Padel With A Sense Of Place

Now we want our holidays to work a bit harder – and padel is increasingly part of that mix. Sometimes it’s the reason for going, and sometimes it’s a very good excuse to visit somewhere you’d bookmarked to go anyway. These five destinations all offer something different, proving that a good padel retreat can be as much about where you play as where you stay. 

Gleneagles – Perthshire, Scotland

Best for: Players who’ve mastered the basics and want to sharpen their game without sacrificing the pleasures of a proper country-house weekend.

Gleneagles has never been short of ways to spend a weekend. Golf, tennis, shooting, spa and long lunches that somehow become longer dinners… Now there’s padel. And, rather fittingly, it feels like it’s always belonged here. But this isn’t a padel camp with a luxury hotel attached; it’s Gleneagles’ sporting culture getting a very modern update. Of course there’s expert coaching and plenty of court time, but also the particular pleasure of being somewhere that understands sport is as much about what happens off court as on it. There’s the rolling hills that frame the 850-acre Perthshire landscape, opulent interiors that speak to the resort’s rich heritage, moreish Michelin-starred food and the sort of service that makes everything feel effortless. Which means the result is a retreat that feels active without being relentlessly sporty and luxurious without taking itself too seriously. Come for the game. Stay for everything else.

When: 13 to 15 November 2026.

From: £2,345 per player with two players sharing; £2,995 for single occupancy; or £3,795 per room for one player and one non-playing guest.

Includes: Two nights, breakfast, dinner and drinks each evening, with at least eight hours of coaching and court time, a competition and a 50-minute spa treatment.

Level: Past the basics.

gleneagles.com/pursuits/padel-retreat

Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa – Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives 

Best for: Players who want to improve their game, but would prefer their training ground to be a barefoot island escape.

Some padel retreats have to make a case for the destination. The Maldives doesn’t – although this might be a trip you make once in a decade. Ten nights at Le Méridien on Thilamaafushi, seaplane transfers, an overwater villa and a programme led by former world No.1 Juani Mieres, AKA the gentleman of padel. Daily clinics and a final tournament give the game some structure, but this isn’t a performance camp pretending to be a holiday. Around it is everything you’d expect from a Maldivian escape: full-board dining, yoga, stretching, recovery and massage, snorkelling, paddleboarding and a lagoon that makes a compelling argument for doing absolutely nothing at all. The appeal is in the balance; getting better at the game while still having plenty of time for everything else you came for. Just be prepared to commit: from $629 a night, this is less weekend escape and more once-in-a-lifetime investment.

When: 13 to 23 December 2026. Ten nights.

From: $8,820 for single occupancy, including local taxes. 

Includes: Ten nights in an overwater villa, full board with return seaplane transfers. Padel programme with former World No.1 Juani Mieres, one 60-minute massage per guest, yoga, stretching and recovery sessions, daily island activities, plus a 24-hour fitness centre.

Level: Described as for players wanting to refine their game, across a range of abilities.

marriott.com

CourtSide Menorca – Menorca, Spain 

Best for: Players who want plenty of padel, but would be disappointed if the holiday didn’t also involve a boat, a vineyard and a sunset or two.

There are some experiences that you can’t gatekeep. And this is one you’ll want to send to the group chat. It’s an easy sell: Menorca, five days, plenty of padel and just enough luxury to make it feel like a proper escape rather than a logistical exercise in getting everyone onto court. There’s something particularly appealing about the simplicity of this Balearic retreat: a short flight from the UK, an island with its own character to explore and a space built around discovering the land and sea at a suitably leisurely pace. In other words, it promises good padel, a heady hit of Mediterranean sunshine and the sort of setting that makes extending the trip by a few days feel like the obvious thing to do. Realistic, aspirational and temptingly dangerous. 

When: 30 September to 4 October 2026. Bookings were open when we checked on 2 September 2026.

From: £1,850 per person sharing; £2,400 single occupancy. Flights and airport transfers extra.

Includes: Accommodation at Barceló Nura, all meals, coaching and match play at Padelin, local transport, private boat tour and outings to Binifadet vineyard and the island’s iconic Cova d’en Xoroi.

Level: Mixed. Coaching is tailored by ability.

menorca.cspadel.com

The Padel Retreat – Cape Town, South Africa 

The Padel Retreat – Cape Town, South Africa 

Best for: Players who like their padel with a dose of mountains, vineyards, beaches and the occasional cold plunge.

If you’re looking to slow down, Cape Town’s padel retreat isn’t for you. This is where the game becomes the thread running through a nine-day adventure, taking you from the court to Lion’s Head, the Winelands, Chapman’s Peak and Boulders Beach, with kayaking, shared meals and a villa court thrown into the mix. Coaching and match play across some of the city’s clubs give the week its rhythm, but it’s the destination that’s the real pull here. One minute you’re working on your backhand, the next you’re hiking above the city or heading out along the coast. It’s an active way to experience ‘Mother City’ without reducing it to a backdrop, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to discover somewhere new is to keep moving. 

From: $3,800 per person, rising to $4,600 for premium rooms.

Includes: Villa accommodation in Hout Bay with private court, private chef for all meals, airport and club transfers, 10 hours of coaching and 5 hours of match play across three clubs. Excursions toTable Mountain, Lion’s Head, Chapman’s Peak, Boulders Beach and Franschhoek wine tram, as well as sea kayaking and sauna recovery. Optional three-night Kruger extension.

Level: Not specified.

thepadelretreat.com/destinations/cape-town

Palaestra – Koh Samui, Thailand 

Best for: Players who want the week to have a performance purpose that lets them earn their time by the pool.

For some, a padel retreat is about getting away. At Palaestra, it’s about getting better. Here, the Koh Samui experience is built around a focussed training block, with two elite coaching sessions and a day supported by video analysis, tactical work and daily recovery. The small-cohort format makes it feel closer to a proper performance camp than a conventional padel holiday, only the training ground just happens to be a five-star tropical island. And that’s the appeal: the destination doesn’t soften the intensity, it gives it a rather good setting. This retreat is for players who want their holiday to have purpose, and don’t mind putting in a bit of effort to earn a poolside reward. 

When: 14 to 20 December 2026. Cohort capped at nine.

From: €2,500 per person. Accommodation is not included. 

Includes: 4 hours of coaching per day at Padel Samui and Padel Tropical with video analysis. Daily spa, sauna, ice bath and massage treatments, plus lunch and soft drinks at the club. 

Level: Assessed before arrival and grouped accordingly.