Padel news: How the powerhouse sport is taking over luxury hotels

Luxury hotels are known for their discretion, high-profile guest list and top-of-the-range amenities and for a while, tennis was the go-to sport for these hotels.

Well-kept grass tennis courts showed a level of exclusivity that only these high-end hotels could offer. The exclusiveness of the sport matched the allure of the hotels.

Tennis and luxury hotels became an inseparable pair, like a couple of popular high school girls.

But just like high school, popularity does not last forever, and so when a cooler and more youthful sport entered the conversation, luxury hotels had to switch sides.

Courtesy of Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire, here’s how padel, arguably the fastest-growing sport on the planet, is replacing tennis in luxury hotels.

‘Sport-tripping’

According to the Global Tourism Forum, ‘sport-tripping’ (planning a getaway around sporting events) is the next travel movement.

Expected to surpass £1.5 trillion by 2030, global sports tourism is the fastest-growing sector in the travel industry, and luxury hotel brands know this. 

Combine padel with a growing number of travelling sports fans, and luxury hotels have begun creating amenities to cash in on this pairing. 

Understanding that most people are not travelling to watch padel but will be more inclined to stay at a place with a padel court, properties like Amanzoe in Greece, Montauk Yacht Club in Long Island, and Le Jardin des Douars in Morocco have integrated custom-built padel courts as part of their amenities. 

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Nothing personal, it’s just business

Tennis’ allure is its difficulty. 

Not everyone can play tennis. It is a physically and mentally demanding sport with rules that take time to understand. 

And with a typical game only having two players, the sport is undeniably a solo endeavour. 

Padel, on the other hand, is a doubles sport with a minimum of four players taking to the court at one time.

With more relaxed rules, no umpire and smaller courts, padel is viewed more as a social event than a sport.

For luxury hotels, padel courts are easier to maintain; two can be built on the size of one tennis court, and the sport brings in twice as many paying participants. 

Financially, for high-end hotels, a partnership with padel is smarter; their courts could be hired out and make a profit at a higher rate than singles tennis.

Cash is king 

Luxury hotels have to accommodate their clientele, and with more young millionaires, exclusive hotels have to build an experience around the interests of their guests. 

A doubles sport blending elements of tennis and squash, padel is easy to learn, low-impact and inherently social, which is why it resonates with a younger generation of travellers. 

With over 30 million players worldwide, hotels that can cater to the fastest-growing sports will be able to bring a large guest list. 

Padel is certainly having its moment, and luxury hotels do not want to miss out on it.

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