At this point, if you don’t know somebody who’s suddenly become deeply emotionally invested in padel… are you even living in Kent?
Somewhere between the matcha, the cold plunges and the sea saunas, padel has quietly become the county’s newest lifestyle personality trait and now Square One Padel is doubling down on the movement with a huge new sports, wellness and social destination planned for Maidstone this summer.
The fast-growing brand has announced plans for a major new site at Larkfield Mill in Aylesford featuring 10 indoor padel courts alongside golf simulators, wellness spaces, a gym, Pilates studios, co-working areas and a 200-seat restaurant.
Which tells you everything you need to know about where modern fitness culture is heading.
Because this is no longer just about sport. Nobody is simply “playing padel” anymore. It now apparently involves recovery rituals, infrared heat exposure, social coffee meetings, WhatsApp groups, electrolyte conversations and at least one friend trying to convince you to get into ice baths.
Created by entrepreneur Sam De Haan, the new venue feels designed entirely around that shift. Less traditional sports centre. More all-day lifestyle playground.
Alongside the courts, the site will feature four golf simulators with their own golf bar and pro shop, a full-scale 10,000 sq ft gym, reformer and mat Pilates studios, private meeting rooms and co-working spaces for the growing number of people seemingly conducting business meetings in activewear.
And then there’s the wellness side of things.
Cryotherapy, ice baths, saunas, hot tubs and cold plunges will all form part of the space, tapping directly into Kent’s rapidly growing obsession with alternative wellness and recovery culture.
From beach saunas in Folkestone to breathwork studios and wild swimming groups, the county is increasingly embracing a version of wellness that feels social, immersive and slightly addictive. Square One looks set to place itself right in the middle of it.
The first courts are expected to open in June, with the rest of the venue launching in phases afterwards.
The Maidstone opening follows the success of Square One’s Ashford venue, which opened in 2024, and the launch of its Sittingbourne site earlier this month. The scale of the new development feels like another major vote of confidence in Kent’s appetite for experience-led spaces that blend fitness, hospitality and community together.
And to be fair to padel, it’s not hard to understand the appeal.
Unlike some sports that require years of practice, expensive memberships and the emotional resilience of an Olympic athlete, padel is deliberately social, beginner-friendly and easy to get into. You can be reasonably terrible and still have a genuinely good time!
Which may explain why everyone suddenly seems obsessed with it.
“Square One has always been about more than just padel,” says Sam De Haan. “We wanted to create a destination where people can train, work, recover, socialise and genuinely enjoy spending time.”
Coaching, social sessions and beginner-friendly programmes will also form part of the Maidstone club, helping introduce even more Kent residents to the sport currently taking over every group chat in the county.
Further announcements around memberships, launch events and restaurant partners are expected soon.
For more information visit Square One Padel or follow @squareonepadel on Instagram.
