Lingshui Vacations from $1,538

During our vacation in Sanya we wanted to stay at hotels located on different bays, and after days of researching hotels we decided on the Sofitel Resort. Immediately after arriving we regretted not booking more nights at Soiftel! After a smooth check-in with a paid-for upgrade to a room with a better ocean view, we immediately checked out the grounds. The main pool is beautiful and big, with many areas to swim around and explore. The pools closer to the ocean are also big and clean. The ocean was spectacular. The water is such a pure blue, with gorgeous waves, and a pristine soft sand beach. The only downside is that you can't swim in the ocean on this bay, as there are no nets keeping sharks out. Still it was pretty amazing to be the only people in sight on the beach. The room itself was very comfortable, I like the modern decor and felt the bed was super comfortable. A few things definitely need some updating like the outdoor patio furniture and one of the sockets was loose in the headboard. Additionally, cleaning staff came back twice after we checked in to add items they had forgotten earlier. On our second day they completely forgot to replace our facecloths, hand, and bath towels that had been taken away. Aside from these small housekeeping issues we loved the room. In terms of food options the breakfast buffet was very comprehensive with many Western and Chinese options. In addition to breakfast, we also had afternoon tea in the main bar/cafe area.

Snorkeling directly on a coral reef was great. The food was way too expensive so very few seemed to eat at the hotel and ordered food in. The breakfast buffet was top notch!