HAINAN Island is a holiday gem waiting to be discovered by discerning Gulf tourists, says Rüdiger C. Hollweg, general manager of Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya.
Located at a 25 minutes’ drive from the island’s airport in the Haitang Bay Sanya costal area, which features a 20-kilometre continuous strip of white sand described as the most pristine environment on Hainan.“Hainan Island, especially Sanya, has not been detected yet by visitors from the Gulf region. After the opening of the Haitang Bay International Shopping Centre, planned in autumn this year and offering international luxury tax-free shopping on more than 120,000 sq m, Sanya will definitely show on the map of places to go,” Hollweg predicted.The resort consists of six main buildings, within which are 302 rooms and 72 suites. Twenty-five Kempinski villas boast a range of two-to-five bedroom jet-pool residential-style and beach-front alternatives. It’s a property to savour quiet moments in the elegantly-appointed rooms or take in the fresh breeze from the South China Sea on the walk-out balcony.Guests can also relax in an outdoor bathtub with panoramic views of either the resort garden and the Qing Dynasty pagoda or the sweeping ocean. The outdoor bathtub is standard in all rooms and suites, perfect for two persons and unique only to Kempinski Haitang Bay Sanya. All rooms and suites also come with exquisite Chinese-style furnishing.There are fun dragon boats trips available around the hotel’s canal waterways and there is also an 18-hole pitch and putt golf course.Although there are no direct flights from the Gulf region, travellers can fly from Dubai to Guangzhou and take a short one-hour-and-30-minute hop over to Sanya airport.He said: “Due to its historic development over centuries, Hainan Island is very multi-cultural with many religions present and by location it is a very attractive tropical island, with lush vegetation and mountainous countryside. “Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya is inspired by its Chinese architectural culture, and has used rich ornamental wood-crafting and marble works, the finest of their kind, supported by ancient Chinese wooden buildings like the Wood-Art Museum and two Pagodas, all over 200 years old. “The soon-to-open Paulaner Biergarten will be located in an over 100-year-old wooden structure, which has been relocated especially to host a Bavarian Paulaner restaurant. “Sanya and all luxury hotels here are excellent for family vacations and Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya, in particular, is fit to host large congresses and events with a capacity of up to 600 rooms as of October, when our property will see its final enlargement completed. Our ballroom, the largest in Hainan Island, and with a very posh and elegant decor, offers 1,500 sq m space.” In China, there are at present 19 Kempinski Hotels in operation, with an additional one to open this year called Yanqi Lake Hotel Kempinski Beijing. By Stan Szecowka