This hotel is really lovely. The rooms are all modern, incredibly clean, beautifully laid out and with everything thought of ahead of time. My room even had a settee against the balcony doors. From my bathtub, I could either close or open the folding doors, so that while taking a bath I could choose privacy, or could choose to watch TV or look out the window.

One weird thing is that both the shower and the toilet area were enclosed by glass (see photo).

There is a wide variety of food available in the restaurants, and a huge variety of spa treatments available. I was impressed most, though, by the breakfast buffet, which had everything from two kinds of congee to make-your-own soup to cereal to oatmeal to bacon to salad to cheese to espresso. If you love breakfast, you should definitely go for this feast!!

My only complaint is that the "hot spring" water wasn't very hot. I actually was uncomfortably cold after only about 30 minutes in the water, and none of the (many, huge) pools were heated, meaning that i was unable to take advantage of the water after the sun went down.

Also, you have to pay for the treatment where you lay in the water and the fish eat your dead skin. It seemed kind of cheap on their part.

There is an outdoor-eating option which seems really lovely. it's just too bad that the hotel is so far from the beach (even though it appears to be close, it isn't) meaning that there's not much of a view. They've done their best to approximate it, though, and even installed a playground for kids.

Overall, this is a really lovely hotel (though feels a bit like a business hotel) and you would have a great stay there whether with kids, teenagers or your partner. My only complaint is the lack of a beautiful view -- but I guess you can get that in Sanya just by going for a walk.

We stayed at this hotel during June 2008 which was during their low-season. The hotel itself is beautiful, set in beautiful very well maintained grounds. However, due to it being low season, it was very quiet in the evening and everything seemed to close at about 11pm. The room was fantastic with a sea view and the staff were all very happy to help.

On the plus side, we had a choice of numerous sun-beds and found breakfast to be a sedate affair without the usual scrum that ensues with a self-service breakfast.

On a minus side, this was a Holiday Inn and as such, we could have been anywhere in the world where it is hot. There was nothing about it to set it aside from other hotels in the chain.

It's location also lets it down a little as it really is in the middle of nowhere and it seemed that we were activley discouraged from going out without a 'guide' as we were told there were bag snatches by people on scooters. The beach is nothing special and I think we spent all of 10 mins on it.

The hotel entertainment was a the same every night, but I guess that's what you get when you go in the low-season.

15 min from the airport and you are in haven. Clean and bright rooms with sea view, large bathroom, very friendly staff. We’ve booked more than a month ahead so it was $100 including breakfast for non smoking standard double.

Restaurants are good; anyway if you want to save some money and have grate experience you may have a dinner at the beach. Every evening some local fishermen’s organize some type of BBQ with today’s catch. Just go 50 m to the right along the beach road.

SPA is quite good and has reasonable prices. In Sanya city you may find lots of massage salons with cheaper prices but not that comfortable.

The Holiday Inn Sanya Bay Resort is only 10-15 minutes by taxi from the airport. In fact, you can see the airport from the back of the hotel. We made the mistake of booking pick-up service from the airport, which ended up costing us 100 RMB: 50 RMB over the metered fare, or 70 RMB over the 30 RMB fare you might get for yourself if you're a good haggler.

The check-in desk isn't much, but the adjoining lobby, which opens onto a veranda, is fairly attractive.

The room we booked looked a bit shabby at first sight -- tile floors, unattractive framed prints, cheap-looking furniture with some stains on the cushions, black-out curtains that looked like they'd been salvaged from a mid-80s Howard Johnson. But it grew on us the longer we stayed. The floor tiles make sense given the humid climate and the sand tracked in from the beach; and the balcony, with its view of the pool and of the sea in the distance, made up for the room's shortcomings.

The cleaning staff did a good job of cleaning the room and keeping it stocked with clean towels, soap and the rest. The doormen were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable; and most spoke English quite well. The spa was good but expensive compared with the spas in and around Sanya Summer Mall. The gym was a typical hotel gym: basic to say the least. There seemed to be a lot of security guards on the grounds, which I found reassuring. The food we ordered from Room Service was good, not too expensive and with generous portions.

