Bay watch: Haitang Bay’s resorts rush to claim place at top table
Fifteen luxury resorts will more than double to 36 international-branded hotels when all are open on the 22km-long coastline in the next two to three years
Sanya is among the top global resort destinations with more than 16 million guests last year. Twenty million are expected next year. No wonder the area is set to become “the biggest international tourism city in South China” with destinations such as Haitang Bay bristling with world-class resorts, says Serge Zaalof, chief operating officer of Atlantis Resorts and Residences, which will open this year.
Haitang Bay is poised to capture a significant portion of this because its location makes it “convenient for travellers to access the major points of interests in Sanya, like Wuzhizhou Island, Nanwan Monkey Island and the Sanya International Duty Free Complex”, says Belinda Guo, director of sales and marketing, Grand Hyatt Sanya Haitang Bay Resort and Spa
While “Haitang Bay is newer than well-established Yalong Bay, it also has a longer coastline of 21.8km”, adds Michael Parker, managing director of Rosewood Sanya.
The Atlantis Sanya is working to distinguish itself through its theme, “a vibrant tribute to the aquatic world set around the story of the lost city of Atlantis”, says Zaalof. A massive water park encompassing water slides, a surf pool and the region’s longest river ride shares billing with a 13-million litre aquarium and 86,000 marine creatures. Guests will also enjoy more than 20 dining options and a 450-metre-long private beach.
