Sharper skills
Steadier resets, smarter shot choices, fewer errors.
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Sharper skills where it counts. Focused sessions in small groups, aimed at the parts of your game you most want to change.
Pickleball. Wellness. Community.
PlaywellA luxury pickleball and wellness retreat in Hội An
Hội An, Vietnam · 13–20 March 2027
Play your best. Feel your best.
The idea
A different kind of week
Time to grow your game.
Space to come back to yourself.
A week of pickleballin one of the world's favourite cities.
- Hội An, voted the No. 4 city in the world by Travel + Leisure readers
- A private pool villa at a One MICHELIN Key resort on the river
- Daily 90-minute wellness treatments, included in the retreat price
- Coached by Rachel Rhoney, with a plan to take home
- Only twelve places
Great pickleball doesn't come from forcing outcomes.
It comes from awareness, trust and intention.
What you'll leave with
More than a better game
More confidence on court. More room to breathe off it.
Calm under pressure
Tools to stay calm and focused when the score is tight.
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Learn to stay present through each point, reset quickly after a mistake and manage nerves. Simple breathing techniques and attention cues are built into every drill, not saved for a lecture.
A real reset
Space to rest, without having to earn it.
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Seven nights to settle into a different rhythm: daily wellness treatments, quiet mornings and open hours between sessions where nothing needs doing. The spa is devoted to relaxation, not changing how you look.
Room to reconnect
With yourself, with others, with the place.
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Shared meals, conversations by the river and the privacy of your own pool villa. There is room for company and solitude, without filling every hour.
Pickleball artwork adapted from photographs courtesy of Zen Pickleball. Wellness and Hội An artwork adapted from photographs by Rachel Howze.
Photography courtesy of Zen Pickleball
Your coach
Rachel Rhoney
Semi-professional player · Head coach
- 4.5+
- Semi-pro level of play
- 20
- Years coaching
- D I
- Collegiate tennis
Certified by the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR)
and Professional Tennis Registry (PTR)
DUPR Coach · Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating
Co-founder of Zen Pickleball, Rachel brings a woman's tactical perspective: placement, patience and court sense, not power alone. Her method blends high-level instruction with mindfulness, presence and flow, for sharper decisions and a calmer mind on court.
Your goals shape the week. Small-group coaching and private time with Rachel give you a personal plan to take home.
The method
How the week changes your play
Rachel's coaching roadmap is the one she uses with her own players. It is precise about what actually makes a player good, and it is rarely taught this clearly.
- Skilled
- Technique built on placement and patience
- Calm
- Awareness and intention in every point
- Confident
- Decisions you trust when the score is tight
Three habits sit underneath all of it.
01
Reset
consistently from midcourt, then move forward
02
Choose
the right third shot: drop, drive or lob
03
Miss less
than the players across the net
Everything else builds on that.
See the eight focus areas
The transition zone
Stop getting stuck in no-man's land.
Serve and return
Deep, purposeful starts. No free points.
Dinking with purpose
Patient pressure that moves opponents.
Controlled speed-ups
Attack only the right ball, and stay balanced.
Hands at the kitchen line
Calm counters in fast exchanges.
Pattern play
Build points like chess, not checkers.
Fewer unforced errors
Win by pressure, not flash.
Emotional control
Play the same at 9–9 as at 0–0.
It begins with how you want to feel.
Before the week, you choose your words: calm, confident, consistent, focused, free, resilient. Then two or three goals that matter to you, and why.
- Stage 1
Skill
Awareness and technique
Feel how the ball should come off the paddle. Soft hands, quiet legs, a relaxed swing.
- Stage 2
Consistency
Light pressure
Drops and resets that land with margin, again and again, until you trust them.
- Stage 3
Play
Live integration
The right shot chosen in real games, reviewed together on short video clips.
Assessed on arrival
Rachel watches how you play, and works out what to build first.
Discover
Transition, third shots, serve and return, dinking, speed-ups, patterns and mental game. You will know exactly where you stand, and so will your coach.