The beach across the road from the hotel was attractive and fairly clean, with a beach-side bar, a row of beach chairs and umbrellas and a stand where you could rent dune buggies and jet skis.

Words of advice:

1.) When traffic on the road to downtown Sanya (the Summer Mall or Wang Hao Supermarket) is light (morning through early afternoon), you might want to pay taxi fare by the meter, which should add up to around 25 RMB. Once the traffic gets heavier, though, it's probably better to pay the standard fare of 30 RMB (or whatever the doormen say is the standard).

2.) Do your snack, soda and bottled-water shopping at Wang Hao Supermarket (the biggest and cheapest of the three supermarkets we went to) and stock up for a couple days at a time. Why pay ten times as much for the same items in the mini-bar?

3.) Don't take motorcycle-rickshaws unless you're just interested in a novel experience and don't mind getting ripped off. We took them four times and were cheated literally three out of four times. Once, the woman agreed to take us to the Summer Mall for 10 RMB but then turned the rickshaw around and went in the opposite direction to a seafood restaurant where she evidently hoped to collect a commission. Another time, a driver agreed to take us to the hotel for 20 RMB and then stopped halfway there and indicated he wouldn't go any farther unless we paid more. And yet another time, a driver agreed to take us to our hotel for 20 RMB but tried to re-negotiate up to 40 once we got there.Still, the motorcycle-rickshaw drivers were better than the tuk-tuk drivers in Bangkok -- cheating you with a warm smile, instead of with a menacing glare.

4.) When going by taxi on day-trips, have the doorman let your driver know that you want to go only where you've planned to go and that you're not interested in stopping at every tourist trap along the way.

5.) Unless rhesus monkeys in cowboy hats and holding flags are your thing, don't waste your time or money at Nanwan Monkey Island.

6.) Wuzhizhou Island is beautiful -- the water and white-sand beaches remind me of Cancun -- but it's over-priced (unless $8 for a cheaply-made beach towel is your idea of a bargain), so bring your own towels and water.

Aside from Hong Kong, Sanya is the most expensive city in China we've been to. The room was more expensive and not as nice as rooms in other hotels we've stayed in in China, but then Sanya is a resort town, with the inflated prices typical of resort towns, so maybe it's not fair to expect to find a bargain there. Sanya is a relaxing place, though; and the Holiday Inn Sanya is a fairly nice place to stay while there. Wouldn't mind going back -- if there weren't so many other great places to visit still.

Am only just getting over my jetlag from the holiday, so havent been able to write my review any sooner. But i am smiling now re-living the holiday i have just had in Sanya.

The hotel was brilliant. So much better then i expected. I usually book my holidays independently as i find the tour operators scandalous, with awful hotels. But i was plesently surprised with airtours.

The check in was quick and efficient, just what we needed after out long flight.

the room we were given was huge!! You could have had a party in it. The bathroom was ace, and our balcony looked over the stunning pool area and accross to the beach.

The room was kept so clean, the maids were brilliant and we got a change of towells twice a day.

The food in the restaurant was ok, not the chinese you expect from take away. The entertainment in the evening was repetative, but the band was good.

The only problems i found was with the sun loungers. There was not enough. And they were reserved without fail by 9am. Which was a shame

because the pool area was so nice. Also the banter around the pool seemed to revolve around a few attention seekers, and prices of the hotel bar - which is not what we were on holiday for. So me and my husband tended to pay the extra to go to the beaches in Yalong bay most of the holiday. The beaches there are stunning, so beautiful, so amazing, i cant wait to go back. We made friends with a taxi driver who looked after us with fares and we went to meet his family.

