Hotel Pullman Oceanview Sanya Bay Resort & Spa — Hotel in Sanya City

I have always been a loyal guest of Pullman hotels and have high expectations from this brand — which is why my recent stay was all the more disappointing. Honestly, I expected much better from a 5-star hotel I’ve trusted for years. Let’s start with breakfast. Imagine waking up every morning to the exact same food, day after day. I understand that menus may repeat occasionally, but this was practically a carbon copy. For a hotel of this caliber, it's unacceptable. I’ve stayed at other Pullman properties where breakfast was exciting and diverse — why not here? Then there’s the issue with beach towels. They are only handed out after 10 AM? Are you kidding me?! I love the early morning beach — quiet, peaceful, from 7 AM to 11 AM. But I couldn’t enjoy it because the hotel decided I wasn’t allowed to have a towel before 10. And no one from the staff could even help me fix this — seriously? In a 5-star hotel? Check-in was another letdown. As a Gold member of ALL — Accor’s loyalty program — I’ve always been given rooms on higher floors without even asking. This time, I was assigned a room on the 4th floor, and no one even blinked — like it was normal. No upgrade, no explanation. Only on the second day did I manage to get a room on the 9th floor, which was still far from what I expected. What about the welcome drink? I didn’t get one until I specifically asked for it — and then the selection was just… sad. It was the same stuff you find in the minibar. Usually, I’m offered wine, which is standard in Accor’s upper-tier hotels. I was honestly shocked. What changed in just six months? We were a group of seven, and four of us had birthdays during our stay. I informed the hotel in advance, and I was grateful they offered small birthday cakes. But the inconsistency was bizarre — the first cake came with candles and utensils, the second only with utensils, and the last one was just the cake, nothing else. Is that how birthdays are celebrated here now? It felt impersonal and disrespectful. And then came the worst part — upon entering our Deluxe Suite, I found a dead cockroach in the bathroom. Later, we even saw a live one. I’m speechless. This is Pullman? A 5-star hotel? In my Deluxe Suite? Absolutely unacceptable and deeply upsetting. To top it all off, the check-out process took over 15 minutes. For a hotel that should be streamlining such procedures, it was a total nonsense. I’ve checked out faster from much busier properties. But I also want to say this — there are great people working here. Maria, Daisy, and Tony — these individuals truly stood out. Their kindness, professionalism, and willingness to help made a real difference. Without them, this stay would have been unbearable. I hope the management reads this and understands how far this hotel has fallen from the standards Pullman is known for. I’m not just complaining — I’m sharing this because I care about the brand and want it to get...

We had booked an Oceanview 2 bedroom apartment which was otherwise excellent choice but... seriously... the bed on the main bedroom sucked big time. While I understand that in China the stone - hard - bed is more of a common thing at homes, I wouldn't expect it at the facility with this price tag....I had to sleep on the sofa for two out of three nights we spent there. Other than that, the apartment was very nice, seen some time but still in quite good shape.||||Check in was a somewhat understaffed and slow but I understand that as there are so many documents the staff needs to deal with. Maybe another person in the apartment check-in at the time of arrival would had done the trick (at least for the family behind us who was anxiously waiting and demanding attention). Other than that, good work.||||Breakfast was extremely well organized in the super busy main restaurant. I liked the seating system and was happy that this was executed also to the local audience too. The waiting staff at the breakfast was super trained and attentive and even with their limited English skills and my very low Chinese skills we were able to get things sorted out. Good experience.||||Pool access was well arranged though sunbed access was limited. Maybe some further instruction and rules for the sunbed reservation could be in place. This time it was the chaps from some central european nation who were reserving some prime site sunbeds with their stuff from dawn till dusk regardless of them being there or not... shame on them - Kudos for thee pool staff who were able to navigate through the cultural differences and were able to provide the best they had in hand.||||Pool service through the app was super fast and accurate, though learning to read the given English language instructions on the order form could had reduced the additional distance the waiting staff had to do in two of our inquiries.||||Beach -side access... good. Sunbeds were pretty well available and time by time the staff were courteous enough to remove random dwellers from occupying the already occupied chairs||||Seafood BBQ & Hotpot... well organized, good, fresh food. Some minor service issue (due to communications). Well worth the money spent. ||||Overall great experience at the Pullman Oceanview -...

Disappointing Stay at Pullman Oceanview Sanya Bay Resort & Spa – Not up to Accor Standards

We recently stayed at Pullman Oceanview Sanya Bay Resort & Spa, expecting the quality and service typical of the Accor brand — but unfortunately, this hotel fell far short of being a true international 5-star resort.

🔸 Outdated Facilities The hotel is visibly old, with tired interiors and worn-out furniture. It clearly hasn’t been renovated in years and lacks the modern comfort one would expect from a Pullman property.

🔸 Poor Housekeeping Housekeeping was well below acceptable standards. Room cleaning consisted of only taking out the trash and changing towels. Bed linen was replaced only every four days, which is unacceptable for a 5-star hotel.

🔸 Low-Quality Breakfast The breakfast buffet was very limited and catered almost exclusively to Chinese guests. There was no international cuisine to speak of — no fresh juices, no proper pastries, no dairy alternatives, no Western or vegetarian-friendly options. Not what you'd expect from a supposedly global resort.

🔸 Staff Don’t Speak English The majority of the staff, including at reception, had little to no English skills, making communication difficult. This was especially frustrating given that the Pullman brand markets itself as an international hotel.

🔸 Misleading Beach Information Despite the name, the hotel is not directly on the beachfront. The beach is public and shared, and requires crossing a road. There are very few sunbeds, and no real beach service. It’s far from the luxury beachfront experience advertised.

🔸 No Distinctive Personality The resort lacks atmosphere, design identity, or any kind of personal touch. It feels generic and geared more toward mass tourism than individual travelers seeking a refined experience.

🟨 In summary: This property may technically belong to the Accor group, but it is far from what you’d expect from an international Pullman resort. It might be acceptable for large tour groups with low service expectations, but not for international travelers seeking quality, comfort, and professionalism.

Would not stay again...