Riviera Maya, Mexico pickleball trip with Bob & Elizabeth Higginbottom
Come improve your pickleball game and find your Zen while enjoying paradise!
While your friends across the US and Canada are shivering back home, you will be enjoying the Mexican sunshine at the elegant Joia Paraiso, an all-inclusive, adults only resort. This VIP experience includes lots of exciting extras! In addition to 3 hours of scheduled pickleball activities daily on 4 dedicated courts, (one-hour clinic, one hour King/Queen of the Court, one-hour Open Play) we will have a private Yoga session one afternoon (or perhaps two!) exclusively for our guests, access to the resort’s afternoon fitness/wellness schedule, a Catamaran cruise with an hour of reef snorkeling, several group dinners reserved at the a la carte restaurants and a self led afternoon relaxation session in the hydrotherapy areas of the Spa! All activities detailed above are optional, but are included at no additional cost!
 The all-inclusive JOIA ParaÃso by Iberostar (formerly Iberostar Grand ParaÃso) on the Riviera Maya is located right on the beachfront and has been designed with adults in mind. This superior-category, majestic, elegant, and luxurious hotel is located in the ParaÃso Complex. Boasting extraordinary architectural features and spacious suites with high-quality amenities, this hotel imparts tranquility and comfort while immersing you in the surrounding natural landscape. Pickleball in Paradise Vacations will help you decide which room category is best for you, and provide you with step-by-step instructions on getting through the airport, using the resort transfers, and much more.Â
Meet Your Pickleball Pro
Bob and Elizabeth Higginbottom
Bob and Elizabeth Higginbottom are the Head Pros and Department Heads at Beech Mountain Country Club in Beech Mountain, NC.Â
They began running the BMC Pickleball Center the year it opened in 2015.
Under their guidance, the Center operates a full calendar of daily and weekly pickleball activities, private lessons, and hosts numerous events throughout the season, such as mixers, festivals, and tournaments.
Bob and Elizabeth began playing pickleball in 2007, traveling around the country in their RV to feed their addiction. Each has attained a USAPA legacy tournament rating of 4.5 through medals won at various tournaments throughout the country. They began teaching 13 years ago. Bob is a level 1 and level 2 IPTPA-certified teaching professional as well as a Certified Ratings Specialist. Elizabeth has served on the board of the Pickleball Hall of Fame as well as chairing the PHOF Nominating Committee. She has run numerous large tournaments, including the inaugural PHOFC in Dripping Springs, TX.
Included in Your Stay
- 4 Private Pickleball Courts for Group
- 5 Star All-inclusive luxury resort accommodations
- Gourmet Dining: all food and beverages
- Unlimited premium drinks and cocktails
- Water and Land sports
- Fitness center
- Multiple restaurants
- Daily activities and nightly entertainment
- Private Cocktail Party
- Private Beach Farewell Dinner
- Most Gratuities
- Excursion to cenote, zip-lining, and ATV
- Airport Transfers
NOT Included in Your Stay
- Airfare
- Travel Insurance
Accommodations
Suite accommodations are included with your package $6598 ($3299ppdo)
In the Suite, you’ll enjoy a luxurious Caribbean vacation at one of the Riviera Maya’s most exclusive adults-only resorts. Take in views of the lush tropical vegetation in the garden and surrounding jungle from the Suite’s spacious private terrace.
Optional UpgradesÂ
Ocean Front Butler Suite $7998 ($3999ppdo)
This suite faces the Caribbean Sea, so you can admire its waves from the terrace and go for a swim within a matter of minutes. The room’s interior is carefully designed with you in mind, with restful details like fine European bed linens, a whirlpool bath, gourmet room service offered 24 hours a day, as well as a butler committed to providing you with a personalized experience.
Trip FAQ’s
Do you want to improve your game from some of the best instructors around, watching as they demo a new skill or drill and then coach you while you attempt to model it? A clinic trip sounds like a good fit.
Our clinic trips feature three hours of scheduled pickleball activity each day except on arrival and departure days. On arrival and departure day, you are welcome to use the courts but there are no scheduled clinics. Clinic mornings feature a minimum of two hours of clinics taught by our fantastic Pros, followed by an hour of Open Play, with the Pros mixing in with clinic participants. The clinics are separated in the best way possible, determined by our wise Pros, to accommodate a variety of skill levels. Each Pro writes their own agenda for the clinic topics so we do not have that until approximately one month prior to departure . However, rest assured you will learn lots from our talented group of instructors! Go home with new skills to show off along with your tan lines!
The final full day of the clinic trip is a round robin. The Pros will divide you into groups and set you up in matches. Lots of fun rotating among the courts!
Yes! Many of our guests arrive early or stay late to enjoy all the amenities our gorgeous resorts offer. We are pleased to help you save some money, too, by offering you the group rate we have negotiated with the resort.
No! Vaccination requirements have been lifted for all of our current destinations.
Sandals Resorts offer only one king bed in all of their rooms. However, we can request a rollaway for your room. If two beds are important to you, please consider one of our trips to Beaches Turks and Caicos. Beaches Turks and Caicos rooms offer both king beds and double queen bed rooms.
We highly encourage you to purchase travel insurance. After you have made your deposit and completed your client tasks on our portal, we send you travel insurance quotes from Allianz, a highly respected agency.
Yes! The resorts we use are luxury resorts that cater to anyone who is looking for fun in the sun. There is so much to do at the resort that you can easily fill your day and night without stepping foot on the pickleball court. Those looking for some relaxing down time will find that here too! The lounge chairs throughout the properties, both on the beach and at the pools, offer plenty of places for some R&R.
Discounts are not offered to non-players for the simple reason that we do not charge anything extra for our pickleball clinics or tournaments. All of our guests get a fantastic rate with lots of extra special touches, such as a private dinner on the beach for our group, a private cocktail reception for our group, a Meet & Greet, and a Welcome Bag. Pickleball is included for FREE!
A deposit of $400 is required to secure your room for your Pickleball in Paradise vacation.
- In the event that you need to cancel your trip, $200 of the deposit is refundable 95 days before your departure. Or, if you are unable to keep the reservation for your originally booked dates but would like to change to a different trip, the full deposit amount may be transferred to another Pickleball in Paradise trip through Straight Away Travel in the same calendar year.
- 95 days before the trip – the full balance for the trip is due.
- 95 days before the trip – all payments are nonrefundable.
VIP Extras Included with Every Pickleball in Paradise Trip
- Discounted group rate for a luxury all-inclusive vacation
- Stress-free planning at no cost to you (when you book through Pickleball in Paradise we take care of every detail and you get discounted group rates that are cheaper than if you would have booked the trip online.)
- Meet & Greet with the Pros on the first evening of your trip
- Private cocktail reception with a selection of appetizers
- Private beach dinner for the group
- Welcome Bag for each guest with a Pickleball in Paradise T-Shirt and additional goodies from our sponsors
- 5 X 7 group photo
- and so much more!