I do feel it is the time to go to Sanya NOW!!! And make sure you choose this hotel, but in the Uk winter months. It is being developed and will be ruined very quickly, probably by the brits and europeans. Allthough we met some nice people at the hotel, it seemed to be illustrated all ready that the typical brits had hit this hotel.

Make sure you go here!!! And quickly!!! And be sure to tip the staff,

they dont expect it and they appear not to want to take it, but make sure you tip them!!! They are so lovely and nice!

Holiday Inn Sanya Bay. On arrival you will be given a welcome pack by reception which includes meal vouchers for the duration of your stay, which you can use in any of the restaurants (not needed for breakfast). You will also be given a card detailing the name and address of the Hotel, which you will need to carry around with you to show taxi drivers ‘where you live’ when you are on your travels. You are also given a form to complete which asks you to leave a deposit/credit card on reception so you can pay at the end of your stay. We told them we would pay cash and would not be leaving a credit card with them, we also asked them to take everything out of the mini bar so we could use it as a fridge, which they did.

Our Mountain View room was lovely, with views over fields, strange looking cattle and straw-hat clad locals tending to their livestock. The airport is in the distance and slight noise could be heard from take offs and landings, nothing to complain about. The rooms are lovely and spacious with replacement toiletries on a daily basis. The maids are based in the hallway and as soon as you leave they’re in! You can leave a sign on your door to ‘Freshen up’ if need be (just for you Dawn!). 2 complimentary bottles of water are left in your room daily via the maid. Nescafe sachets and tea bags are replenished daily, take your own if you like a special brew.

The breakfasts and evening meals are generally buffet style, served from highly polished stainless steel containers. You can choose to eat from the ‘A La Carte’ menu if you wish or dine in the Chinese restaurant. The food is faultless, meat/fish/salads and of course local flavours to try. BBQ’s sometimes take place at the pool area, tables are taken outside where you can enjoy the lovely low lighting and romantic atmosphere! A Chinese trio will serenade you with golden oldies. This trio also doubles up as the evening entertainment so if you need more oomph you will have to go elsewhere.

Happy hour takes place in the lobby bar usually 5-7 (but times can change so check as not to disappoint) The freshly juiced Dragon Fruit is delicious as are the other fresh fruits. Beer is quite pricey in the hotel so its best to go elsewhere on an evening or bring your own from the supermarket. There is also a Happy Hour at the beach bar, which, if you’re not in a rush, is more than adequate. Just a short walk over the main (but quiet) road to the beach, you may even be chaperoned over the beach by a local brandishing what looks like a light saver from Star Wars. This is thought necessary as the driving on the island is atrocious but at the same time quite comical, they think nothing of swerving on to the paths or grass, Wacky Races eat your hear out!

Watch out that you don’t get ripped off by the watersports entrepreneurs on the beach, they wanted to charge us 400RMB (£28) for one jetski for 20 minutes!! We asked for our money back and got it. We can however recommend the beach buggies at a more favourable 100RMB(£7) and lots of fun! Do haggle for the best price. The beach is lovely and quiet, sun-loungers with overhead canopy’s, warm but cloudy sea, apparently the beach at Yalong Bay is nice and clear.

There is a Spa at the hotel, which is wonderful, the prices are extremely good and the therapists knowledgeable although can’t speak English other than the odd word like ‘relax’. I would recommend anyone to take advantage of this during your stay. We had complimentary vouchers for 30rmb discount off a Spa session (about £2) you can have a full/half day package of massage and pampering treatments or a lighter session of massage, foot/hand care treatments from about 150rmb (£10ish). Special discounts were also advertised in the lobby for sessions ending by 3pm at 20% off.

A courtesy coach takes you to a shopping centre about half an hour’s drive away at 10.00am daily, the coach driver sits and waits and then brings you back at 11.30a.m. It is similar to a Fenwick’s department store. Bartering may get you a small discount but not much. There is also a small supermarket here where you can possibly barter for gifts etc. If you want to stay there for longer, there are plenty of taxis to take you back to the hotel (always point at the meter or agree a price first).

