Forget Pickleball. Padel Is The Hot New Court Sport At Luxury Resorts

Forbes

17 hours ago

Tucked away within the 45-acre grounds of the Mediterranean-inspired property, the Padel courts at Rancho Valencia in San Diego are part of a partnership with Spain-based company Grupo Padel Galis World and the sports company Wilson. Rancho Valencia
Maybe all that pickleball 'dinking' finally got on people's nerves. Or perhaps resort guests just wanted something a bit more refined than a sport you can play at the local rec center. Either way — and the fact that it's energizing and kinda glamorous certainly doesn't hurt — padel has suddenly become a hot new court sport at U.S. luxury resorts.
Padel is a racket sport played on an enclosed turf or carpet surface roughly the size of a doubles tennis court, combining elements of pickleball, tennis and paddle tennis. The key twist: the walls are in play, like in squash, which adds a whole extra dimension of strategy and engagement.
Rancho Valencia installed three new padel courts this past winter as part of an expanded racket sports program that includes coaching, equipment and various clinics and tournaments. Rancho Valencia
Though it originated in 1960s Mexico, padel is massively popular in countries such as Spain and Argentina and it's spreading fast. According to the 2025 Global Padel Report from Playtomic and PwC, over 7,000 new padel courts opened worldwide in 2024 along with more than 3,200 new padel clubs, driven by growth in France, the U.K., Germany and the U.S. With all the interest, more than 81,000 padel courts are expected to be built by 2027.
Padel rackets are similar to the paddles used in paddle tennis and platform tennis. These Wilson Bela pro paddles were seen off the court during the Italy Major Premier Padel in 2022. (Photo by Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images) Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images
Now the U.S. hotel market is catching on. From The Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne and Boar's Head Resort in Charlottesville, Virginia, to The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa in Houston, Texas, the sport is becoming a baseline experience. If a self-respecting tennis and pickleball resort doesn't have a padel court already, it probably will soon.
"We couldn't be more excited to take our offerings to the next level with the unveiling of new Padel courts,' says Rancho Valencia General Manager Milan Drager. Rancho Valencia
In California, Rancho Valencia, which already had a robust racket sports program, is setting new standards for padel. After teaming up with Wilson and Valencia, Spain-based design firm Grupo Padel Galis World, the San Diego resort this year built out a full padel program, complete with three courts, equipment, coaching support and a slate of weekly clinics and drop-ins.
Guests can book a court like they would a spa appointment and everything is waiting when you show up. They're also planning multi-day events, advanced clinics and monthly 'Americano tourney' play. And the resort definitely didn't skimp on coaching talent. François Catejón — a former No. 1–ranked U.S. padel player in the 35+ division — now teaches at Rancho Valencia and helps run the on-court programming.
For those who like to follow a forehand winner with something shaken over ice, Rancho Valencia now offers a courtside cocktails menu featuring drinks like the Berry Deuce, Bourbon Cherry Smash, Bandeja and Up A Creek. It's all made for post-padel sips — and, who knows, maybe for making peace with those pickleball friends who haven't quite made the switch to padel just yet. ALSO ON FORBES Forbes Why Beverly Hills' Power Players Might Lose A Beloved Dining Spot By David Hochman Forbes Smart Ovens Breville, June And Chef IQ Battle For Your Countertop By David Hochman Forbes No Script, No Problem. The Improvised Shakespeare Company Turns 20 By David Hochman