Drills with a purpose
Every session follows her training structure.
Discover
Technical work, pattern drills, situational games and match play, closing with a short reflection. Drills such as Reset and Advance and the 9–9 Game are scored on decisions and composure, not just results.
A plan to take home
A final evaluation and a personal roadmap.
Discover
You leave with your goals, a weekly practice structure, the drills and focus cues for each stage, and a simple reflection log, so the week keeps working long after Hội An.
Artwork adapted from photographs courtesy of Zen Pickleball.
Progress comes from attention, not tension.
Where you'll stay
Room to simply be
One MICHELIN Key.
Hotel distinction
Behind leafy palms on a quiet islet in Hội An, the river sets a slower pace. Private pools, terraces and views of water or forest give the villas their sense of seclusion. Awarded One MICHELIN Key in 2026, the resort makes wellbeing the centre of the stay.
Your private pool villa
A terrace, a pool, a little more privacy.
Discover
Seven nights in a private pool villa, shared with one other guest. Outdoor space and river or forest views make time away from the courts feel like part of the retreat.
Daily restoration
A 90-minute wellness treatment, every day.
Discover
The spa draws on Vietnamese herbology and traditional remedies, with relaxation at its heart. Your daily treatment is included in the retreat price. This is time for care and stillness, not a beauty programme.
A taste of Hội An
Local produce. Vietnamese flavours. River views.
Discover
The resort's two farm-to-table restaurants celebrate local produce, spices and freshly caught seafood. Daily breakfast is included; the retreat's other included meals are listed below.
Photographs by Rachel Howze.
A day at the retreat
Time to play. Time to pause.
Coaching has its rhythm. Restoration has its own.
Our playing venue
Pickleball Lakeside
Where we'll play, with catered lunches often served at the courts. Time to share a meal and talk through the morning before returning to the resort.
- Morning
Coaching
Skill and mindset training in small groups.
Read more about morning
Technical drills with mindfulness woven in: breath, focus cues and a short reflection to close each session, built around the goals you shared before arriving.
- Midday
Together
Lunch at the courts. Shade and conversation.
Read more about midday
A catered lunch, shade, and time to talk through the morning.
- Afternoon
Restore
Your daily 90-minute wellness treatment.
Read more about afternoon
Time set aside for care inspired by Vietnamese herbology, then your villa pool or a quiet hour by the river. Rest belongs in the week as much as play.
- Evening
Community
Relaxed games with local Vietnamese players.
Read more about evening
Community play with players from Hội An and nearby. Some evenings are left free to discover the town at your own pace.
What's included
Thoughtfully taken care of
Your game, your rest and your stay, planned together.
- Seven nights in a shared private pool villa
- Daily 90-minute wellness treatments
- All coaching and court time
- Daily breakfast
- Evening games with local players
- Catered lunch on court days
- Private time with your coach
- Airport transfers
- Welcome and farewell dinners
Why Hội An
The beauty of slowing down
Silk lanterns over narrow streets.
Rice fields that turn gold in the late afternoon.
A wide, slow river.
- No. 4
- Best cities in the world 2026
- No. 3
- Best cities in Asia 2026
- UNESCO
- World Heritage Site since 1999
Readers of Travel + Leisure voted Hội An No. 4 city in the world and No. 3 city in Asia in the magazine's 2026 World's Best Awards. More than 207,000 readers took part, and Hội An was Vietnam's only entry on both lists.
The ancient town has been a World Heritage Site since 1999: a trading port that kept its lanes, merchant houses and craft villages intact. The resort sits a short ride away on the river, so the town is there when you want it and quiet when you don't. A week is just enough to know it a little.
Who hosts you
We live here
Three of us live in Hội An.
We know the courts, the back streets,
and the players who keep them busy.
Playwell isn't run from a distance. It is built from the town we live in: the courts we play on, the kitchens we eat in, the friends we invite to the net.
That is what makes it specific. Your free hours come with advice that is actually useful. The evening games are with local players, not only with each other.
Retreat excursions are arranged and run by the resort team. We bring the local knowledge and player connections; the hotel takes care of the outings.
