Check Out This Incredible Underwater Hotel in Sanya!

Patience is a virtue. This bold project launched and overseen by Sanya Tourism took over five years and billions of dollars to see the light of day, and what resulted from such a large-scale construction was a hotel experience like no other. 

The resort offers its guests five underwater suites starting at RMB 58,888/night as well as 21 dining options and a space that covers over 200,000sqm on Hainan Island.

Luckily for us, we managed to visit and sneak a peek at this marvellous resort located at the southernmost point in China!

Collaborative project for Sanya’s latest landmark

Following the opening of the Palm Island Atlantis hotel in Dubai, Atlantis Sanya is the first Atlantis project to take place in the region and was significantly hyped up throughout its construction.

This was the result of a long-term collaboration between the Chinese investment company Fosun Group and the international developer Kerzner International, which gave us some pretty spectacular statistics about the resort including, but not limited to:

A total area of 540,000 square meters,1,314 guest rooms, five underwater suites and 21 restaurants, bars and lounges as well as 86,000 marine animals representing over 270 species including 40 dolphins and sea lions and, for those looking for a quick thrill, a 2,510-meter-long slide.

5 underwater suites starting from RMB 58,888/night

The property is a 50-minute drive away from the airport and overlooks Haitang Bay and the South China Sea which guests will be able to soak in from the comfort of their room through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The main hall of the resort adopts an ocean-inspired decor, remains brightly lit, and turns into a beautiful underwater party when dusk falls.

You will find a staircase on the left side of the hall that spirals around sparkling chandeliers, and a basement with the world’s only blue Schimmel piano that blends well with its surroundings and theme.

Checking in was relatively quick despite visiting during peak season. We then entered our beautiful Neptune Underwater Suite with bated breath, knowing that this would be an experience we would remember for the rest of our lives.

The suite is laid out like a loft, with the first floor serving as the living room and resting area. The room comes with a personal attendant on-call 24-hours a day who is fluent in both Mandarin and English.

We finally made our way past the stairs to access the underwater suite!

The dark blue room features floor-wide windows to separate guests from the ocean and its marine life which is clearly visible and truly breathtaking, all from the comfort of your bed located at the center of the suite.

The bedroom connects directly to the bathroom where, again, you can see more of the fish swimming around you while taking a relaxing bath. Bath products are by Bvlgari and the hair dryer is from Dyson.

With such a hefty price tag at RMB 58,888/night or more, you certainly get what you pay for at Atlantis Sanya which, in case you haven’t registered it by now, is an unparalleled hotel experience underwater.

But there’s more than its five underwater suites, of course. The hotel also provides 1,314 guest rooms (above sea level) that overlook Haitang Bay and its surrounding ocean. Each room uses natural wood and a light blue color scheme to align its interior with the theme of the resort and create a relaxing and soothing atmosphere.

The double basins in the bathroom have become a trademark in the resort’s interior design. All bath products including soap, cups, and bottles come in blue packaging. Bathrobes and slippers are provided as well.

Picturesque view from the terrace.

In addition to its hotel, Atlantis Sanya has branded itself as a fully-integrated attraction for Chinese and foreign tourists.

Captivating Lost Chambers

The Lost Chambers Aquarium is an enormous family-friendly attraction that caters to tourists of all ages and a must-see for visitors at Atlantis Sanya.

This open-air aquarium includes 86,000 marine creatures in 30 tanks, the biggest of which spans over 16.5 meters wide in the main hall! The beluga whale tank allows you to see how those magnificent white creatures interact with one another.

You can also purchase Atlantis mascot plushies on your way out as a souvenir of this memorable experience.

A couple of notes regarding this aquarium:

•   Price of the aquarium is included when booking a room at the hotel. Just bring your ID when entering the space to claim your tickets, which give you unlimited access to the aquarium and theme park.

•   Non-guests can purchase tickets for the aquarium for RMB 168/person, which can be booked directly through the hotel’s official WeChat account.

A fully-immersive underwater experience.

Their 200,000 sqm water amusement park is going to be a hugely popular destination over the summer. There are a total of 19 slides including a rare rapid river attraction that is sure to make your heart rate skyrocket!

Experiences vary depending on your mood. For a more relaxing time, we suggest you test the lazy river; for thrill chasers, Big Trumped and Raging Storms are the places you’ll want to give a try; and for true adrenaline junkies, we highly recommend the Poseidon Tower! It has four different stations, of which “Poseidon’s Leap” and “A Leap of Faith” are the most stimulating.

