At some hotels, padel is a relaxed addition — a couple of courts, easy to book, perfect for a casual game. At others, it’s far more central, with coaching, structured sessions and a stronger playing culture.
The key is not choosing the “best” padel holiday. It’s choosing the one that fits how you actually want to spend your time away, and how seriously you take your game.
How to choose a padel holiday based on your playing style
For many clients, padel isn’t the whole holiday, it’s part of it.
That might mean a game in the morning, another in the late afternoon, and the rest of the day spent by the pool, at the beach or at the spa. In this setting, padel should feel easy, something you can pick up and put down without needing to plan around it.
Other clients want something more structured. Perhaps they’re new to the sport and want to improve, or they already play regularly and would enjoy expert coaching while they’re away. In these cases, the right hotel offers more than just courts, it has a stronger racquet culture, group or solo coaching on hand and other players at a similar level, as you’ll find at the academies at Pine Cliffs or the Annabel Croft Academy at La Manga.
Or of course, you might fall somewhere between the two, which is why choosing the right hotel often matters more than the destination.
Who you’re travelling with shapes everything
Padel works brilliantly across different types of trips, but the role it plays changes.
With families, it tends to slot naturally into the day — a quick game while children are in the kids’ club, or a relaxed match together later on. The best hotels make this feel effortless, Martinhal Beach Resort, Forte Village and IKOS Porto Petro would be great options as they offer fantastic activities and clubs for kids.
With couples, padel is may be more occasional. It sits alongside time to relax, good food and perhaps a spa or wellness element, something to dip into, not plan around.
With groups, particularly those travelling from padel clubs, the trip is of course built around playing together. The doubles format makes it easy to organise matches within your own group, whether that’s relaxed games or something more competitive. In this case, what matters most is having enough courts and a setup that allows you to play when you want, rather than working around availability.
Choosing the right destination
Spain and Portugal remain the most established padel destinations in Europe (Spain alone is home to more than 17,000 padel courts!). The passion for padel means better courts, more availability and far more opportunity for coaching. If padel is a priority, this is where we tend to guide people.
Elsewhere, in places like Greece or Italy, the experience is more relaxed. The setting is exceptional, but padel sits alongside everything else rather than leading it, as you’ll find at Borgo Egnazia.
In long-haul destinations such as the Maldives or Dubai, padel is a newer addition but growing. You’ll usually find one or two courts in a very high-end setting, used casually rather than intensively. ideal if you enjoy playing, but aren’t looking to structure your days around it, as at One&Only Reethi Rah.
The biggest difference: courts vs coaching
This is where expectations often don’t quite match reality.
Many luxury hotels now have padel courts, but not all offer coaching, and that changes the experience significantly.
If you’re happy organising your own games, a hotel with good courts is more than enough. But if you want to improve, play regularly or build your days around it, choosing somewhere with proper coaching or an academy setup makes a noticeable difference. La Manga Club is a great choice here, racquet sports are central to the entire experience.
It’s a small distinction, but one that tends to define how the holiday feels once you’re there.
If you’re not sure, that’s exactly where we come in
If you’re wondering how to choose a padel holiday, our specialists help you find the right fit based on how you want to play and travel. We know which hotels genuinely deliver a great experience on court, and which may not be quite so great. More importantly, we understand how location actually feels once you’re there and can advise accordingly.
Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple or a group of friends, we’ll help you find a padel holiday that fits naturally into the kind of break you want.
Speak to our team to start planning your padel holiday.