And March is the month we chose because we live it: warm, dry and gentle.
Price and reservation
A place for you
Deposit or full payment by 11:59pm UTC, Friday 4 December 2026.
Hội An 6:59am Saturday 5 December · New York 6:59pm Friday 4 December · Sydney 10:59am Saturday 5 December
Sharing a private pool villa at a One MICHELIN Key resort
Seven nights of private-pool living, purposeful pickleball and daily 90-minute wellness treatments, included in the retreat price. The luxury is in the care, the privacy and the time to enjoy both.
In Australian dollars, roughly A$10,665, or A$9,883 on the early bird, at the rate on 30 October 2026. Check the live rate.
US$1,500
deposit holds your spot
11 Dec 2026
balance due
12
places only
Please read our Terms and cancellation policy before reserving.
Interest list
Stay in the conversation
A better game. A little more space for yourself.
Not ready to reserve? Join the list for the coaching, wellness and stay details as they are confirmed.
Questions
Good to know
Who is this for?
Intermediate to advanced recreational players who want to improve and also enjoy a beautiful, restful week. Many of our guests are 50+, from Australia, the US and the UK. Women who play seriously, couples and friends who both play are all very welcome.
What level do I need?
Roughly 3.5 to 4.0. If you're unsure, join the interest list and tell us about your game. We're happy to talk it through.
Can I come solo?
Yes. We'll pair you with another guest to share a villa.
Where will we stay?
At Namia River Retreat, a One MICHELIN Key resort and member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, on Cồn Ba Xã islet in the Thu Bồn River. Every villa has its own pool, just minutes from Hội An Ancient Town.
Are wellness treatments included?
Yes. A daily 90-minute wellness treatment is included in the retreat price. The resort's approach draws on Vietnamese herbology, giving recovery its own place in the week alongside coaching and play.
When should I book flights?
After we confirm the retreat on 8 January 2027.
Who runs Playwell?
Three of us live in Hội An, and we built the week from where we actually are: the courts we play on, the resort we know, the local players we play with. Nothing here is second-hand.
How will I know I'm improving?
Rachel watches how you play on arrival, coaches the gaps with you all week, and reviews your game again before you leave. You will know exactly what has changed, and what to work on next.
What is mindset training?
Practical tools for playing well under pressure: staying present during points, resetting after errors, calming nerves and finding flow. It is taught on court, inside your drills, so it feels natural rather than theoretical.
Is it competitive?
The coaching is serious, the atmosphere is not. Groups are small, supportive and ego-free, whether you play tournaments or simply want purposeful, enjoyable growth.
How and when do I pay?
A US$1,500 deposit holds your spot, with the balance due 11 Dec 2026. Pay the deposit or the full amount by 11:59pm UTC, Friday 4 December 2026 and your price is US$6,950 rather than US$7,500, a saving of US$550.
What is the resort's approach to wellbeing?
Relaxation rather than beauty or anti-aging. Alongside its herbology-inspired treatments, the resort has spaces for yoga and meditation, a cold plunge, sauna and herbal steam rooms. These are resort amenities, not a promise that every facility or class is included in your daily treatment. Specific arrangements will be confirmed before the retreat.
Who runs the excursions?
All retreat excursions are arranged and run by the resort team. Your Playwell hosts bring first-hand local advice and connections with local players. The excursion schedule and individual outing details will be shared once confirmed.
Do non-players come?
This retreat is for players only. Every guest plays.
What is there to do in Hội An?
The ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a short ride from the resort: lantern-lit lanes, merchant houses, tailors and cafés. Nearby sit Tra Que Vegetable Village, the Bay Mau coconut forest and the pottery and carpentry villages of Thanh Ha and Kim Bong. Excursions to them are arranged and run by the resort team.
Why March?
It is the month we know best. In Hội An, March is warm and dry, with long, clear afternoons. It is the part of the year we would choose to host. We live here, so the timing comes from experience.
Is travel insurance required?
Yes, including cover for medical evacuation.