Sporting chance: Holidays with Olympic spirit

Let Rio 2016 inspire you, and be put through your paces at one of these luxury resorts offering a winning combination of sun, sea and sport

Thanyapura Fusion Fitness, Thailand

Thanyapura Phuket resort, on Thailand's picture-perfect largest island, claims to be Asia's first sports hotel. Fitness programmes are dedicated to various ailments and ambitions including weight loss, detox and triathlon training, meaning a holiday here is certainly no walk in the park (or rather, lounge on the beach).

The Fitness Fusion programme is a more tailor-made option that offers taster sessions of tennis, Muay Thai boxing, Zumba, kettlebell workouts, cycling and running, to name but a handful.

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The scenery at Thanyapura is picturesque – 23 hectares of pristine grounds surrounded by mountains – but it's the first-rate sporting facilities that really stand out. These include a 50m swimming pool with classes run by former Olympic coach Miguel Lopez.

Despite being hailed as a training ground for the next generation of Olympians, Thanyapura is open to athletes (and wannabes) of all ages and abilities. A mix of rigorous workouts and more gentle, restorative classes creates a healthy balance, while the world-class spa offering traditional Thai therapies allows you to soothe aching muscles and soak up truly breathtaking surroundings.

Health and Fitness Travel offers seven nights at Thanyapura from £1,485pp (£1,685 for single occupancy), including breakfast, the Fusion Fitness programme, return flights and transfers; healthandfitnesstravel.com

(Image credit: Loic Thebaud)

Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo

The original Hotel Metropole was built during the era-defining Belle Epoque on land once owned by Pope Leo XIII that overlooks Monaco's beautiful coastline.

Following a multi-million-pound refurbishment in 2004, the modern Hotel Metropole is a combination of full-blown glamour and cutting-edge chic. It's all heavy, lavish furnishings, palm trees and Romanesque sculptures, with an outdoor swimming pool area designed by Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld.

Proving that even five-star hotels aren't immune to Olympic fever, the Metropole has launched two new fitness packages for summer in collaboration with gold-medal athlete Marc Raquil. The Olympic 400m runner will host personalised training sessions for one or three hours, depending on whether you opt for the Met'Super Fit Day package or the more leisurely Met'Fit Morning option.

Classes are followed by an 80-minute (yes, 80-minute) massage in the hotel's award-winning 2,000sq m spa, followed by a health-conscious al fresco lunch prepared by Michelin-starred chef Joel Robuchon.

Possibly the most extravagant way to improve your fitness this summer, with enough time left over to shop and sightsee to your heart's content.

Met'Fit Morning by Marc Raquil costs €399 per person or €480 per person including a one-hour yoga class; Met'Super Fit Day by Marc Raquil costs €810 per person; metropole.com/en/home

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Curtain Bluff, Antigua

Home to Antigua Tennis Week, which has been hosted at Curtain Bluff every year since 1975, this five-star resort's unusual name is derived from the steep, curtain-shaped cliff (or bluff) on which the complex is perched and the whole place exudes a laid-back luxury that only the Caribbeans can do.

The event, which takes place every May, originally began as an island-wide professional competition and is now an international tennis festival that attracts some of the biggest names in the sport.

Throughout the year, Curtain Bluff offers daily group tuition and games (private lessons are also available) with three resident pros and a roster of international talent that has included former Davis Cup player Dick Stockton and Aussie legend Fred Stolle, winner of the US and French Open Championships.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or are just looking to brush up on your backhand, Curtain Bluff's tennis camps are great fun.

A hard day's workout is rewarded with a cocktail (or two) and dancing till dawn at the all-inclusive resort's beachside bar, against a backdrop of mesmerising, crashing waves.

Curtain Bluff, Antigua has deluxe rooms from US$820 per night, based on two adults sharing on an all-inclusive basis. Private tennis lessons cost US$70 per hour; curtainbluff.com

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