The hotel also has a courtesy bus at 2.00pm which takes you to Sanya City (20 minutes away) and waits till 3.30 to take you back to the hotel. Sanya is a large bustling city with an abundance of mobile phone and electrical shops. We bought a 4gb sony memory card for about £20. It’s a shoppers paradise, you can barter to your hearts content in the markets and bag some bargains and sample the local favourite, Moon Cake…..! You can spend all day here wandering round and get a taxi back when you have finished (approx 30RMB - £2.00). The supermarket is next to where the bus drops you off so you can stock up on water, beer and snacks etc as the hotel doesn’t have a supermarket/shop.

A 10% discount card for the ‘Rainbow Bar’ will possibly be included in your welcome pack, avoid this like the plague, we endured an evening of zero atmosphere and hefty prices when a group of us went to celebrate a birthday bash, what you are not told is that a taxi to this place takes half an hour, the beer is equivalent to the hotel prices and all in all a total let down, if you want to go to an English pub go to your local and stay at home! We would however, recommend the ‘Tiger Bar’ which is staggering distance from the hotel, go to the road, turn right and walk for 5-10 mins, it will be lit up by fairy lights on the beach side, the bottled Beijing beer is 8rmb (56p ish), the atmosphere is lovely with the waves lapping close by, you also have the satisfaction of knowing you are not being ripped off and any profits that are made obviously go to the locals who are more in need than the conglomerate hotels or newly established European like bars. If you are lucky, your host may entertain you with his electrifying renditions of karaoke classics (we think he will master the base sooner rather than later!).

My partner arranged his own trip to climb ‘Five Finger Mountain’ which was a journey of 2½ hours by taxi to the foot of the mountain which is approximately 1600metres high. You need to allow approx 8 hours to climb up and down the first finger (2 days perhaps for all five). If you are going to consider it wear long trousers and long sleeves to avoid being bitten (there are reportedly poisonous insects and snakes on this mountain), also you will need good strong walking boots, plenty of water and some energy bars. The terrain is exceptionally steep which is more of a problem on the way down and, coupled with the humidity, it should not be attempted unless you are an accomplished hiker. To give you an idea of the effort involved it would be equivalent to climbing Ben Nevis twice and, also take in to consideration you are in a Tropical climate where there are lots of unfamiliarities. That said, it was worth every step just for the views.

There are several trips recommended by Airtours the main ones being Beijing and Hong Kong. We heard it was cheaper to book Hong Kong for a couple of days/nights using the flight desk in reception. We booked Beijing weekend, fly out Saturday and return Monday. We can thoroughly recommend anyone to do this weekend trip. The cost was £375 per person (booking with the rep) (plus 4% charge for credit cards). This trip includes 6 excursions. We can say that this was one of the most memorable weekends we have ever had and worth every penny. A four-hour plane trip from Sanya to Beijing (after the previous flight this is a blast!), the awe inspiring schedule included The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven and Silk Street (Silk Alley) where you can barter till the cows come home. We also had some free time on the Saturday and Sunday evenings. In Beijing itself it is as if the gates of heaven had opened and everyone was piling in! Swarms and swarms of people a real sight. The traffic is horrendous multiple lanes of cars buses and yes bikes! Curious faces look you up and down, some say hello, possibly to practice their English and many smile as you make your way through the crowds.

Our group enjoyed a meal at a typical Chinese restaurant not far from our hotel (recommended by Leon our rep) in the centre of Beijing. We enthusiastically ate and drank and made merry all evening till the early hours at a cost of about £5-6 each! The food was plentiful and delicious and the drink flowed for as long as we were capable of sitting upright. Beijing beer is recommended by all as the profits go towards to Olympics, (apparently) it is quite inoffensive and similar to Belgian lager.

