South Carolina’s The Kiawah Island Golf Resort and the Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks at the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland have been ranked as the top resort and top camp respectively by Tennis Resorts Online, as part of their Top 100 Resorts and Camps.
The rankings are based on reviews submitted by tennis vacationers over the past year. Each was asked to evaluate the properties they knew first-hand on the basis of more than 20 criteria that contribute to a quality tennis experience. Those range from the tennis staff, programming, instruction, game arranging, and junior tennis sessions to such creature comforts as lodging and cuisine and amenities like spa and fitness centers, children’s programs, and other recreation. The staff at Tennis Resorts Online then compile those reviews, overweighting the tennis elements, to be sure, but factoring in all the criteria to come up with our final rankings. Finally, the overall standings aside, we supplement the Top 100 list by highlighting the top tennis venues in each of 16 categories.
Taken as a whole, this list reflects the differing opinions about what constitutes a “great” tennis resort. The hardcore fanatic eager to spend every waking hour on court has different expectations from the casual player planning to divide his time between the courts, beach, spa, or golf course. Families want to be sure their kids are entertained, on court and off; romantic couples may focus on creature comforts; teams or groups of friends value a customizable program; single travelers hope for an engaging social atmosphere. Because we’re able to solicit the opinions of thousands to tennis players, the rankings reflect that diversity of expectations.
The list is made up of large resorts and small; luxurious properties and modest; 800-room hotels and intimate, 50-room retreats; beach, mountain, and desert settings. What they have in common, however, is that elusive quality we call “tennis atmosphere,” an almost palpable sense of deep-seated enthusiasm for the game of tennis and those who play it. In that sense everyone on the list qualifies a great resort.
Top 5 Resorts
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
- Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, California
- Wild Dunes Resort, South Carolina
- The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Florida
- Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria
Top 5 Camps
- Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Switzerland
- PBI Tennis Camp, Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria
- Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Florida
- John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, Texas
- New England Tennis Holidays at Sugarbush, Vermont
View the complete list at tennisresortsonline.com/top100.