When most of us think of Marbs, our minds go to hen parties and champagne-soaked pool parties swarming with influencers. But here I am right in the heart of Marbella, morning sun coming up over the Sierra Blanca Mountains, sweating through a pre-breakfast padel tennis tournament with an eclectic crowd of teenagers all the way up to 60-somethings.
Little had I realised before, but Marbella is Europe’s home of padel tennis. And Club Med Magna Marbella might just be the hottest place to play it. Think six high-spec padel courts, an accompanying school of instructors ready to put you through your paces and — perhaps most importantly of all — a luxe Cinq Mondes spa for soaking those aching muscles afterwards. You certainly won’t find that at any of the (growing number of) UK hotels boasting padel facilities just yet.