It must be said the air in Beijing leaves a lot to be desired and a cloudy film shrouds the sunshine, a weekend is long enough to get a lungful so be prepared if you have a chest condition. Tourists were spotted walking round with DIY style dust masks, quite understandable if not a tad dramatic.

The sites are as fascinating as you would imagine and the weekend was made even more enjoyable by having a great group to tour around with, a big thanks to you Kev and Dawn for being the best hosts and bringing everyone together from the Holiday Inn and a big hello to our Beijing Buddies: Jeanette & Jim (who kept the Mozzies occupied for everybody), Gwill from Rhyll and Tina, Tommy & Sinta and Gordon & Morag xxxxxxxxxx.

All in all a holiday trip of a lifetime, memories abound, heaps of culture made complete with fantastic company, this will be a hard holiday to beat.

After a very long flight we arrived to be greeted by friendly staff. English language limited but this gave us many amusing moments over our two week stay. The hotel room was brilliant although not quite the Mountain View we imagined. Enjoyed watching the aeroplanes take off though. All the staff were excellent and could not do enough for you. Maid service twice daily even turned down the beds in the evening.

Hotel food is good, with plenty of choice. I personally had problems with seeing the odd duck, chicken and fishes head looking at me when opening the serving dishes, my partner had no problem though so just be warned if you’re a bit squeamish like me. Halfway though the week we asked the waitress jokingly if we could have egg and chips the next night. When we went down to dinner the next evening we were asked if we wanted it cooked for us. We declined but did have some chips though.

Drinks in the hotel are quite expensive compared to other hotels and bars in Sanya City. We found a nice little bar down the beach on the right just keep walking to the right until you see the tiger sign. (you will soon find it) a bottle of beer cost 8rmb compared to the 42 in the hotel. The bar owner invested in some proper glasses after our groups visited.

The Pool area is fantastic and looks absolutely brilliant when lit up a night. In the evening dinner is served outside around the pool the band will serenade you at your table. We asked for a song which they did not know but two days later they played it for us. The gardens around the pool are lovely too. With some very unusual plants I was fascinated by one plant up by top pool to the right with what looked like Chinese writing on the leaves!

Taxi fares in to Sanya City are very cheap, and compared to a day out at a theme park very exciting. Try the night markets and enjoy the experience of bartering with the stall holders we had a great time and we think we got a few bargins the people were all very friendly. Take advantage of the free buses into Sanya during the day to stock up on cheap beer at the supermarket bottles of beer cost 4rmb about 30p

We had a fantastic holiday and thanks to all the staff and other guest we met for a great time.

We arrived in Sanya Airport, took the long expensive cab to the Yalong Bay Holiday Inn only to discover that in making a room change online, i inadvertantly changed to Sanya Bay Holiday Inn (be careful) which is back by the airport... We couldnt switch the rez because different owners +1 night nonrefund deposit so to stay in beautiful Yalong Bay would mean dropping the $100 from Sanya. We talked to Sanya but they were unable to cancel the deposit. Yalong offered an exec rm for discount $150. We decided to go to Sanya for one night (long cab back) & switch the next day. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at Sanya Bay Holiday Inn & the front desk apologised for all our trouble & upgraded us from our std seaview dbl to the seaview suite (a room value of double price). Sanya Bay's front desk staff & managers bent over backwards to make us happy enough so we wouldn't switch to Yalong Bay. The suite was huge overlooking the pools & sea. Fresh fruit was delivered, our every need catered to. Every day the front desk checked on our well being. Not only did we stay but we added on to our original stay. They have wonderful pools and short walk down to the beach. They have large buffets every night but we were too busy eating at various local restaurants. It is more convenient to Sanya city than Yalong. It is not directly on the beach and the road between can be noisy but if i want to be on the sea, i walk down anyway. Also they could add another server in the bar at night as the wait for drink service was sometimes long. Notwithstanding, i highly recommend this hotel and especially its very helpful staff.

