The Sanya EDITION: Modern Tropical Luxury on Hainan's Coast

The Sanya EDITION stands at 100 North Haitang Road on Haitang Bay, on the southern coast of Hainan Island: a beachfront resort on 50 acres, with 512 rooms and suites and 17 villas around a 20,000-square-metre private ocean of salt water. It opened in December 2016 as the first EDITION hotel in Asia, the brand Ian Schrager created with Marriott, and it remains the largest EDITION resort by room count.

The horseshoe-shaped hotel puts the sea in front of nearly every room, the spa spreads across two garden levels, and dining runs from a floating Cantonese restaurant to a beach barbecue under rain trees. Haitang Bay sits about 45 kilometres from the airport, roughly 45 minutes by taxi. Choosing between a large resort and a small retreat is easier with our guide to choosing a wellness retreat.

All prices here are approximate; check the live rate before booking.

A plain-English note on the heat and the water: the spa runs a sauna, a steam room, and a Jacuzzi, and none of that suits everyone. If hot rooms are difficult for you, or you are expecting, stay out of the hottest rooms and keep any session short. One recent guest note says swimming in the sea is not allowed, so confirm current beach rules with the hotel.

Key Takeaways

• A Haitang Bay address. 100 North Haitang Road, Sanya, Hainan, about 45 minutes from the airport.
• The largest EDITION resort. 512 rooms and suites including 46 suites, plus 17 private-pool villas; opened December 2016, the first EDITION in Asia.
• A private ocean at the centre. A 20,000-square-metre saltwater lagoon with teak pavilions, kayaking, and a floating Cantonese restaurant reached by boat.
• A two-level spa in the gardens. 11 treatment rooms and suites, a sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, rainforest showers, and a tea bar lounge.
• A three- or four-night shape. A spa morning, a private-ocean afternoon, and dinner at Xian Hai by the Sea.

The Setting: Haitang Bay and a Private Ocean

Haitang Bay runs along the east side of Sanya, about 28 kilometres north of the city centre, and it reads as a resort strip rather than a town: long sand and a string of large hotels. The Sanya EDITION occupies 50 acres of it, designed by SCDA Architects with interiors by I.S.C. Design Studio and CAP Atelier. The lobby holds a lotus pool and a live bamboo grove beside an art gallery.

The centrepiece is the private ocean, a 20,000-square-metre saltwater lagoon framed by teak pavilions. Guests kayak on it and cross it by boat to dinner, and the horseshoe-shaped hotel curves around it, so the water is the view from the rooms, the restaurants, and the spa gardens alike.

The resort opened on December 9, 2016, as the fourth EDITION hotel anywhere and the first in Asia, and it still reads as the brand's tropical flagship: modern, open, and built for warm weather.

Rooms, Suites, and Villas

The 512 rooms and suites are residential in style, with light oak finishes and verandas facing the sea. Rooms run from around 63 square metres (678 square feet) to around 126 square metres (1,356 square feet), and the villas sit apart on a terraced hillside, each with a private pool. The room types below come from the hotel's published room descriptions, with the villa figures as listed.

Ask for an ocean-view room at booking, since the sea is the point of the address. The villas sit about 200 metres from the shore, so they trade immediate beach access for privacy. Our retreat packing checklist covers a tropical beach stay.

The Spa at The Sanya EDITION

The Spa at The Sanya EDITION covers 2,000 square metres across two levels. It holds 11 treatment rooms and suites, plus a sauna, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, rainforest showers, and hydrotherapy rooms, with a tea bar lounge. The menu covers full-body massages, body treatments, and facial care.

Illustration by EverHealthSpan

In plain language, the menu breaks down into three kinds of session: a full-body massage, hands-on muscle work and quiet time on the table; a facial, cleansing and moisturising skin care for sun and salt air; and the heat and water circuit, for short rounds with cooling breaks in between. Confirm with the spa what a treatment covers and what it costs before booking. Our guide to sauna benefits sets out what research says about heat exposure.

The spa facilities, grouped by space:

Beyond the spa, the resort runs yoga and meditation sessions, with mats, towels, and singing bowls set out.

Eating and Drinking

Eight venues cover the resort. Market at EDITION is the all-day dining room, designed like an old Chinese warehouse, with food stations covering a raw bar, noodles, dumplings, a bakery, a grill, dim sum, and a juice bar. Breakfast runs from 7:00 to 10:30.

Xian Hai by the Sea is the signature restaurant, serving modern Cantonese dishes with fresh seafood, and it is the one to plan around. From afar it resembles glowing lanterns skimming across the water, and guests reach it by boat. A private table on an illuminated floating platform is available by reservation. The Jade Egret serves modern European cuisine with Spanish-inspired tapas, Beach Barbacoa grills meats and fish on charcoal under rain trees, and BOHN serves Hainanese dishes.

The Sky Bar, at the highest point of the hotel, has an adults-only pool, afternoon tea, and cocktails and DJ sets from 5:00 to midnight. The Beach Club, also adults only, sits between the private ocean and its infinity pool, open from noon to 9:00. For another resort where dining is part of the stay, see JOALI BEING in the Maldives.

What a Stay Looks Like

Three or four nights suit this resort. Arrive in the afternoon and take the private ocean or the beach before dinner at Market at EDITION or The Jade Egret. Day two belongs to the spa: a morning treatment, lunch, the heat and water circuit, afternoon tea at the Sky Bar, and dinner at Xian Hai by the Sea, reached by boat.

A third day looks outward or stays put: the Beach Club in the afternoon, Beach Barbacoa in the evening, and the lobby fire show as a nightcap. A fourth day can go into Sanya city, or stay on the property.

What to Budget

Nightly rates were recently listed from around $300, with ocean-view rooms and villas higher, and the property carries a 9.4 Exceptional guest score on Expedia across 72 reviews. Treat every figure here as a rough guide only, and check the live rate before booking. Spa treatments, the floating-deck dinner, and activities sit outside the room rate.

The hotel limousine lists from CNY 700 one way, while a taxi runs around CNY 160 to 180 for the roughly 45-minute drive. Haitang Bay is not well connected by public transport, so book the transfer in advance. Our guide to retreat costs compares total trip costs across properties.

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Is It Right for You?

The Sanya EDITION suits travellers who want a large, design-led beach resort with a real spa, a private ocean, and strong dining, over three or four nights: couples, design-minded travellers, and Marriott Bonvoy members.

Skip this one if the priority is a small quiet retreat, a set daily programme, or a walkable town: this is a 512-room resort on a strip, not a hideaway. For a smaller island resort built around a spa, see Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.

Frequently Asked Questions