 A side view showing the steepness of the slide

Those two stations stand at an impressive 25.1-meter and 75-degree elevation, span 82.3 meters wide and can bring your speed up to 20.2 meters per second (Disclaimer: we were clinging on for dear life while sliding down…). Chances are you’ll find everything else to be much easier to handle once you’ve experienced the Poseidon Tower.

From the detailed design to the high-quality service, you will find the overall experience pleasant with fast admissions, thrilling rides, safes to store your valuables and a friendly staff to assist you with every need. The park also offers numerous dining options that are open all year round.

 A few notes about this amusement park:

•   Price is included when booking a room at the hotel. Just bring your ID when entering the space to claim your tickets, which give you unlimited access to the aquarium and theme park.

•   Non-guests can purchase tickets for the aquarium for RMB 338/person, which can be booked directly through the hotel’s official WeChat account.

•   You are not allowed to bring any valuables along with you on the rides. If needed, we suggest you store them in a waterproof bag.

Ready for the trip of a lifetime? 247 Tickets and Thomas Cook China have some great Ocean view room packages, varying board options and unlimited access to the Aquaventure Waterpark and Lost Chambers Aquarium! Extract the QR code below to make a reservation.

21 Restaurants, Bars and Lounges to Choose From.

All this excitement will surely make you hungry - it did for us anyway. Out of the 21 dining options offered at Atlantis Sanya, all of which are already in full service, we tried the following three restaurants.

Crab Kitchen

Despite having been to Sanya on multiple occasions, this was our first time trying Singaporean cuisine. The restaurant’s decor featured black-and-white checkered flooring, red and brown pillars as well as straw chairs and a ceiling fan. The head chef is originally from Singapore.

We were pleasantly welcomed with a hospitable Southeast Asian greeting as they led the way to our table. Our food was quickly served after placing the order.

As the name suggests, the restaurant mainly serves crab-based dishes using the famous local Hele crab. Crabs are sold by weight and can be cooked in three different ways. We chose the sweet and sour flavor which felt more aligned with Southeast Asian cuisine.

Apart from crab, we recommend you try other seafood dishes and Singaporean delights like their delicious Bak Kut Teh.

Netsu - Japanese Restaurant

Serving mainly teppanyaki and barbecue dishes, this dimly-lit restaurant is decorated with beautiful Japanese paintings. In order to make our experience as surprising and intriguing as possible, we avoided reading online reviews and decided to trust our instinct when placing our orders instead.

The traditional sashimi platter is remarkably filling. All the ingredients are selected by the chef the day of to ensure very fresh and high quality, which you can instantly taste upon your first bite.

The squid is slightly charred to give it a very tender and sweet taste with a crispy exterior that gives way for mouthwatering juices when bitten into.

The restaurant also serves American beef that the chef marinates with pepper and serves with garlic.

Kaleidoscope

Experience Chinese cuisine as never before at this all-day buffer restaurant which serves truly authentic cuisine that includes Cantonese and Sichuan at live-cooking stations around their space. The most popular station seems to be Sichuan which cooks and serves spicy chicken, Kung Pao dishes and grilled fish, among others.

We highly recommend you try their Mala soup with any of the 10 different ingredients and sauces for you to mix and match.

Don’t leave without ordering their different types of desserts and claypot rice. Despite our being full from all this food, we found a tiny bit of space left to try their Durian pastry, after which we were definitely stuffed!

Kaleidoscope flips your traditional Chinese cuisine experience upside down with high-quality food that caters to every need, including BBQ and Peking duck for meat lovers, a noodle station for comfort food and desserts for your sweet tooth, all within a memorable dining environment that offers impeccable customer service.

Other dining options include Bread Street Kitchen & Bar by Gordon Ramsay, a world-famous chef and star of the TV series “Hell’s Kitchen” which we did not have time to try. So make sure you give it a go on your next visit to Atlantis Sanya and let us know what you think!

247 Tickets and Thomas Cook China have some great Ocean view packages with varying board options and unlimited access to the Aquaventure Waterpark and Lost Chambers Aquarium! Extract the QR code below to make a reservation.

Address: 36 Haitang Bei Road, Haitang Bay

Reservation Hotline: [phone] or WeChat ID: folidaycs

How Much: From RMB 1780/night