Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa

We spent our first holiday at a Chinese resort at the Marriott Yalong Bay, and it made for a very pleasant introduction to Hainan and beach trips in China. The hotel is right on the beachfront, among other large five-star chain hotels. The grounds are roomy and full of greenery. The pool has an unusual shape and is very warm. There were not always loungers available, and shade was harder to find, so you'd need to get there early for an umbrella. The beach and sea were clean and regularly maintained. Chinese guests often preferred the pool and tended to stand or sit in the sea rather than swim. Our room was excellent. They even arranged a towel decoration when we checked in, bottled water was replenished generously every day, and housekeeping was fast and thorough. Breakfast and dinner had plenty of choices, including European, Chinese, and other Southeast Asian dishes. The sushi and roll station at dinner was simple but tasty, and the fish was always fresh. Restaurant staff spoke fluent English. At reception, some people only spoke Mandarin, but they used Google Translate by dictating messages and showing us the translation, so we could sort out any issues. For lunch, we sometimes went to Dadonghai or Yanoda, or walked right from the hotel and turned right. After about five minutes there was a shopping centre with a large grocery store for snacks and food souvenirs, plus plenty of cafes and restaurants. In those restaurants, staff spoke only Mandarin. The translated menus could be quite creative, though they did try to help. It worked better to check the Chinese menu on the tablet and ask what each dish was. I'd suggest learning a few useful Chinese characters for things like meat, fish, and vegetables. On my first trip to China, I ended up with boiled beef stomach, which definitely isn't for everyone. There was also an outdoor tennis court. It wasn't the cleanest, but it was fine to play on. You have to pay to use it, though they bring towels and extra water over, a nice little touch.