If silence is golden, the Conrad on Haitang Bay near Sanya, on China’s southern island of Hainan is 24-carat. One of more than a dozen global resorts perched seaside among palms on the south side of the island, its atmosphere of total soothing quiet is a welcome relief after the chaos of China’s congested cities. A brief taxi ride from Hainan’s efficient high-speed train, easy to access from both of the island’s international airports, it is a welcome refuge for R&R.

Entering the lobby, guests skirt the indoor reflecting pool dominating the reception area and are escorted to a quiet lounge where tea is served during private check-in. Visitors can choose between second-floor rooms with ocean views or first-floor rooms with private plunge pools. With a combination bathroom/dressing room almost equal in size to the bedroom, each standard room almost qualifies as a suite. Still, many couples and families opt for private villas, each set in a pool and garden with bed and sitting rooms.

Butterscotch marble walls and floors, filmy curtains and beds with gauzy canopies provide a soothing understated décor. There are English-language channels on the wide-screen TV, and a drawer in the roomy desk provides adhesive notepads, scissors, a stapler and other secretarial essentials. The dressing room is equipped with ironing equipment, a safe, slippers and a robe. Aroma Actives amenities include a shave kit, toothbrushes, a comb and mouthwash.

Room service meals can be ordered from photos depicted on the TV screen menu and enjoyed on the room’s balcony or terrace. Those who prefer dining out can call an efficient electric buggy for transport to the restaurant options. Pizza and pasta are served at casual Teatro where diners can choose between tables indoors or outdoors listening to the quiet splash of water into the reflecting pool, lined with spurting statues depicting signs of the Zodiac. The extensive breakfast buffet also is served in Teatro, at multicultural stations laid out with Western, Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian early-morning offerings. Spanish cuisine is served poolside at Senses, with contemporary Cantonese/Hainanese choices in elegant La Chine. Guests also have the option of trying out dining rooms in the Doubletree next door.

A full-service I Spa is open 2:30–10 p.m. with 90-minute Signature and Seven Chakras healing massages blending Swedish and Thai hand gestures and pressure points. Spa suites include private locker, dressing room, sauna and steam. There are Precor treadmills, stair walkers, bicycles and three-way machines in the fitness room, but most guests prefer the meandering outdoor pool down near the seaside. Other recreational options include kayaking or excursions into Sanya, the island’s southern city, a lively cluster of cream and coral high-rises with a lovely urban crescent beach of its own. But most guests choose to stay right at the resort, a placid, total getaway.

Conrad Sanya Haitang Bay

Haitang Road, Haitang Bay
Sanya, China
tel 86 898 8820 8888