Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay Kaiwei

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At Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay Kaiwei, the hotel owner is the Kaiwei Group. The boss is from Dongyang and made his fortune in rosewood furniture, so this hotel is primarily centered around “wood.” From the golden nanmu wood carvings behind the lobby, to the various antique Qing Dynasty house beams collected in public areas, the owner’s private Wood Art Museum, and even the furniture in the guest rooms, everything revolves around the element of “wood.”

When it first opened, the hotel was a Radisson; later, it successively operated under the Kempinski, Wanda Reign, and Fairmont brands. It’s unclear why there have been so many management changes, but overall, maintenance has been mediocre. The property looks somewhat dated, and with its massive public areas, upkeep costs are extremely high. One gets the feeling that business hasn’t been great for the owners—there are even places where ceiling tiles are falling down…

A 2008 news report described the hotel as follows: Taking the Kaiwei Radisson Hotel as an example, Mr. NOY of Santiago NOYPRY Co., Ltd., the chief designer, described the hotel’s unique style to reporters: the vast majority of guest rooms feature water views, with a circular canal system connecting every corner. After checking in at the lobby, guests could choose to travel to their rooms by boat; the canals pass through the atrium of each guest room cluster, and boats can sail directly into the seafood restaurant.

In any case, I couldn’t find any information on the NOYPRY company, and currently, regular guests cannot use boats to access their rooms~~~~ However, you can indeed book a complimentary boat ride to cruise around the hotel’s river, which is still a rather unique experience.

Upon entering the hotel, you encounter a long elevated walkway leading from the entrance to the lobby. It’s quite a distance, and the path isn’t very even, making it less than friendly for travelers dragging luggage. Furthermore, the parking lot is not underground but at ground level, requiring you to climb stairs to reach the front entrance. Of course, if you have a lot of luggage, you can ask the concierge to send an electric cart to pick you up.

The style of this lobby is truly indescribable. Behind the reception desk is a massive golden nanmu wood carving, and there is basically no air conditioning in the lobby area, so it can get a bit warm.

Looking up, you see this ostentatious ceiling… It spans nine stories and is incredibly high, making maintenance very difficult; you can already see birds nesting up there…

Past the reception desk, there is a grand staircase leading down to the first floor, where the hotel breakfast is served in the restaurant. To be honest, the breakfast quality is quite good; generally speaking, Fairmont maintains high culinary standards, and every location has been satisfying. However, this staircase may be inconvenient for those with mobility issues.

Behind the staircase is the Lobby Lounge. Since there is no air conditioning here, it’s rarely occupied. Through the doors of the Lobby Lounge lies an outdoor terrace overlooking the swimming pool.

Then there are the guest rooms. This particular room is a sea-view room, but since the hotel only has six floors (with no fourth floor, effectively making it five), and it is located quite far from the ocean, our room on the sixth floor still offered almost no view of the sea. Non-sea-view rooms are presumably on lower floors. All rooms are approximately 65 square meters, though this includes the balcony. The balcony features an open-air circular bathtub, but due to the abundance of mosquitoes, we didn’t use it.

The overall style of the room looks very much like the last century—it’s certainly not to my taste, though perhaps some people love it. The mattress is relatively firm, and the air conditioning isn’t very powerful; it took several hours to cool the room to a comfortable temperature. Overall maintenance is average, with signs of wear and tear everywhere, giving the impression that things aren’t entirely clean.

The washbasin area features a double vanity setup in an open layout, accessible from both sides, and the amenities provided are by Grown Alchemist.

I really don’t understand this wooden carved writing desk and the wooden swivel chair… Even the desk lamp is made of wood…

A waterway runs throughout the entire interior of the hotel, reportedly stretching 1,200 meters in length. It uses seawater, resulting in exceptionally high maintenance costs.

Wood Art Museum: Originally located in Heqing Town, Chuansha, Shanghai, this building dates back to the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. In the 12th year of the Republic of China (1923), it was rebuilt through donations initiated by over 100 individuals, including Wu Shaoqing, Yan Shaolin, and Du Yuesheng. In 1996, facing demolition due to urban redevelopment, the hotel owner purchased it at a premium price and relocated it to the hotel grounds, restoring it to its original state.

This structure is a traditional residence with two courtyards and currently houses over 3,000 pieces of Ming and Qing dynasty furniture and woodcarving components, hence the name “Wood Art Museum.” Originally part of the owner’s private collection and used mainly for entertaining friends, it was fully opened to hotel guests starting this year.

Additionally, the “Twin Pavilions,” originally built over a century ago during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, were once a pair of pavilions within the garden of a wealthy gentleman in Suzhou, renowned for their harmonious proportions, appropriate scale, and artistic charm. After being dismantled in 2004, they were also acquired by the hotel owner. Following more than six months of restoration, these two pavilions have been reconstructed beside the hotel swimming pool.

The hotel’s public areas are expansive and perfect for strolling when the weather isn’t too hot. Every evening, there is a sunset event along with a Li ethnic group fire dance performance, which is truly spectacular and worth watching if you happen to be staying at the hotel.