High luxury, fine service

Yang Yijun ( China Daily )

Updated: 2011-08-06

A bird's eye view of the St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort, which offers exclusive access to more than 800 meters of pristine coastline. Provided to China Daily

St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort is yet another reason to visit the "Hawaii of the East". Yang Yijun reports.

Dubbed the "Hawaii of the East", China's southern island of Hainan is a much-visited destination. It has become even more sought-after with the launch of the tax-rebate policy, which allows overseas travelers and visitors from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao to apply for an 11 percent tax rebate of their total purchases when departing from the island,this year.

This November, the tropical island will embrace a brand new resort, the St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort, adding a unique luxurious hotel option to the island's beautiful Yalong Bay.

"Our hotel stands on the last reserved piece of land in Yalong Bay. (And) the last place has to be the best," Sunny Heng, the hotel's general manager, says.

Located on a generous stretch of land at the end of Yalong Bay, the hotel offers exclusive access to more than 800 meters of pristine coastline where guests can enjoy sun bathing, swimming and all kinds of water games. The resort is the only one in Hainan that has a yacht club. Guests can arrive by both limousine and yacht, offering a luxurious hotel experience from the very beginning.

The hotel has 401 guestrooms and suites including 60 lagoon rooms and 28 beachside villas. The guestrooms start from 73 square meters in size and there is also a 1,050 sq m presidential villa.

"The resort's architecture is inspired by the concept of two intertwined dragons," Heng says. "It presents a dynamic shape on the skyline and echoes the ridgeline of the surrounding mountains and waves."

The interior of the resort has an elegant feel, and the guestrooms are equipped with modern facilities, such as a 46-inch plasma television, iPod docking station and high speed broadband Internet.

The resort is stamped with the brand's defining features, such as its butler service.

"The butlers, trained in the English tradition of service, provide personalized service in an ever-present yet discreet manner. We promise not only to meet any of the guests' needs at any time of the day, but also serve the guests according to their personal tastes and preferences," Heng says.

A stay at a St. Regis hotel would not be complete without sampling their signature Bloody Mary cocktail. In 1934, St. Regis New York invented the cocktail and later whenever a new St. Regis hotel is born, a new Bloody Mary is created. Each one has a different flavor created from locally produced ingredients. This resort's Bloody Mary, named Sanya Mary, uses Hainan yellow chili, Hainan white pepper and lemongrass, which give the cocktail a unique spicy flavor.

The resort's beachfront restaurant Driftwood offers freshly caught local seafood, which guests can enjoy along with unparalleled views of Yalong Bay. Besides, guests can also find authentic Cantonese and Sichuan dishes at the spacious Ming Xun Chinese restaurant and enjoy a wide selection of international delicacies at the all-day dining, Social.

With its 2,088 sq m of meeting space, the resort can cater to all types of functions from formal events to intimate business gatherings.

Its premier meeting facilities make the St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort an ideal destination for both leisure and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) guests.

"I look forward to delivering the renowned St. Regis experience to our guests, including contemporary luxury and bespoke service, and taking Yalong Bay to the next level," Heng says.

(China Daily 08/06/2011 page13)