1 Hotel has launched free pop-up pickleball courts

August is Leo season, but somewhere along the way, it also became National Wellness Month. Call it a made-up holiday or a clever rebranding courtesy of late capitalism. Either way, it’s 31 days devoted to yoga, meditation, digital detoxes and other self-care rituals, just in time for the last, slightly frantic weeks of summer.

At 1 Hotel Toronto, they’re marking the occasion by transforming their reflecting pond into two glossy pickleball courts sponsored by Roots. If you’ve yet to try it, pickleball is tennis’s breezier cousin: a smaller court, a slower ball and enough built-in forgiveness that you can still hold a latte in your non-paddle hand. And with hometown tennis phenom Victoria Mboko inspiring a wave of new racquet-sport converts, it’s the perfect gateway game.

The courts are tucked behind the hotel’s garden off Wellington Street and are open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until September 30. They’re free to use for everyone and don’t take reservations. Hotel guests and residents can borrow gear from the front desk, but others will need to BYOPB (bring your own paddles and ball); a 30-minute courtesy rule applies if there’s a lineup.

Related: Dear Urban Diplomat—The pickleball court next door is driving us up the wall

It’s all part of the hotel’s Wellness Month lineup, which includes outdoor markets, guided meditation and a Digital Detox Hotel Package—a staycation where you hand over your phone and embrace screen-free living (The White Lotus season-three energy, but urban and without the murder subplot). Or just call it balance, King West–style: sound baths at sunrise, margaritas by sunset.