Capella Sanya, Hainan, China
 

After my fantastic stay at the Capella in Ubud, I was eager to give the one in Sanya a try. I went in early May. My stay was phenomenal, possibly my nicest resort break.
The service was personalized at the same level as at an Aman (a very capable personal assistant you can IM at any time). The property however, was more alive, i.e. you actually see other guests (also enjoying themselves). This gives an uplifting feel.
Staff members were always smiling, extremely friendly, and devoted to seeing all needs/whims were met.
There are complimentary scheduled recreational activities on offer. In our experience, we were often the only ones who signed up. These were of the quality one would expect at a property of this level.
Food was exceptional! Whilst the outlets were ok, the breakfast buffet is definitely the best that I've tried. The selection was plentiful without being overwhelming. The food was delicious with subtle flavours that screamed of quality ingredients. One of their morning mimosas will guarantee that nothing can go wrong with your day ahead :-)
The spa facilities were another high point (only bettered by the Dolder Grand in what I've surveyed).
Hardware was beautiful and functional with excellent finishing. We stayed at the manor (regular hotel rooms) and at the residences (clusters of what would be more like junior suites). The first was good, the second was great!. The room at the residence felt like taking a portion of a villa. It gave a perfect balance of privacy and proximity to the action.

Again, the stay was superlative.

Caveats:
-The tourism industry in Sanya is geared towards Chinese speakers. Whilst there'll be no problem at the hotel, a guide is imperative for ease outside.
-The only drawback of the hotel is that it is in Lingshui (not really Sanya anymore but an adjacent up-and-coming area with not much there yet at the moment). Depending on how much time you wish to spend in and outside the resort, this may be a concern. It was not an issue for us. My recommendation is that you download Didi Chuxing on your phone. It's the Chinese version of Uber and works like magic. The English version of the app made getting around absolutely painless.
-Another possible issue is that the beach is not for swimming. The pool was very much sufficient for our needs but your mileage may vary.https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5928356121.jpg
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I must say it looks very nice in my eyes.