The winners of the inaugural The Club Águilas Club & Resort of The Year Awards were crowned in Miami last week, with Reserve Seaplane and NIHI Sumba taking away the ‘Club of the Year’ and ‘Resort of the Year’ titles respectively. Held in front of an exclusive group of 60 VIP guests at Reserve Seaplane on the Miami waterfront, the celebration of international padel tourism was an expression of the sport’s global community and its growing tourism scene.
In what Club Águilas founder Ben Nichols described as “the start of something special for padel, luxury lifestyle and travel”, the awards represent what Club Águilas – and the padel tourism industry are all about – the ability to create unforgettable experiences through the combination of padel and luxe. The ceremony’s alignment with America’s Racquet Week conveyed the global prestige of the event, with resorts from around the globe vying for the top prizes.
“The world’s most photographed club”: Reserve Seaplane take home gold in ‘Club of the Year’ competition
Fighting off intense competition from challengers such as Club Bacocho, Brisas and Beaverbrook, Reserve Seaplane’s crowning as The Club Águilas Club of The Year 2025 cemented their status as a leading light in the padel tourism market. Often photographed with ‘the who’s who of Miami’ playing padel with uninterrupted views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay in the background, the six-court Reserve Seaplane has welcomed the likes of David Beckham, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Schulz into its opulent setting. Styled in the guise of a “British Country Club, Miami Style”, Reserve Seaplane have established an international reputation by hosting esteemed events like the famous Reserve Cup Series, which has seen them welcome both seasoned professionals and celebrities.
Aiming to “push the boundaries of experiential travel”––NIHI Sumba reinforces its credentials with ‘Resort of the Year’ award
Already a two-time Hotel of the Year winner, Sumba Island’s most desirable resort is truly unique in its padel experience. Within their undisturbed jungle paradise lies arguably the most isolated sporting setting worldwide, and the inclusion of free-diving and hydro-foiling in the resort’s capabilities mark them out as leaders in the padel travel industry. Attributing their success to a vision of “wellness, community and adventure”, NIHI’s ability to fight off competition from the likes of Velaa Private Island and Padel Šolta highlights just how deserving they were to win the esteemed accolade.
The Club Águilas Awards – A quest to redefine sport at the highest level
Founded in 2024, Club Águilas is the world’s first carefully curated selection of elite resorts and clubs from established and emerging padel nations. Described by City AM Newspaper as ‘Padel’s answer to the Michelin Guide’, Águilas’ vision embodies the purest padel experience, and its carefully curated selection of clubs follows suit. These select few are awarded their Águilas membership and the highly coveted “Eagles Wings”, with NIHI and Reserve Seaplane’s success seeing them reach this esteemed status. Club Águilas span Asia, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South America in their efforts to find padel’s sweetest spots, and the quality of clubs at their awards ceremony is an indication of the success they have experienced in cultivating an elite culture around padel tourism.
