Holiday homes with padel on tap
As padel holidays grow in popularity, with more players grabbing the chance to play in warmer climates with coaching at hand, it’s perhaps not surprising that there’s a new trend emerging – holiday homes with padel on tap.
From investors wanting to snap up properties for rental to padel fanatics, to padel-playing friends clubbing together to purchase their own base for weekend breaks and padel holidays, it’s a growing market in locations around the world, with Spain – and specifically the Costa Blanca – emerging as a fan favourite.
Paul Payne, of Costa Blanca property experts MASA International, puts it down to a combination of the rapid growth of padel in the UK and a shortage of indoor courts for winter play, as he explained: “Over the last year we’ve had a significant number of buyers from the UK in particular seeking properties in the area either as a base to play padel through the winter or an investment in order to tap into the padel holiday lets market.
“Padel players looking to extend their playing season are driving up demand for holiday rentals, particularly in areas close to popular padel club. Properties near these clubs are becoming increasingly attractive to tourists,” he added.
The Costa Blanca’s padel heart is Alicante; the area has more than 700 indoor and outdoor courts (that’s more than the entire UK) and a well-established padel community of locals and players from around Europe. And it’s not just court availability that’s attractive – court hire is cheaper than the UK and, according to Paul, there’s an ‘abundance’ of experienced and high-level coaches (expect to pay around €30-40 per hour for professional one-to-one coaching).
“Alicante has emerged as the go-to destination for UK padel fans in the winter months,” Paul told The Bandeja. “The region has high quality facilities and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, making it the sunniest spot in Europe.”
For property investors it’s a smart move – according to MASA, holiday lets close to padel clubs in the Alicante area can command a premium on rentals, particularly during peak winter months, with those specifically marketed to sports tourists achieving up to 20% above the standard rental rate and benefitting from a higher occupancy rate.
So what do you need in your back pocket to secure your very own piece of padel paradise? For under €200,000 buyers can snap up a modern hi-spec apartment within a short walk of a padel club. And many property developments have their own courts, which owners can use at no extra cost. For properties that don’t but have the space, buyers are adding their own private courts.
Sound enticing? Paul is ready and waiting to show prospective purchasers all that Alicante and its padel scene has to offer. 🎾
