Crowne Plaza Resort Sanya Bay — Hotel in Sanya City

Based on earlier reviews, I almost cancelled our reservation at the Crowne Plaza, but I'm glad I didn't. It turned out to be a great stay.||||Check in was very slow, but that was my experience at many hotels in China. For some reason, 15-20 minutes is the norm once you get to the counter. Not sure why. We had booked using IHG points at a very good rate because we came just before the peak summer season. As IHG platinum members we were upgraded to a high floor ocean view room. On the IHG app, it showed our room as having lounge access but the check-in agent specifically said we do not have breakfast included and that the lounge is closes. Oddly, a similar thing happened at the Intercontinental Sanya on this trip.||||We were pleased to find out that when we went down to breakfast, our room was on the list in the VIP area which included breakfast. Yet in the lobby lounge for afternoon tea and happy hour, we were not on the list despite our reservation explicitly stating we have lounge access.||||The breakfast buffet was good but not great, but definitely a step down from the Holiday Inn Sanya Resort from which we just came. Yet the HI was running a promotion for 80RMB per breakfast while CP was still charging 140RMB for a lesser product. If your breakfast isn't included, do yourself a favor and taxi over to the HI for breakfast- it's only 3km away.||||Maintenance/management issues still plague the property. At least three of the large jacuzzi pools are empty "for repairs" but the debris and weeds growing inside make it clear repairs are not a priority here. Additionally, things such as child inner tubes are only available for a fee (20rmb per hour) while they were free at the Holiday Inn. There were bike surreys parked by the pool gate, but when we inquired about using them, we were told they were both broken. And they are only available for a fee. ||||There is a recreation center with ping pong, foosball, and a pool table. The fee is 50rmb per hour for the pool table, but staff kindly let us play for free once. I understand hotels have costs, but perhaps a per-stay fee would be better. Or then again, just provide it as a guest service rather than charging extra. One tip is just bring your own pool balls- you can buy them for less than 50 yuan on TaoBao and then you're set for your entire stay. The pool sticks and table are always accessible.||||Another example of maintenance is that the toaster was broken at the breakfast buffet so it was unavailable during our entire 4 day stay. Not a major priority, but it's evidence of a lack of good management. Another head-shaking example is the fitness center. It is on the ground floor with thick carpeting. Upon entering the musty smell is overpowering. After a rainstorm it was literally sopping wet for days; mind you the electrical outlets and cords run right into the floor. What shocked us is that for several days, nothing was done to dry it out. I can't understand why management wouldn't just rip out the carpet and stick with tile; this has obviously long been a problem there.||||We had two rooms, a ground floor garden room and a 9th floor Seaview. We asked for nonsmoking but both had ashtrays, matches and a smoky smell. But the ground floor had a musty smell and the high floor did not. The view from the high floor was great. Because we were on the outside of the courtyard, our view was overlooking the ocean and not the pool and courtyard- well worth asking for an outside room if possible. The ground floor opened right onto a patio with a tub and no privacy screen and at times the staff would hang out right outside the room. It didn't feel very safe either as anyone could easily get in through the glass patio doors.||||Because of the open design, the lobby, corridors, and lobby lounge are generally very hot and humid. We missed having a cool place to hang out and play games. Perhaps the executive lounge could service this purpose when renovated, but it is very small and dingy- similar to the old business lounges in Chinese airports.||||One negative of the hotel was airplane noise- because the hotel is very close to the airport the noise is very loud and made it hard to sleep. Oddly enough, the Holiday Inn is just as close but we never noticed the noise. ||||Because I'm pointing out the shortcomings, it might seem like it was a bad stay, but it really is a solid hotel for the price. When we booked it was around 8000 points or $60-70 a night, so well worth it. However, the Holiday Inn was just slightly more and, in my opinion, worth the extra. Still, if you go in with reasonable expectations and secure a high floor, I think you will not be disappointed.|| ||One last tip: When we were there I noticed people with buy-one-get-one-free coupons for the Starbucks lobby lounge. They give them if you just ask as...

