a distinctly urban edge to the sport. Its striking panoramic glass courts and rooftop bar create a rare open-air sporting experience in central London, with skyline views that are almost as much of a draw as the matches themselves.
Bali, Indonesia
In Canggu, where mornings are split between surfing and smoothie bowls, Monster Padel has become the unofficial clubhouse for Bali’s creative and digital nomad crowd. The colorful courts and energetic social calendar make it one of the island’s liveliest gathering places—and proof that the sport’s appeal now stretches far beyond Europe.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Only Dubai could dream up the world’s first floating courts. Padel Islands Floating Club sits directly on the water, offering players spectacular views of the city’s glittering skyline while they rally. Equal parts sporting venue and social media moment, it has quickly become one of the most talked-about destinations anywhere.
What to Wear on the Court — SHOP NOW
Miu Miu x New Balance Jersey Tennis Dress
Splits59 Monah Rigor Dress
Varley Nico Pleated Pointelle-Jersey Dress
Sporty & Rich Striped Jersey Tennis Skirt
