UTR Sports and HotelPlanner expand travel benefits to reduce pickleball costs

Mark Leschly said UTR Sports will expand its Annual Power membership to include Global Privileges Plus, a HotelPlanner-powered travel package that adds over $250 in premium travel benefits and promises savings of up to 60% across 1.4M+ hotels. The company announced the multi-year collaboration in Miami on Feb. 19, 2026 and named HotelPlanner the Official Accommodations Partner of UTR Sports.

UTR’s release frames the upgrade as “two memberships in one” - performance tools plus member-only travel perks - and positions the Annual Power membership as a combined product for tennis and pickleball participants. The package name Global Privileges Plus appears across UTR materials and the partner is described in company language as a leading global travel technology company and hotel booking platform.

The announcement lists specific, quantifiable perks for Annual Power members: a $100 hotel voucher or excursion credit, airport lounge passes, and discounts on car rentals, event tickets, and cruises, alongside deep discounts across an inventory UTR says covers 1.4M+ hotels globally. The press materials also state the travel component will add “over $250 of value” to the existing Annual Power membership.

UTR included a full quote from its CEO to frame the program’s intent. “With this major Hotel Planner partnership and benefits from the Global Privileges memberships, UTR Sports is significantly expanding our commitment to make tennis and pickleball more affordable and accessible. Through this partnership, we will provide millions of dollars in benefits and savings to our community of parents, players, coaches, and organizers,” said Mark Leschly, Chairman and CEO of UTR Sports. “Our Power membership now pays for itself, provides immediate savings, and gives personalized global travel benefits.”

UTR materials name the target users explicitly as players, parents, organizers, and coaches who travel extensively for sports and personal enjoyment, and Travelmole’s coverage of the release adds that UTR will add enhanced benefits for the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT) community later this quarter. The release does not specify the activation mechanics for Global Privileges Plus, nor does it disclose any change to Annual Power pricing.

HotelPlanner’s involvement in racket-sport travel programs extends beyond UTR. In a separate APP announcement on Feb. 12, 2026, the Association of Pickleball Players named HotelPlanner its Official Online Booking Platform Partner; that APP release said HotelPlanner would provide “hotel savings of up to 70%, travel-planning tools, and 24/7 U.S.-based member support.” Tim Hentschel, Co-CEO of HotelPlanner, said, “We’re proud to support the APP as it continues elevating the sport in the U.S. By delivering great hotel choices at great rates, we’re helping make travel easier for players, staff, and fans, while supporting the APP’s continued growth nationwide.” APP Chief Revenue Officer Ryan McSpadden added, “The APP is excited to partner with HotelPlanner as our go-to solution for travel. We’re looking forward to another amazing year on the APP Tour, with our 2026 slate featuring bigger and more enhanced events than ever before.”

UTR describes its agreement as multi-year and positions the travel benefits as part of its mission to connect and grow tennis and pickleball. Members can expect staged rollouts, with PTT-specific enhancements later this quarter and the APP Tour opener scheduled March 26–29 in Seattle, underscoring that HotelPlanner is scaling across event calendars as well as membership programs.