Shangri-La Stays in Sanya

We traveled as a group of three adults and one toddler (two seniors over 60 and a 16-month-old), so the hotel needed to cater to both the elderly and the little one. We were torn between a few hotels in Haitang Bay at the time: Holiday Inn Resort, InterContinental, and Shangri-La. We ultimately chose Shangri-La for the following reasons: 1. The Executive Lounge offers hot dishes in the evening, which is very convenient. It saved us the trouble of taking the elderly and the baby out to hunt for food or figuring out where to eat. 2. Room type: The sofa in the Shangri-La king room can be folded out into a 1.5-meter double bed, which was a perfect fit for our group composition. 3. Since our child is too young, most activities at Holiday Inn Resort wouldn't suit him anyway, and the little train alone is enough. The little train at Shangri-La is also free, taking about 15 minutes for a full loop, which was very comfortable. 4. We didn't choose the InterContinental because there was construction going on at nearby hotels, and we heard their executive lounge wasn't as good as Shangri-La's. Check-in Experience: Before our arrival, the hotel called us, and the butler added me on WeChat. Based on my requests, the room was already set up with a baby bathtub, welcome fruits, and the humidifier was turned on. This was genuinely great 👍. I arrived at the hotel at 5 PM, checked in, handed my luggage tags to the front desk, and went out for dinner. Two hours later, when we returned to the room, our luggage hadn't arrived yet. After reporting this to the butler, we were told the front desk forgot. A huge thumbs-down for this! Later, the butler offered a remedy: a little monkey toy for the child and two sets of L'Occitane samples (expiring in November 2026). Honestly, it would've been better to give nothing. Room: I booked an ocean-front room, and the view was truly fantastic. We stayed on the 5th floor; I bet the 7th floor would be even more amazing. The AC made occasional noises, but since it wasn't constant, we decided to just bear with it and didn't bother calling maintenance. Regarding room upgrades: We stayed during the National Day golden week, so we got nothing. Also, I had read online that the executive lounge access for two adults and two kids could be switched to cover three adults, but they wouldn't do it for us, claiming it wasn't allowed during the National Day holiday ❌. I couldn't help feeling discriminated against, and in the end, we still had to pay extra. Even though the butler had added a note to our profile, every time we entered the lounge, the staff would still question us. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience. I paid out of pocket and didn't want my parents to find out, so I was frantically winking at the staff, but they just kept talking loudly anyway. So speechless! Dining: We always had breakfast at the Executive Lounge instead of the main restaurant, and it was totally sufficient. The various freshly cooked congees were delicious, which easily solved the baby food issue. Usually, we had a late breakfast, skipped lunch, and then had dinner at 5 PM. The Executive Lounge was completely adequate! Don't worry about whether the food is gourmet; just focus on being well-fed. Activities: We just hung out at the hotel, rode the little train, and drove the go-karts. Swimming during the day wasn't a problem despite the sun, thanks to the sunshades. Unlike the Holiday Inn, the go-karts here don't force you to wear a helmet. Our toddler hates helmets, but he still got to ride the go-karts. They are very slow, safe, and not crowded at all. Service: Proactive service awareness is weak. When we were playing at the beach, it started raining. Grandma went back to the hotel to get umbrellas and asked the front desk. The staff insisted she go upstairs to get them, claiming they were kept on the upper floor. In the end, there was only one umbrella brought out for three adults and a toddler. Except for the child, the rest of us got completely soaked. There were clearly umbrellas right there at the front desk. Even if scanning a QR code is required, how hard is it to teach an elderly person how to do it? However, the pros outweigh the cons. It's still a decent hotel to visit, and after all, the price isn't high, so you can't expect perfection.