Hotel Narada Resort & Spa Sanya

Instead, the hotel's location near the airport, the games arcade directly below my room, the very noisy air conditioning on the roof of the building just opposite my room created unbearable noise pollution. The balcony door had to be kept closed all the time and not even a faint sound of the ocean could be heard from the room. Surroundings are unattractive, so staying in the hotel was the best option. The hotel's private beach is kept clean and the pool area is very nice. It seems to cater very much to children.

If you are into plane spotting, this is your hotel to stay at, as the hotel is just besides the approach path of the airport and planes pass in only about 100 m from the hotel on landing in Sanya.

The service level thoughout the hotel is extremely poor. The 'I don't care' attitude of the staff is present at every outlet.
Staff try to be friendly, as the hotel runs a campaign to 'name the employee with the best smile (???), but appear often helpless and congregate around the service area instead of approaching guests and provide even the most basic of service around the hotel. Of course there is no service around the pool or the beach area, everything is 'self service' but the unwarrented 15 % service charge is levied on every transaction!

Service everywhere in the hotel is conspicuously absent an staff seem poorly trained. The pool menu i.e. promises all sorts of fresh juices - including pineapple - but only orange juice is available. Or bottled pineapple juice. How's that for F&B management! (What management???)

There are three primary food outlets in the hotel: Tiffany's, Dragon Palace and Paulaner (a leftover from the Kempinski management). There is also a poolside snack restaurant/pool bar.
The food quality at all outlets is extremley poor and offers little variety. The Chinese restaurant is perhaps the most exclusive, but highly chaotic. Staff keep running around aimlessly with 1 bowl of rice or a single tea pot on their trays. We paid our beverages after 30 minutes of waiting for food that never arrived, and left for 'Tiffanys' restaurant. It should have been a warning that the place was empty. Only buffet food is served for dinner, which if it were priced at RMB 80 would be acceptable. But RMB 190 plus 15 % (applies on everything you get in the hotel) are outrageous.
Food and beverage prices are extremely high and do not reflect the quality on offer. About EUR 5 (RMB 45) for a 500 ml bottle of water on the beach (not the brands bottled in the French alps or the Scottish highlands, plain local purified water!) is obnoxious (oh, plus 15 % 'service' charge to go get it yourself at the cabana).

Limited activities are offered for adult guests. The Sedgway rental on the beach is much frequented by hotel employees, who seem to enjoy racing around the pool walkways with them. Otherwise I did not notice any beach activity by the hotel. Jetski and boat rentals are available nearby.
The pool area is very nice for children with a small artificial sandy beach for kids. There is a kid's club on the premises.
The hotel provides complimentary internet access in the rooms (no WLAN).

The room size is generous, balconies are very large, with individual splash tub/bath tub ouside. Rooms feature a mini bar,flat screen TV with international stations, hot water kettle, ceiling fan and individual air conditioning, safe and telephones. Bathrooms are open to the room, providing no privacy.

Cleanliness in general is very good. Rooms are modern with some tropical aspects (bamboo bed frame) but do not remind the guest of China in any way. Overall hotel theme is open and tropical.

The winter months are probalby the best season to come to Hainan, as the summer months are likely too hot and steamy.

Overall I was certainly disappointed by the hotel's failure to deliver on the expecteation they create themselves with their pricing and nice pictures on the travel agent's web site. But it isn't enough to be a 'former' Kempinski hotel to also be equal to one. There are lightyears between the service concepts of the Narada and a Kempinski hotel!