For those that know me, know that when planning travel - a deciding factor of where I travel isn’t whether I can play Padel there or not, but I also cannot deny that if I can get a game in while there - I will. 

So when the first Padel club in Hong Kong, Padel+ opened it's doors in September 2023 and offered free matches during a limited promotional 'soft launch' period - it was kind of a no brainer to visit my mate John in Hong Kong to test it out. 

I decided to book a flight from Thursday - Sunday and chose to stay at the Jen Hong Kong by Shangri-La near Kennedy Town, which is where John was living at the time. Having not seen my friend in a few months, and this being only my second time to Honkers (and the first since COVID), I was of course looking forward to seeing if much had changed in the 5 years since visiting.

John and Anna were nice enough to meet me at the express train station and escorted me to my hotel. After dropping off my bags, and having a quick "Portuguese Shower" - we were ready to grab some food and catch up. 

I was pumped for the weekend and seeing Hong Kong again, but I was most excited that we would be testing out the courts at Padel+. I don't know if anyone else feels like this but there's something palpable for me trying out a new club for the first time. Wondering what the courts are like, where the club is, what facilities they offer, what culture they are trying to build and if there is anything that sets them apart from all the others. Adding to this all, I had ordered John his first racquet - so I was equally excited to give this to him and have him test it out.

After a fun first night catching up with my friends over some incredible Thai food at Samsen, the next day John and I set off from my hotel to Padel+ which is located in in Sai Kung. For those that haven't been, Sai Kung can best be described as a small fishing village with picturesque boats, beaches and mountain scenery. It took us ~60 minutes to get there via the MTR (metro), a bus and some walking, but we got there in time for our pre-booked slot. Luckily we also managed to find 2 players (Lovat and Al) who were up for a hit. 

When we arrived, my first impressions were really positive. The quality of the courts were great, the club staff were friendly and eager to get us set up... and don't get started on the backdrop - the mountain range in the distance is just awesome! Although the club was still putting some finishing touches around the club, it was clear to me what the owners were trying to achieve. 

The club itself has 4 open air courts and they cleverly use shipping containers to house their reception area, club store, bar area, changing rooms and offices which give it a well balanced feel of a place that spared no expense, while ensuring it felt really casual and welcoming. 

The game itself was really fun, with John and I just edging it out. We would've played longer, but one of the players had a work commitment they needed to get to, and the sun was cooking us anyway so we decided to call it a day. Given the club's cafe/bar wasn't fully operational at this point, we spent some time speaking to some of the staff and coaches, then decided to go hunt for some well deserved beers, and take the opportunity to look at what Sai Kung had to offer. 

Overall, it does exactly what it says on the tin, it's "a small fishing village with picturesque boats, beaches and mountain scenery". One of John's friends runs a pub in the town (The Picture House) so we stopped by for some food and a beer before deciding to grab a few more beers from the local 7-Eleven. We found a nice shaded spot under a tree overlooking the harbor and debriefed on the club and the game, while we people watched. After our brewskis - we made our way back home to have a swim and a well deserved rest.  

It was great to have played at the club when we did as it meant that I could then enjoy the rest of my time in the city with John and Anna. As with any trip, this took the form of tasty food, long drinks, meeting some of John's football friends, and a visit to the famous Victoria Peak which I wasn't able to do on my previous visit. One of the bars we went too is called Ping Pong 129 which I can highly recommend and is featured on Expats.

Before I knew it - the weekend was over and while on the flight back home, I was reflecting on my trip as a whole and I must say that I was really impressed with Padel+. The only downsides are that there aren't any covered courts, and it's location. The proximity to the city is a slight barrier, but given how densely populated and expensive property in Hong Kong is - I understand why the club is where it is. 

I haven't had the pleasure of playing at the club again since it became fully operational in January, but John cannot speak more highly of it. It now has a vibrant community with regular members, the club sets up fun themed tournaments (think Halloween, St. Patrick's Day etc.) and it even hosted the APPT in April this year. 

One thing that is certain though, if you're planning on visiting Hong Kong as a Padel player, playing at Padel+ is a must! 

Let me know in the comments if you've played there and your thoughts on the club! And please take 2 minutes to give me a follow on Instagram.