Well what can I say the previous writer covered it all, Sanya is a terrific destination with loads to see, one of the hotel buses takes you to a shopping mall called The Summer Palace not really a lot to see but opposite is a bar called the Rainbow Bar used mainly by Europeans and other nationals, great prices and Saterday is Jungle Night great stuff DJ etc, there was a distinct lack of activitys at the hotel for our teenage children, which was expessed to the holiday rep and hopefully this would be addressed soon, we commented that although the food was excellent and to a high standard the younger generation were not into Crab or Squid and the hotel said it was OK for them to order Western food with the vouchers you are given from the Western Restaurant, which was really good.

The rep at the hotel needed to be poked into action and seemed to be a bit hesitant to request his clients requests but in the end there was no problem, a few suggestions were made and hopefully these will be taken on board to make the hotel a 5star experience.

We would definatley go back and hopefully the hotel will have a more varied entertainment programme, at present just a Phillipino band (very good) but night after night gets a bit repetertive, a local dance group once a week is also laid on.

The trips seem overpriced and as stated before can be done a lot cheaper by using the local taxis (fix a price).

There is a street with some "night clubs" on it called Bar Street very loud and just to watch the locals is entertaining.

Hotel is spotless with the rooms towels constaintly being changed and an exceptional high level of cleanlyness being attained, it's like their just waiting for you to leave your room then "Zap" all clean. Enjoy and don't forget to Haggle 1st price given offer 1/3rd and meet in the middle.

The extremely helpful, attentive and friendly staff, amazing standard and variety of food and the level of facilities all around the hotel were first class and could not be faulted in any way. The beach front location is ideal for anyone who wants a excellent hotel with a fab pool area right on the beach.. Anyone that has booked to stay at this hotel will not be disappointed, we are certain you will be impressed. We would like to say a big thank you to the manager Uwe and all of his staff for making this an excellent holiday and a never to be forgotten experience. It's worth paying the extra bit for the beautiful sea views

We could only stay here for only one night as the chinese hotel we had booked was awfull, the staff was fantastic and trued evey way to accomodate us for the rest of the week, however it was a chinese holiday and fully booked, i can understand why. the food was good and the staff would do anything for you. when we had to move next door we came back each evening to eat. hopefully we are going to book direct next year for a stay after a visit to bejing.

We were part of the inaugral Airtours party travelling to Hainan Isalnd on 6th May 2007 and were fairly anxious as to the level of accomodation having read some of the reviews on Trip Advisor before we departed. We should not have worried as the hotel was absolutely fantastic. The extremely helpful, attentive and friendly staff, amazing standard and variety of food and the level of facilities all around the hotel were first class and could not be faulted in any way. Anyone that has booked to stay at this hotel will not be disappointed, ignore the negative reviews other guests have provided and look forward to your trip - we are certain you will be impressed. We would like to say a big thank you to the manager Uwe and all of his staff (not to mention our fellow Aitours guests at the hotel!) for making this an excellent holiday and a never to be forgotten experience.

Thanks to Tripadvisor I rarely find myself at a "clunker" of a hotel, and the Holiday Inn Sanya Bay Resort is another great property. I was at the hotel the exact same time as another reviewer, and our opinions differ greatly. A note of caution though: Every travel guide published will tell you to avoid the three major Golden Weeks in China, or plan accordingly. They are Chinese New Years (Spring Holiday), the first week of May and the first week of October. Most Chinese (most of 1.3 billion) take a vacation at those times, so I think you get the idea. Among other factors, the rates can spike during those periods at vacation meccas which burst at capacity.

Ok, as for the Holiday Inn Sanya Bay Resort, the hotel is an excellent value, generally available for around $80 per night for the deluxe oceanview room with full buffet breakfast included. For this price, the level of service, quality of the room and food, beach and pool facilities are just great! I have been at beach resorts in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Belize, Rio de Janiero, Thailand and Mexico, and this one is a winner.

