Why are more and more hotels giving their guests padel and pickle ball courts?

If you’ve been scouting for a destination for your next getaway, a holiday home, or even booking a resort, chances are you’re looking up whether their facilities include the current ‘it’ sports—padel and pickleball. These racket sports have both taken off in a big way with urban populations across India’s metropolitan cities, especially Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. They’ve grown in popularity, thanks in part to the number of such spaces and clubs that are mushrooming in these cities. Not to mention, everyone from the Ambanis to fitness enthusiasts can be seen enjoying the sport. Now, it seems hotels and resorts have jumped onto the bandwagon, with many adding padel and pickleball to their list of offerings. So, what gives?

For starters, these sports are social, appealing to people across age groups. Pickleball, which is similar to games like badminton and table tennis, is relatively beginner-friendly, cheaper, and even easier to play, requiring almost zero to minimal training. Padel, on the other hand, is more intense and on some level, a bit more intimidating, mimicking games like tennis and squash. Just like tennis and golf have long been considered elite sports and favoured by the wealthy, padel is heading in the same direction, being dubbed as the next affluent sport.

A new advent in sports

Now, even hotels and resorts around the country are bullish on the trend, building special facilities so people can enjoy these games while on holiday. Take the case of Karjat-based resort, Oleander Farms, which recently added padel and pickleball courts, driven by the fact that guests would keep asking if they had plans to make these sports available. Founder, Aaliya Ahuja, shares that earlier, some of the only group activities guests could choose from were bowling and a gaming arcade onsite. “We started getting requests for padel first, and decided to build a court. Seeing the great response to that, we added a pickleball court a few months later,” she says.

Ahuja adds that unlike enclosed spaces in cities like gymkhanas and clubs that house such courts, playing in the open and in the midst of greenery is an added bonus for guests coming to Oleander Farms. At some point, they may even want to start hosting padel and pickleball parties, paired with music, kombucha and healthy bites, Ahuja shares.

For avid padel and pickleball enthusiast, Aneesh Bhasin, entrepreneur and co-founder of Svami Drinks, one refreshing change that’s come with playing these sports is meeting friends on the padel court in the mornings, rather than for drinks at a bar in the evenings. “For the longest time, socialising in Mumbai meant eating out or drinking. Thankfully, sports like these have given us more avenues to catch-up, not to mention how addictive that dopamine hit is, when you’re pursuing an active lifestyle,” he shares. Bhasin adds that pickleball continues to hold more appeal with a larger segment of people, largely because of the ease of playing the sport, and an easy learning curve.

Now, when planning a vacation, the prospect of that destination having a padel court or even the option of paragliding, which Bhasin is fond of, might sway his decision in deciding where to go. “Bali is a great example of that,” he explains, adding that on a recent trip to New Zealand with a friend, they decided to utilise their 8-hour layover in Singapore by heading out to catch a game of padel before taking their connecting flight.

What’s in a game?

While many are curious about taking up these racket sports, it’s important to bear in mind a few things before you hit the ground running. According to Dr. Ekta Bhatia, a Mumbai-based neuro-developmental physiotherapist and sports therapist, in urban spaces, where time, access, and attention spans are often limited, these racket sports deliver high engagement, and can be less demanding on the body. “That's why they’ve become so popular in the first place.” But it is equally important to be aware of how you can prevent injuries, which tend to happen often. Shoes with good lateral support can go a long way in protecting yourself. “Think shoes that hug your feet from the sides, just like seatbelt support for your ankles,” she explains.

Other dos and don’ts include saving long, slow stretches for after the game. Instead, opt for more bouncy, active movements that mimic game play. She also recommends learning how to practice moves like landing, stopping and shifting your weight—just like you would gently press on the brake while driving a car. Lastly, don’t rely on these games as your only form of workout. “Just as you wouldn’t eat only one food everyday, don’t rely on one style of sport for your muscle health.”

Box: Riding the wave

Destinations like Bali in Indonesia have become hot favourites for padel, with people flying in not just for sun, sand and surf, but also squeezing in a few games and matches. Some are even signing up for padel retreats. Around the world, hospitality chains and resorts have begun adding these sports to their roster of activities. Some noteworthy hotels and resorts that offer padel facilities include Rosewood Phuket in Thailand, and One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives. Closer home, hotels like Taj Lands End in Mumbai, and The Lodhi in New Delhi also offer these racket sports.

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