Five Best: Hotels For Tennis
With Wimbledon upon us, Rhiannon Batten serves up the top places to practise your volleys
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This luxury Andalucian sports hotel is where the LTA trains during the winter. It has hosted the Davis Cup and regularly draws pros to its dedicated tennis centre. Don't be too intimidated, though, amateurs are just as welcome on the club's 28 tennis courts (20 clay, four hard and four AstroTurf). There's also an equipment-hire facility and a tennis academy offering hi-tech digital coaching and more conventional tuition. Guests are encouraged to get into the swing of things at the free tennis and sangria socials each Sunday, as well as at weekly tennis tournaments.
La Manga Club, Los Belones, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain (00 34 968 17 5000; www.lamangaclub.com). Doubles from €220 (£157), room only.
Durley House, London
One for tennis traditionalists, Durley House is more sparkling whites and strawberries and cream than neon Lycra and energy drinks. Most guests book in for the elegant, understated décor of its suites - and its proximity to Harvey Nichols. If McEnroe is more your thing than McQueen, however, you can practise your serve on one of two private tennis courts in neighbouring Cadogan Gardens, and there's a tennis pro on hand should you fancy a quick lesson.
Durley House, 115 Sloane Street, London SW1X (020-7235 5537; www.durleyhouse.com). Suites start at £525, room only. The Wimbledon package costs £586 for two people sharing a suite, including breakfast, afternoon tea, transport to and from Wimbledon and a games programme.
Boca Raton Resort, Florida
Florida's Boca Raton Resort sprawls across an area the size of London's Hyde Park. As well as having its own private beach and marina the real draw is the sports facilities. There are two 18-hole golf courses, three fitness centres and six swimming pools, not to mention 30 clay-based tennis courts. The resort runs a programme of daily tennis clinics, one-to-one lessons and fitness training, all bookable through a dedicated tennis concierge. If you want to do more than just knock a few balls over the net, special tennis packages are also available.
Boca Raton Resort and Club, 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida (00 800 2888 8882; www.bocaresort.com). Doubles start at $129 (£69), room only.
Ritz-Carlton, Cayman Islands
Set on Grand Cayman's most famous beach (five and a half miles long, though it's expanded in width since Hurricane Ivan ripped across the Caymans two years ago), the Ritz-Carlton has been designed with a largely American market in mind. Cue a resort-like feel and vast scale. On the plus side, it features the Caribbean's first La Prairie Spa and a Greg Norman-designed golf course. Tennis fans should head straight for the Nick Bollettieri-designed tennis centre. As the coach behind Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, he knows his stuff and the tennis programme here is run by professionals from Bollettieri's Florida tennis academy.
Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (001 345 943 9000; www.ritzcarlton.com). Doubles start at US$328 (£193), room only.
La Residencia, Mallorca
A classic Mallorcan hotel formed from two 16th- and 17th-century manor houses, La Residencia is set in the island's most picturesque village, Deia. Surrounded by pale stone houses (many owned by the likes of Catherine Zeta Jones and Claudia Schiffer), overlooked by scenically scrubby mountains and with views over the Mediterranean, there's no need for gimmicks to bring guests in. Once Wimbledon starts, inspired guests swarm the hotel's two Greenset tennis courts, making use of coaching from Australian professional Shayne Tabb. The hotel also offers specialist tennis packages, encompassing accommodation, most meals, lessons and massages.
La Residencia, Son Canais, Deia, Mallorca, Spain (00 34 971 639 011;
www.hotellaresidencia.com). Doubles start at €449 (£321), including breakfast.
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