Cave Pool View, Sanya Yazhou Bay Hilton Garden Inn
Although Yazhou Bay belongs to Sanya, it is little known because it is too far from the city center and faces a different direction from other popular beaches. Until last year, Hilton Garden Inn was the only international chain hotel here. Later, a Crowne Plaza opened next door, but it still hasn't made this beach popular.
Being quietly beautiful is fine, but this hotel, which offers great value and is quietly elegant, deserves to be better known. First, you need to figure out its long and confusing name. With more than a dozen characters, it's impossible to remember, and it doesn't even mention "hotel" in the name. Then you have to endure its casually designed and somewhat shabby-looking entrance and public areas. The moment you get off the car, you might be discouraged. The lobby has an old-fashioned style from the last century, with a high ceiling and a vast open space. Although it is very close to the sea, you can't see any sea view, which is a design I don't understand.
Entering the room is even more confusing. I've seen many hotels with beautiful public areas but perfunctory rooms, but this is the first time I've seen such a complete reversal like Hilton Garden Inn Yazhou Bay. The combination of solid-colored wood and green mountain-and-water tones fills the room with romance, like eating ice cream in summer, very elegant and fresh. The layout includes one bedroom, one living room, and two bathrooms, plus a super large balcony. Even though the sea is still not visible, at least the view is lush and green.
The biggest surprise is the complex outdoor pool system. If you come just to swim, you will definitely be disappointed. But if you wade through the water to the cave hidden under the terrace, especially when the dusk lights come on, the light and shadow make it feel even more real, like exploring a secret realm. The sound of dripping water by your ear instantly makes you feel this trip is worthwhile.
Breakfast the next day is arranged in the first-floor restaurant. Both the appearance and the dishes are ordinary, with only the chilled sweet soup barely holding up. However, there are seven or eight hot stir-fried dishes, which seems to confirm the rumor that Sanya belongs to the Northeast. Other benefits for members have been greatly reduced, reportedly due to a recent leadership change. Afternoon tea has been changed to a set menu with a few small snacks retained, and the evening happy hour has been canceled and replaced with a 100 yuan restaurant voucher.
Another annoyance is that there is no door directly leading to the beach. The hotel is actually separated from the coastline by a street block, and the building orientation is random, so sea view rooms are rare. To go to the beach, you have to take a detour and be fully made up. So it's better not to go.
Overall, this is another hotel suitable only for staying indoors, to the extent that you don't leave the hotel or go to the beach and just order takeout. When the sun is strong, stay inside with the air conditioning on; after sunset, lounge by the pool. But please be careful with the Kappa body lotion; it is so hard to apply that it will make you want to check out immediately.
P.S. For public transport, you can take the high-speed train to Yazhou Station, and a taxi to the hotel costs less than 20 yuan.
Room details:
Room number: 3803
Official name: Garden View Suite
Area: 96 square meters
Bedding and linens: Canasin
Living room TV: Philips
Bedroom TV: Philips
Shower and faucets: Roca
Sink and bathtub: Roca
Bedroom toilet: manual Roca
Living room toilet: manual Roca
Hairdryer: Showsee
Amenities: Large bottle of Acca Kappa White Moss
Coffee machine: Nespresso
Coffee capsules: 2 Nespresso capsules
Instant coffee: Nestlé
Tea bags: Twinings
Drinking water: Alps
Minibar: free