Padel Scores as a Hot Residential Amenity

Over the last couple of years, pickleball has become a popular pastime in the U.S., with players building on-site courts at home and real estate developments all over the country offering courts as an amenity. 

Now the fast-growing sport of padel is becoming another sought-after amenity at luxury residential projects around the country. 

Padel—a court sport born in Mexico and popular throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe—is now earning points with U.S. players looking for a fast-paced, social game with a lot of athleticism. The game is played on a court similar in size to a pickleball court, but is enclosed by walls that can be used in play, like racquetball or squash. 

More: This Minneapolis Home Has Its Own Basketball Court

Public padel courts have been popping up from New York City to Miami, with celebrity athletes like David Beckham and Dwayne Wade investing in projects like Reserve Padel, which has a three-court pop-up facility in Manhattan and a 50,000-square-foot club currently housed at the former Miami Seaplane Base overlooking Biscayne Bay. 

Or there’s Santiago Gomez, a former banker from Mexico who opened Padel Haus in Brooklyn over the summer. In addition to court space, the facilities offer lounges and dining for chilling out after a match. 

“It was a big hit immediately, especially with the international community,” said Pablo Munoz-Hernandez of Padel Haus. “Everybody that’s anybody that comes from anywhere in the world—except the U.S.—already knew what this sport was. The place we built really is a crossroads between luxury wellness and the sport.”

With all the hype around padel, it’s no surprise that luxury residential developments have taken notice. Padel courts are now on the amenities lists of several projects, including 111 West 57th Street, a supertall tower in Manhattan by JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group. 

“The padel court has been a highlight,” said Michael Stern, the founder and CEO of JDS Development Group. “It’s a point of pride for our residents who are able to play one of the most popular sports today, in a beautifully designed and luxurious setting that truly elevates a player’s experience.”

Here are three high-end projects where residents can roll out the door and onto the court. 

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111 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York

An indoor padel court is one of the amenities at 111 West 57th Street on Billionaires’ Row. The project is composed of the historic Steinway Hall, built in 1864, and the new 84-story addition by SHoP Architects. The court is part of the 10th-floor wellness center at Steinway Hall, which also includes an 82-foot lap pool with alcove cabanas and lounge areas, a sauna, treatment rooms and a double-height gym. Amenity spaces were designed by Studio Sofield. Residences currently on offer there range from an $8.5 million three-bedroom unit to a penthouse asking $54.6 million.  

Enclave, South Barrington, Illinois

In South Barrington, Illinois, an affluent suburb of Chicago, there’s a new gated community of custom-built luxury homes called Enclave. The project is set to include only the second Padel facility in the Midwest, following Chicago’s Padel Clube, which opened last year. It will have one court, as well as access to amenities at the nearby Sundance community, including pickleball, croquet, bocce ball, a clubhouse and a yoga studio, plus a pool and spa. Current listings include a six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home asking $3.5 million. Local developer Vintage Luxury Homes is behind the project. 

More: Forget Pickleball. This 18th-Century English Manor Comes With a Stické Court.

ONE Park Tower, North Miami, Florida

It will come as no surprise that Florida has a plethora of padel courts, given its year-round sunny weather and international population. That includes the 184-acre master-planned community of SoLé Mia in North Miami, which will soon be home to the first permanent padel club from Reserve Padel. The two-story club is set to offer six outdoor padel courts with an additional four inside. The 100,000-square-foot complex will also have elevated viewing areas and social spaces, a wellness center with a steam room, a sauna and cold plunge, a terrace overlooking center court, and healthy food and juice options via Pura Vida, a South Florida restaurant chain. Owners at the luxury development ONE Park Tower, and other residents throughout SoLé Mia, will have membership to the club, which offers priority court bookings and access to the second-floor health and wellness facility, as well as special events and tournaments. Prices range from $868,900 for a one-bedroom home to $7.8 million for a five-bedroom residence with a library.