Quick Answer
Yes. David Lloyd Clubs is the largest padel operator in the UK in 2026. As of the July 2025 announcement the chain operated 84 padel courts across 33 UK clubs, and 166 padel courts across 47 clubs across Europe in total. The rollout has continued through the second half of 2025 and into 2026.
If your local David Lloyd does not have padel yet, there is a high chance it will inside the next 12 to 18 months as the chain continues the rollout.
The numbers as of 2026
| Region | Clubs with padel | Total padel courts |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 33 plus | 84 plus |
| Rest of Europe (NL, BE, DE, ES, IT, FR, CH, IE) | 14 plus | 82 plus |
| Group total | 47 plus | 166 plus |
Source: David Lloyd Clubs press release, July 2025, "UK's biggest padel provider".
How padel access works for members
- Court booking is included in Platinum membership at the same level as tennis.
- Gold and Off Peak tiers can book at off peak slots; some clubs charge a small court fee.
- Rackets and balls are available to hire at reception (see Do David Lloyd provide padel rackets?).
- Booking opens 8 days ahead at midnight UK time in the David Lloyd Clubs app.
Indoor vs outdoor padel
Most David Lloyd padel courts are outdoor with floodlights, allowing year round play in the UK climate. A growing number of clubs now have at least one covered or indoor padel court for rainy day play, particularly in the larger family clubs.
Coaching and leagues
- Beginner clinics are common on most padel timetables.
- Internal club ladders and round robins run at most padel sites year round.
- Some clubs host LTA sanctioned tournaments and inter club leagues.
FAQ
Is padel included in all David Lloyd memberships?
Court booking is included for Platinum and most family memberships. Lower tiers may need a small court fee at peak times.
How do I find a David Lloyd with padel near me?
Use the find a club tool on davidlloyd.co.uk and filter the facilities for padel.
Can guests play padel?
Yes, with the standard guest pass rules. Some clubs charge a small surcharge for guest court bookings.
More context on the padel rollout
David Lloyd's padel push started cautiously around 2020 and accelerated sharply once court occupancy data showed the sport outperforming tennis at most converted sites. The chain now treats padel as a default racquet sport at any new build or major refurbishment, alongside tennis and squash.
The economic case is simple. A padel court takes roughly the same footprint as a half tennis court but generates higher session counts because games are shorter and more sociable. That makes padel a higher revenue per square metre asset, which is exactly the kind of metric a private equity owned chain optimises for.
For members, the practical effect has been longer evening timetables, larger ladders, and faster booking windows. The midnight 8 day refresh in the David Lloyd Clubs app for padel is now one of the most competitive parts of the booking system, especially in the summer. Plan ahead, learn the cancellation surge timing, and you will almost always get a court when you want one.
Practical playbook for booking and play
The David Lloyd Clubs app refreshes its booking window at midnight UK time 8 days ahead. For the most popular padel slots on a Saturday or Sunday morning, that midnight refresh is genuinely competitive. Either set a recurring reminder and book at 00:01, or use the waitlist tactic and rely on the cancellation surge that hits about 4 hours before each session.
For doubles play, the most reliable way to find partners is to join the club ladder or a regular weekly group. Most padel enabled David Lloyd clubs run a beginner ladder, an intermediate ladder, and an advanced ladder, and the ladders give you a guaranteed weekly fixture without having to negotiate with friends every week.
If you are travelling between David Lloyd clubs (work travel, family visits, weekend away), use the app's club switcher to see padel availability across the network. Some quieter sister clubs have much better weekend padel availability than your home club, especially in the school holidays.
One final practical note: the chain treats padel as a strategic growth product, which means investment continues even when general gym spend slows. That gives padel members a reasonably reliable expectation of continued court additions and timetable expansion at their home club through the rest of the decade.
For members thinking about coaching, the chain has been actively recruiting padel coaches across the UK in 2025 and 2026. That means the gap between booking a private session and actually getting on court with a qualified coach has narrowed noticeably, which is a meaningful change from the early rollout years when coach availability was the bottleneck.
Related reading
Final word
David Lloyd is by some distance the largest UK provider of padel in 2026. If you live in a city of any size, the odds are very good your nearest David Lloyd already has courts, and excellent that it will within 18 months.
