Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort — Sanya, China

Over the past decade or so, Sanya has become China’s equivalent of the south of France. Located on the southern tip of Hainan – an island hitherto better known for lending its name to the beloved chicken rice and for its corps of first-rate service staff – the city takes full advantage of its lovely coastline, agreeable weather, and sparkling views of the South China Sea.
And now, just to prove the point that you can never have enough five-star hotels, the Park Hyatt has pitched up on Sunny Bay’s tree-clad valley and nature preserve on the edge of Yalong Bay with an impressive 207-room, 70,000sqm property that ticks all the boxes, including access to the private Baifu Bay. Interior design legend Jean-Michel Gathy has been given what looks like a blank cheque to furnish the resort’s six interlocking blocks in gold phoebe, cowhide leather and over $3m worth of original artwork.
The surrounding bays offer one of the best diving spots on the planet, but if that’s too National Geographic for you, there are five swimming pools – including a 115m monster – to pick from.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
5 Sunny Bay Road
Sanya
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Charlotte Chesnais brings her distinctive sensuality to sculptural new jewellery
Defined by curving shapes and luscious pearls, the jewellery designer's new collection, 'Joaillerie', has sculptural allure
-
Seven Studio lends a modern, gritty edge to traditional Mallorcan stone carving
Founded by an artist-and-art-director duo, Seven Studio crafts furniture and objects that blend timeless beauty with bold brutalism
-
Two compact Canadian cabins borrow space-saving ideas from boat interiors
Space, storage and serenity are maximised in the interiors of these lakeside cabins, immersed in nature on Vancouver Island
-
Discover a futuristic bar in Shanghai with mad-scientist energy
Penicillin opens in Shanghai with a clinical steel and concrete design by LC Studio alongside trailblazing, sustainable cocktails
-
A colossal ‘ship’ in Shanghai honours Louis Vuitton’s travel legacy
Louis Vuitton’s The Louis is an OMA-designed hub combining retail, culture and dining in the heart of Nanjing West Road
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the world
Celebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in Shanghai
Prada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing café
JM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillity
Alila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025