08-06-2025
Padel is a fast-growing racket sport, and resorts are courting players
Move over, pickleball. Hotels and resorts worldwide are embracing the next big racket sport. Padel, essentially a cross between tennis and squash, is winning over converts at a rapid pace.
And while the sport isn't technically new -- the International Padel Federation traces its origins to 1960s Mexico and the game has long enjoyed footholds in places like Spain and Argentina -- padel is spreading to new markets.
According to the 2024 "Global Padel Report" from Playtomic and PwC's strategy consulting arm Strategy&, almost 6,000 padel courts opened globally in 2023, representing a 16% increase from 2022. Additionally, more than 2,500 padel clubs opened around the world that same year, with markets like France, the U.K., Germany and the U.S. all contributing to the uptick.
"In Spain, it's actually overtaken soccer as a participation sport now," said Ian Ryder, co-founder of U.K.-based Padel Tripper, which crafts group travel experiences around the game. "And I reckon in five or six years, padel will be overtaking pickleball in the U.S."
Founded in early 2023, Padel Tripper primarily offers padel trips in Spain. The company, which is open to working with advisors, offers a scheduled calendar of experiences as well as bespoke trips for private groups, with a standard three-night, four-day coaching package starting at around $800Note, inclusive of accommodations, coaching and tournament access.
What makes the sport so uniquely appealing? Ryder cites padel's combination of accessibility and social connection.
"For tennis, you've got to spend months just trying to get the serve," he said. "But with padel, you can actually start to rally very quickly without any particular skill."
Padel players pose during a Padel Tripper-organized trip. Photo Credit: Padel Tripper
Ryder added that the smaller, enclosed court creates a distinctly communal atmosphere.
"From a social perspective, I've never experienced something like it -- everyone's noisy and laughing," said Ryder, adding that the sport is also "very inclusive," with a higher percentage of female players than tennis.
Among Padel Tripper's preferred accommodation partners is the Hotel Alicante Golf, which offers on-site padel courts and proximity to what Ryder describes as "one of the best padel centers in the world," Bela Padel Center.
"Every padel player I speak to, when they go on holiday, the first thing they do is look to see where the padel courts are," Ryder said. "So hotels and resorts that are adding these facilities now are really positioning themselves ahead of the curve."
Padel facilities and programming are popping up at high-end hotels and resorts around the globe.
Last year, the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland unveiled its Gleneagles Sporting Club, complete with three padel courts and padel coaching services. In April, the Oberoi Marrakech in Morocco added a padel court to its fitness offerings, while the Baha Mar resort complex in the Bahamas plans to expand its John McEnroe Tennis Center with padel courts in the coming year.
Properties in the U.S. are also getting in on the action. The Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa near San Diego, long known for its expansive tennis and pickleball facilities, partnered with sporting goods company Wilson to open three padel courts earlier this year.
For the Rancho Valencia, the decision to add padel was driven by guest and member demand. (The property offers club memberships that provide access to its fitness and wellness facilities along with other programming.)
"We're always looking to be at the forefront of the racket sports and wellness industry, and we have a wonderful membership base that is very passionate," said Lisa Rosenthal, club director at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. "They were coming to me asking if we were going to consider adding padel."
Consequently, the resort converted one of its tennis courts into three padel courts. The courts, which were crafted by Spain-based company Grupo Padel Galis World, feature panoramic glass walls designed to showcase the property's lush surroundings and join the resort's existing array of 12 hard tennis courts, three red clay tennis courts and four pickleball courts.
Padel players at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. Photo Credit: Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Unlike the noise issues sometimes associated with pickleball -- which is known for its sharp "pop" sound when the ball hits the paddle -- padel's reception has been overwhelmingly positive, Rosenthal said. She described the sport as "louder than tennis, but not as loud as pickleball."
"There's actually a lot of curiosity because people have never even seen the padel racket before, or they don't know the rules," she added. "It's such a brand-new thing to explore in the racket sports world, which doesn't happen often."
The addition of padel has proven especially popular with the Rancho Valencia's international guests.
"A lot of our loyal guests that are international are thrilled to find that we now have these courts, the sport they play at home," she said. "And we're really one of very few luxury properties in the U.S. that have padel at all right now."
