So long, hotel gyms. The modern day jetsetter is trading the treadmill for training time with the most talented figures in sports history—and with the recent onslaught of once-in-a-lifetime hotel and athlete partnerships—now, they can.

On April 11 at the Four Seasons Palm Beach, guests lined up for a lesson with a tennis pro. But it wasn’t just any player. Teaching the lesson was none other than seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.

“Guests were inspired, energized, and genuinely moved by the unforgettable experience of connecting with a true champion,” said Mazen Saleh, general manager of Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, of the experience.

Two weeks later across the pond, the five-star Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland hosted a cycling break led by Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. A month later, luxury hotel group Aman announced Novak Djokovic as their first global wellness advisor. As part of their partnership, he will host an intimate in-person retreat this year. 

Sir Chris Hoy and Hotel Guests

Photo courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel

Novak Djokovic at the Amanpuri, Thailand Aman
Photo courtesy of Aman Resorts

If you’re still planning your summer travel schedule and looking to get on the calendar of world famous athletes, it’s not too late to learn how to free-dive from record holder Camila Jaber at the Palm Heights Grand Cayman or try to snag a spot at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy taking place from July 14 to July 18 at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego. Working to meet the demand for tennis travel, the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island just unveiled its Mouratoglou Tennis Center led by world-renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou who trained the likes of Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Yoga Pavillion & Fitness Center at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

Photo courtesy of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

What’s behind the trend of athlete-led travel? Perhaps, it was inevitable. It’s no secret that sports are on the rise across fashion, culture, film—you name it. Sports attendance continues to grow, powered by increased turnout for WNBA and NWSL games, and Fortune reported that the “sports travel business generates some $609 billion globally, projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 16% between 2024 and 2030.”

But in this new travel offering, the athletes are coming to their fans instead of vice versa. Global hospitality company Accor named "athletic adventures" as one of their travel trend predictions for 2025 and reported a 50% uptick in searches for “workout holidays” over the past year. If the first half of the year is anything to go by, it looks like they’re right on target.

"This is our fourth consecutive year offering the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy at Rancho Valencia, and it continues to sell out every season,” observed Lisa Rosenthal, club director at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. “The demand has been extraordinary. We're seeing a powerful shift toward sports and activity-based travel, as wellness becomes a priority for many—but travelers aren’t willing to sacrifice luxury or high-touch hospitality.” 

Clay Courts at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

Photo courtesy of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

As the worlds of sports and style knit closer together, luxury hotels are also serving as the backdrop for unique brand experiences that guests can’t get anywhere else. “Venus Williams brought more than just her legendary talent to The Road to the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach—she brought heart, grace, and a contagious passion for the game,” said Saleh. “From the courts to the cocktail hour, her presence transformed the resort into a celebration of sport and style.” 

It’s not just hotels that are seeing an increased demand for professional athlete-led experiences. Ellidore, a lifestyle management and concierge service that supports ultra-high-net-worth clients, noted that they have seen an increased demand for extraordinary sporting experiences.

“Whether it’s a one-on-one training session with Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal, spearfishing with a world champion in Cape Verde, or surf coaching with a Red Bull pro in Hawaii, we’re seeing a clear shift toward seeking experiences that are deeper, more personal, and offer insider access—experiences that go beyond what’s typically available,” said Ed Farrelly, Ellidore’s director of Travel.

“We're currently exploring an opportunity for a member to train with the world’s top distance athletes at a high-altitude running camp in Kenya, an unforgettable chance to push physical limits and tap into elite training methods,” he adds.

The appeal of this type of experience is, of course, access to the athlete who is often a celebrity in their own right, but also to their athletic expertise. “It’s about being truly immersed in that world, training alongside champions, learning directly from them, and having access that’s authentic, personal, and often transformational.” 

Charaf El Mansour, founder of Dharma, a travel company that has hosted talent-led trips with over 200 celebrities, coaches, and athletes couldn’t agree more. He has worked with the likes of footballers Eric Cantona from Manchester United fame and former PSG midfielder Javier Pastore, boxers Dani Burrell and Aliyah Sims, and trainer Hollis Tuttle. He told Danimás that these experiences can be life-changing for guests.

“We've worked with famous football star Eric Cantona, who’s widely considered to be one of the best players in Manchester United history, on three trips with 60 guests each,” said El Mansouri. “On his last trip, something like six out of the 60 had tattoos of him on their bodies,” he added with a laugh. Together with Cantona, Dharma launched Looking FC, which is a collection of football trips for passionate football fans to experience the world and its cities through its football communities.

“In a world where you can buy everything, the one thing you can’t buy is time,” said El Mansouri. “People put a premium on spending time in the presence of greatness.”