Lonely Planet Review

In its role as home to the Miss World contest from 2003 to 2005, this 511-room resort put Sanya on the map for many people outside China. And it is a very nice hotel, with a wonderful beachfront location and all the five-star facilities you'd expect.

The attractive lobby sums up much of the hotel: hints of Chinese influence and architectural style sit side by side with less than classy details like the elevated white baby grand piano (Lionel Ritchie played it and so can you, if that's your bag) and the bright red Ferrari parked out front. Pictures of the manager with various Miss Worlds and celebs are also easy to spot - he's the one with the gleaming Colgate smile. The rooms here are bright, simple and attractive and the service is regarded as relatively good, though not great. The kids' facilities are excellent. One drawback is that you need to be a very early bird indeed to reserve a poolside or beachside sun lounge, as there aren't enough and the hotel can get extremely busy. And overall, though it was only opened in 2003, the Sheraton is already starting to show some wrinkles.