Villas di Hainan, China

I originally booked a garden-view room, but the front desk upgraded me to an 85-square-meter supreme sea-view room for less than 300 a night – incredible value for money! While the facilities aren't brand new, the room was spotless, the bedding comfortable, and the bathroom very well-kept. The highlight is definitely the sea view! Being on a high floor, there's nothing obstructing the panoramic view of the ocean and palm trees right when you wake up. The pool and lawn downstairs are also gorgeous. The value is unbeatable; I'll definitely choose this place again next time! 👍

Our overall stay exceeded expectations! The lobby has a refined ambiance, and the front desk staff were very pleasant. Check-in and check-out were efficient and hassle-free. The room was meticulously cleaned, with a great wet/dry separation in the bathroom and consistently hot water, plus all the necessary toiletries. The soundproofing was excellent, so it was very quiet at night. Downstairs, there's a convenient store and various restaurants, and getting a taxi was easy. Both cleanliness and service were top-notch. Highly recommended!

Pros: The villa is wonderful, and the first impression is just 'wow.' It has a fantastic private pool, personal sun loungers, nice furniture, a bathtub, and a pleasant colonial-style interior – everything is beautiful. There's a large refrigerator, even with a freezer, and tableware. Oddly, there's no cutlery, not even chopsticks. But, for some reason, there's a two-chamber sterilizer for dishes. The only problem is the significant lack of a microwave. The cleaning service is excellent! Frequent change of linens, washing all dishes, pool cleaning, and leaf removal. They provide plenty of water and toiletries. The breakfasts are good, and the juices are delicious. The menu even changes slightly almost every day, which is another plus. We also enjoyed dinner; you can cook in a hot pot, and there's meat and seafood available. The Chilean wine is decent. Many reviews praise the grounds. Formally, it's large but somewhat impractical. It's mostly just a path along the villas. It's fine for morning runs, but a walk there is a one-time thing. Although, it's undeniably very well-maintained: coconuts are collected, lawns are mowed, leaves are cleared, and the shrubs and flowers are beautiful. The staff do a great job. Cons: Wildlife. It's understandable that a villa stay means being close to nature, and there will be creatures. Birds and chipmunks (?) are lovely. Geckos, snails, cicada chirps, and frog croaks are tolerable. Ants, though outside the house, are not ideal but manageable. However, giant cockroaches that crawl into the living room under a closed front door and somehow get into the bathroom?? We saw 9 in less than a week, and squashed most of them. And this was despite us throwing trash into the outdoor bin! It feels like they come out actively after it rains. After such encounters, relaxation is ruined; you flinch at every rustle and tightly seal your suitcases. Speaking of rustling: several times in the mornings, we woke up to a short but loud chirping sound, coming from an unknown creature and an unknown location: outside or inside. Perhaps geckos. It's hard to fall back asleep afterward. Mosquitoes aren't visible, and the repellents work, but they (or something else) bite. After sleeping, there are regularly 1-2 bite marks. There are 3 public pools, 2 of which are for children. The deep pool is small, and there's no point in going there if you have your own. However, the pictures on Trip.com make the pools seem much longer, which is misleading. Perhaps some channels have been filled in, as there are bridges crossing over grass. The public area essentially ends around the pools, and there's not much space to walk around. Communication with the hotel. I have mixed feelings. On one hand, when we asked for help, they advised us. But there are many things that could have been explained during check-in. What's the buggy schedule? How do you call one? Where can we get beach towels? Where is the nearest beach exit? How do we rent SUPs? How do we use the golf certificate? Where does food delivery go? How do you use the sterilizer, if needed? And so on. It's obvious that almost every guest asks these questions. All of this could be written on an A4 sheet and placed in the villa. Of course, you can ask at the reception, but there's a catch. You have to take a buggy from the villa to get there. By phone, you can only call a buggy; other questions cannot be resolved in English. You can add the reception on WeChat (which they also don't tell you themselves), but it turned out that if you scan their QR code, it requires re-verification, which just gets stuck at the first step... and it's a dead end. Only on the last day did we accidentally find out that you can show your QR code for them to add you, and then everything works. Nobody told us this beforehand. The beach is relatively far. You have to get from the villa to the lobby, then wait for a buggy to the golf club, then walk to the beach exit near the Marriott. If you're lucky with the connections, it can take 30-40 minutes to get there. There are no private sun loungers; you can try to occupy the Marriott's or rent one for 128 yuan for 2 hours. Food and shops are also near the Marriott. However, everything there is much more expensive than in the Stella area where McDonald's is, so it makes sense to walk further. Overall, if it weren't for the cockroaches and loud noises at night, we probably would return, but as it stands – unlikely.