Arrival - impressive entrance, helpful and efficient staff, spoke English, we upgraded to ‘club’ room so we could have sea view

a welcome drink would be nice , room was available early.

Room 1 - after being excited we were very underwhelmed and disappointed when we entered the room, though it was clean it smelled so bad of smoke and staleness, it was dark and when we looked out the the balcony we could only see a tiny bit of sea, some construction and busy road nearby. We went down to reception to ask to change, they were very accomodating.

Room 2 - much lighter and airy room, smelled much better, welcome fruit is a nice touch, it says minibar included but that only included 1 beer, I sprite, I Pepsi, and 1 cookie or some sort, this is poor . Especially when there are two of us and it wasn’t always fully restocked daily. Bath runs out of hot water pretty quick but it’s so big so that’s ok, we just waiting 10 mins each time before continuing filling. View was decent enough. Room is very old fashioned. Has a massage device for feet but costs extra.

Hotel facilities - outdated and not well maintained, the pool needed a good clean and the tiles repaired. I would also suggest updated the towels as they had so many stains (so did the loungers) and ripped. Pool inflatables also cost extra money which is a shame.

It would be good to have some refreshments or a bar available pool side.

Beach - location is beach front across a busy road, beach not the nicest but it would be good, again, to have some service there for refreshments and possibly even a sun lounger area.

Lobby bar and breakfast - delicious bbq buffet for good value, but it’s the same every night, women singing spoiled it a little as she wasn’t very in tune and waaaay too loud. There is a range of other food on the menu which was fairly good quality but during the day service was slow. Staff were nice enough, just a bit slow.

Area- like I said not the best beach for relaxing or swimming, not many restaurants or amenities around at all. Everything is around 15 mins taxi ride away. Breakfast was very comprehensive , lots to choose from and yummy, one morning the egg station guy wasn’t refused me requesting a sunny side egg despite it being a “egg station” and it being on the menu, and me having it the day before No problem. He must’ve had second thoughts because he came and found me minutes later and said ok.

Club room upgrade - not worth it, after noon tea was poor and room not that different, felt like I was being ripped off.

Overall for crowne plaza and the price, this hotel is not up to standard and disappointing. I was really gutted that it did not live up to my expectations. It did the job and it was okay but I will not be staying...

Let's start with the highlights:1. Check in and check out smootly2. Room spacious and clean3. Breakfast is good and even with full hotel, table available (thumbs up for the management)4. Pool area very nice, plenty of chairs to use 5. Restaurants and room service are good, pity that for dinner, available choice of BBQ area was very limited (hot pot although is a very traditional thing for Chinese, could also have a kind of Liaoning style BBQ which is totally beach highlight in any part of the world)6. Coffee shop/bar very good7. Cleanness of the room spot on, well done (my negative points will not come from the job made by housekeeping but for the orders they have from management)Not pleasant points:1. No replacement of coffee/milk powder on room (it's a very cheap thing, even 2 Star hotels do that, shame on IHG)2. No changing sheets, which i can understand in a 2/3 Star hotels but not on ones you spend more than ¥ 1.300.00/night again in my view shame on IHG with the lame excuse of environment.3. Disposable slippers not replaced in my 4 days stay (again, even a 2/3 star hotels do that without asking for, saving little bucks is kind of lame) 4. Overall the place is kind of old, although not yet rundown, the hotel could do some kind of enhancement of exterior appearance special from swimming pool view, could be painted or washed, repair the parts broken, eliminate the metal green box on roof (of course i didn't take picture, it's an eyesore), in summary, a little effort for appearance and keep fresh and kind of exclusive (which you expect from a hotel that call themselves a resort)Do i come back?Sanya for sure, this hotel, probably not, although the staff are great, i just don't like to be in a place that i have to ask things when i paid for the service already. I'm a ihg member but i didn't book through their app, but in trip (as i found better price than their own app, just...