First, they have a card on the bed, suggesting you call immediately if the Chinese-style mattress is too hard for your taste. They fix that in less than an hour. The bath is spacious with separate glass-enclosed shower and bathtub (see pictures). High-speed internet is free. The balcony and view are paradise on a postcard. The pool is unheated, however, and was a bit chilly for me, around 72F. The famous fish foot massage hot pool was a unique treat, but not sure if I would pay the few dollars again. The beach is very clean, and yes, it does have all sorts of water and land sports available such as dune buggies, ATVs, SCUBA, etc. for a fee. But it need not be intrusive. Just read your book and sip your drink under the many palapas. The beach bar is simple, and serves an ice cold soft drink for $2.

The breakfast is quite varied and plentiful. The chinese items--the buns, dumplings, congee, noodles and soups--were great to try. Many western items included fresh eggs, sausages, bacon, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, various breads and rolls, cereal and so on. Wise eating will prevent any hunger pains for lunch.

About 1/3 the pool is made just for children, and there is a new plastic playground for the kids. I never tried the hotel restaurants, as the Sanya downtown restaurants were a $4 cab ride away. (Fresh lobster dinner for $15, everything else much much less.) Sanya has dozens of good restaurants, most with a seafood emphasis. The open-air ones on the waterfront near downtown seemed to have the most ambiance with value pricing and very fresh food.

I liked the resort location, as it was closer to several tourist spots like the Buddhist Park and the End of the World park. The Sanya Bay location, as opposed to others, is quiet and not geared to glitz and nightlife. The airport is in sight of the "mountain view" room windows, and although I experienced no aircraft noise, I would highly suggest spending the extra $10 or $15 for the deluxe seaview rooms. Building maintenance and upkeep was excellent and the place is uniformly clean.

Commenting on other reviews, yes there is a fly problem when you eat al fresco, outside. And the man who offers massage therapists still does lurk around the lobby. He is harmless and discreet, but there nonetheless. (Why??) All the staff tries very hard, and handy name tags will alert you to a "trainee" so you can ask more trained staff in English. The local taxi drivers are said to be some of the most crooked in China, but as long as you insist on licensed, metered cabs, you probably will get a fair shake.

If you are in China, or close by, "Sunny Sanya" was a great experience. The Holiday Inn Sanya Bay Resort helped make it so.

Stayed a few days there in February 2006. A very nice resort, a bit small though. Takes about 5 to 10 minutes (about RMB$30) to travel from the airport by taxi. Have all the qualities of a five-star resort including two outdoor massage bungalows. Rooms are well equipped with warm ambience and beds are very comfortable. The fun pools are also nice with a children's playground by the side but the water is a bit too cold. It's ridiculous that the so-called“hot spring pool”with small fishes is only available for a charge. I like the Tea Tree Spa. Paid around RMB$1,100 (before tax) for a two days' treatment that lasts for about five hours. Massagists are attentive, friendly and skillful. The overall standard of the spa is comparable to the famous names in Bangkok and Chiangmai. The a-la-carte of the two restaurants is below standard. Breakfast buffet is so so. Haven't tried the evening poolside buffet though. I took its free resort shuttle to Sanya City for cheaper and better meals on the second day. Definitely need to improve the food quality. As a whole, it's a nice place for relaxation with resort feel and a fair price.

My husband and I stayed at HI Sanya Bay in November 2005 for a few days. We greatly enjoyed it, the hotel was reasonably priced (despite on-going film festival + Miss World competition), had friendly staff and great pool area.

We would strongly recommend booking the sea-view room, it was so nice to sit at the balcony in the evening and watch the seaside. (Hotel staff will bring ice every evening, so you can have a drink or two at the balcony...)

If you want to go to downtown (approx. 11 km), you can take hotel shuttle bus (twice a day, no charge), double decker bus (a few yuans) or taxi.

When you arrive at the airport, please note that the taxi trip to the hotel should not cost more than 40 yuans - the trip takes approx 10 mins.