This is a huge villa with a huge pool, the rooms are large and amenities are what are advertised. The only disappointment is that the wear and tear are very obvious. It is such a shame as this villa could be amazing. The rooms are neat and clean, although inside a wardrobe there was mould and a missing clothing rail. Also cleaning of the outside spaces wasn’t great. There was also a room full of junk in the basement rooms, it made it feel like the villa was used for a dumping space, not a space prepared for paying guests to stay. The staff however, were amazing! So helpful and happy to come and sort out any issue straight away. Thank you to all the staff, you were lovely! We really did like our time at this villa as we are only a small family and would come again just for the pool and the lovely staff.

After flying into the airport, we drove to the hotel, which took about 40 minutes. The hotel environment is excellent, and they have shuttle buses to take you to your room. They kindly upgraded our room for free. The breakfast selection was pretty good, and the pool has its own shower room that connects directly to the restroom, which is quite convenient. For those who want to enjoy the beach, just exit the hotel, turn right, walk for about 5 minutes until you see a food street, then turn right onto the small road beside it and walk for another 500 meters or so, and you'll reach the beach. The water at Yalong Bay is as clear and transparent as glass. The area around the hotel is all villas. I highly recommend staying in the Yalong Bay area if you're planning a trip to Sanya!

The room was very clean and well-equipped, with no strange odors and great ventilation. The surroundings were also quiet, and the room itself was spacious, even including a living room and kitchen. The bed was clean, and the gentleman who checked me in was very friendly, even offering free pickup and drop-off. I'm very satisfied and will definitely stay here again.

After much deliberation between Shenzhou Peninsula and Riyue Bay, we finally decided on Shenzhou Peninsula, and this hotel truly exceeded our expectations. It's really good and very affordable. Upon arrival, you first check in at Banshan Banhai, and then a shuttle bus takes you to the front desk for check-in and to your room. The service was surprisingly excellent, and the room was spotlessly clean.

The location is fantastic and convenient for getting around. The room was clean and odor-free, the bedding was comfortable and I slept soundly. The service was warm and friendly, and the value for money was excellent. I'll definitely stay here again! The environment was quiet and peaceful, with meticulous hygiene details. The front desk was responsive, and the overall experience was perfect. The hotel environment was tranquil, with good soundproofing for a peaceful rest. Hygiene standards were met, and the front desk was efficient. The facilities were complete, making it a very convenient place to stay for business trips.

Very satisfied, clean and complete facilities, the boss is very nice and will deliver anything you need immediately. The scenery is beautiful and my family had a great time. I will come to your house again next time.

Our first stop in Sanya was this Mountain & River Villa, and it was the perfect choice! It's super close to Phoenix Airport, so we could check in right after landing, which was a huge relief when traveling with luggage, especially with elderly family members and kids. The private villa we stayed in had its own massive pool with crystal-clear water and beautiful scenery – every photo looked like it was from a resort magazine, instantly setting the perfect vacation mood! There were plenty of rooms, so our whole big family had their own space without feeling cramped. Some rooms even came with a projector and a mahjong table. Just imagining playing mahjong and watching movies with friends makes the holiday vibe even better! The butler service was incredibly thoughtful too. They contacted us beforehand and picked us up as soon as we arrived. Any request we had was met with super-fast responses. Plus, it's really close to Tianya Haijiao (End of the Earth), making it super convenient for sightseeing. Overall, our experience was fantastic – I wish I could stay for a whole month!