These UK hotels all have padel courts, from Somerset to the Scottish Highlands

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While tennis normally spikes in popularity around the time of Wimbledon, it’s cooler sibling padel now appears to be in high demand all year round.

Blending the fast-paced excitement of tennis with the strategic elements of squash, the game appeals to players of all ability levels. According to Sport England, at least 50,400 people in the UK played the game at least once in 2023 with celebrity players like David and Victoria Beckham, the Prince of Wales, Stormzy and Elle Macpherson spotted with a padel racquet in recent months.

As the game has surged in popularity, the appetite for top-notch facilities has grown, leading to an increase in hotels integrating padel courts into their amenities.

Whether travelers are looking to improve their padel skills with coaching or simply want to hit a ball around for fun at the end of a leisurely day, there are more options than ever across the whole of the UK, from Devon in the south of England to Perthshire in central Scotland.

There are options catering for all types of holidaymaker with both modern resorts and traditional manor houses now including a padel court as part of their wellness facilities. It doesn’t have to break the bank to stay in one either, with padel courts popping up at three-star hotels as well as four and five-star resorts.

Here are the best UK hotels where you can smash out a game while away from home.

This Oxfordshire manor house hotel is a haven for wellbeing, offering a 3,000 square metre spa with five different pools as well as two padel courts and a state of the art gym. Children are allowed to use the padel courts under adult supervision from the age of three so you can introduce them to the joys of the game while they’re young. However, there is also a fully-supervised kids club if you’d rather have a more serious knockabout. Double rooms are availble from £525.

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Famous for it’s golf with three championship courses that have hosted the Ryder and Solheim Cups, Glenagles has long been a destination for sporty travellers. Now racquet sports are catered for with three padel courts alongside eight tennis courts. The padel courts are inside so that they can be used all year round and there are two doubles courts and a narrower singles court, which is Scotland’s only singles padel court. Gleneagles is also home to a double Michelin-star restaurant by Andrew Fairlie to help guests refuel in style after they’ve chased some balls.

In the Winsdor countryside, the Fairmont Windsor offers two world-class padel courts for guests and hotel visitors plus expert coaching. International coach Patricia Gisper is on hand for lessons if you want to come home from your holiday with some new padel techniques as well as improved fitness. Nearby the two open air courts are other state of the art wellness facilties including an open-air gym, three tennis courts and a functional fitness area with sled-pulling and assault bikes plus indoor and outdoor pools. These should help you warm up properly before you start playing, or give the non-padel players something to do while you’re on the court.

For active families on a budget, the Manor & Ashbury resorts offer plenty of sporting facilities with a golf course, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a well-equipped fitness centre, cricket pitches and a large indoor soft play. They have two indoor doubles courts at the Manor resort and two doubles plus one singles court at Ashbury resort. As they’re inside, they can be enjoyed all year round. And if you’re really serious about improving your game, they’ve teamed up with Padel Mix Ltd pros to offer two-night intensive coaching breaks that provide beginners with all the skills they need to get started in the fast-paced world of padel. Full board is available from £65 per person per night.

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This four-star country house hotel in Essex is set in 110 acres of woodland, so there’s plenty of space to run around. Hotel guests have free use the outdoor padel court, which is run by Padel United. This means there are often visits from Padel United coaches, where guests and visitors can up their game with skills training and try out different racquets. The hotel has a kids club so it’s a great place for a family break even if the youngsters aren’t quite ready for a game just yet.

You don’t have to go far from London to feel like you’re Lord and Lady of the manor. Foxhills country club and spa boasts three state-of-the-art padel courts, perfect for honing your skills or enjoying a friendly match. Newly opened in January 2024, they offer a springy surface that helps with bounce. The longer the ball’s in the air, the greater your chances of returning it, which could result in some exceptional rallies. Once you’ve had your fill of padel you could enjoy a round of golf on one of their championship courses or indulge in world-class treatments at the hotel’s spa. There are also two pickleball courses if you fancy giving a different racquet sport a go.

If you prefer staying in a self-catering space, Brean Country Club’s lodges can comfortably sleep four or six guests with generous open-plan living areas to lounge around in between games of padel. The courts are springy and fresh, having only opened in July 2024, and racquet and ball hire is available for those who fancy a spontaneous knockabout. While on site you can access evening entertainment in the resort’s RJ bar and The Tavern. Some of the lodges even have private hot tubs. A two-bed lodge starts at £601 for four nights in August.

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The padel court at Beaverbrook offers a luxurious experience for both novice and seasoned players in the heart of the Surrey countyside. All equipment is provided so all you have to do is turn up with a winning mentality and some comfortable trainers. Altough there’s only one court for the 50 rooms and suites, there are plenty of other things to do if you have to wait around for a booking. Try a game of petanque on the lawn, take a fencing lesson, or challenge your friends to a game of croquet.

There are three coaches based at the two courts at Doddington Hall, making it the perfect place for beginners to hone their skills before winning against everyone back home. A one hour coaching session costs £40 including equipment hire. In that time, guests will cover an introduction to the sport and discuss the rules before mastering techniques and learning a variety of shots. The Doddington Estate offers a total of 28 double or twin bedrooms in seven separate unique locations, all available for short stays.

Set inside the landscaped grounds of Champney-branded Mottram Hall Hotel, The Hook Club opened its courts on 25 July 2024. There are three padel courts designed and manufactured by Spanish-based Padelgest, providers of the first courts to the World Padel Tour. A fully licensed clubhouse adds to the pre and post-match experience, as well as the usual Champneys massage, facial and scrub treatments available in the spa.