Padel’s remarkable explosion in recent years has led to all manner of entrepreneurship within the industry – and one of the fastest-growing areas is padel travel.
The Padel Travel Club is one of the UK’s most respected operators in this space. Co-Founder and Director, Patricia Frost, first discovered padel 30 years ago whilst on a family holiday in Spain. Both her and the team play padel at regularly at The Padel Hub, Surge Padel and Rocket Padel. As Managing Director at Savile Row Travel, Patricia draws on many years’ experience of organising luxury, tailor-made travel experiences.
Here, Patricia lists some of the most popular destinations with British padel fanatics who want to play their favourite sport with the sun on the backs and a sangria waiting for them somewhere close by…
Spain
The sport’s heartland is still the no.1 padel holiday destination, boasting many of the world’s best clubs and coaches.
Marbella is a great destination because they have clubs like Nueva Alcantara Club (NAC) which is one of the finest in the world. The league they put together there is outstanding and the facilities are hugely impressive.
In Majorca, the Rafa Nadal Academy runs adult padel camps and a new club, Smash Padel, has a swimming pool, restaurant and gym.
La Manga, in Cartagena, put cohesive programmes together for us which not only include skills and matchplay but also strength and conditioning, diet and exercise
Barcelona’s clubs are also very popular and Camiral in Girona is a large golf and wellness facility that people are now attracted by as they can combine golf and padel on their trip.
Portugal
Among a wealth of beautiful hotels and clubs, the Vilamoura Tennis and Padel Academy in Quarteira is proving extremely popular and new venues are popping up all the time. We’ve even combined holidays with a tour of the Cork racket factory which is based nearby.
Middle East
The Middle East is becoming a powerhouse of sport and top-class competition with Premier Padel and the World Padel Championships taking place both Dubai and Doha which are increasing in popularity for padel holidays. A group has just booked for Doha to combine playing padel at the new La Poleta and attending the World Padel Championships in October. Many holidaymakers also combine padel with other major events like F1 races.
Miami
The US padel industry is experiencing an explosion and an early mover is Miami with high-spec clubs including the ultra-exclusive Reserve (where David Beckham plays), Ultra Padel and Wynwood Padel Club.
Best of the rest
Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland have all got excellent clubs that can be part of a specialised holiday package.
Private villas, such as Padel Solta in Croatia, are also proving very popular. The idea of a private padel court that families can call their own is very attractive.
Words of warning
Patricia, however, does have a note of caution for individuals, couples, friend groups or families interested in booking a padel holiday.
The Padel Travel Club is ATOL and ABTA bonded meaning clients who book with them have absolute assurance they are fully protected should anything go wrong, such as cancelled flights or fraudulent practices abroad. Patricia warns against an emerging number of inexperienced padel trip operators who, whilst well-meaning, will not be able to offer the same level of protection.
Patricia said: “We have noticed people jumping on the bandwagon, as often happens when things become popular, and I’ve heard stories of people being let down.
“Being ATOL and ABTA bonded means we have some of the most stringent rules in the world. Booking with an ATOL tour operator means they are fully protected. It makes good sense to do your research and ensure the people you’re booking with are reputable.”
