Go to Sanya, stay at Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hainan Longmu Bay
While Hainan boasts around fifty 5* hotels, even by the hotel-heavy island’s exalted standards the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hainan Longmu Bay Bay is something to behold. The first and only 5* offering in Longmu Bay (and for that matter the entire Western coast of Sanya), the hotel’s designers (JWDA Company, from the USA) were clearly given free rein to spread out, a luxury perhaps denied to some of their counterparts in the more established and crowded bays. The hotel is so large, in fact, that it’s around a fifteen-minute walk from one end of its grounds to the other. The walk is far from dull or ponderous, though, with countless beautiful landscaped areas contributing to an impressive 60% green coverage. The pièce de résistance, though, is undoubtedly the hotel’s man-made canal that imbues a certain Venetian twist to the grand and sprawling complex’s villa-style architecture; not least because guests are free to eschew the bridges in favour of exploring or crossing the waters on pedal-powered or electric boats. In addition to a beach on its doorstep, the hotel also boasts three large outdoor pools.
Moving indoors, the hotel remains extraordinary, starting with the enormous lobby with the appropriate dimensions, if not appearance, to double as an aircraft hangar. It’s here the hotel’s interior aesthetic makes its first appearance, with marble and dark wood dominating and married together to create a classy yet relaxed villa-like vibe to match the exterior. Given the size of the hotel and prestige of the Wyndham brand, it should come as no surprise that the hotel has great facilities for any kind of stay.
Complementing the newly-opened hotel’s aforementioned three large outdoor pools, the hotel’s well-equipped fitness centre includes both exercise machines and an exercise area with various classes on offer, including yoga. Meanwhile, for those seeking pampering, the spa treatments are delivered in private villas that ensure the utmost privacy and tranquility. While my trip was leisure not business, the hotel has great facilities for MICE groups, including an enormous ballroom and meeting rooms of various sizes, that I caught glimpses of during my stay, in addition to various teambuilding packages.
It should be mentioned that the villa experience isn’t limited to the hotel’s public spaces and architecture, but is instead present throughout the hotel and its rooms. For instance, instead of simply a door, every single room in the hotel includes its own charming gated front veranda, complete with tiled floor, mosaic on the wall, sofa, ornate metal fencing and even a slot for post and newspapers, with similar balconies and mosaicked hot tubs. While it mightn’t seem like a huge departure from the normal hotel experience, where a single door separates the public from the private, it was one of the touches that definitely helped elevate Wyndham Grand Longmu Bay above "just another hotel".
Inside our suite, one of the two-storey offerings, the space and ambiance was far also more “villa” than “hotel”. The expansive suite, complete with three bathrooms, two bedrooms, large dining and TV areas, two balconies with their own hot tubs and a quiet space to work, was as well thought-out, luxurious and well-appointed as any I’ve seen. However, what really set the accommodation apart was waiting on the second floor – an expansive rooftop veranda that could have quite comfortably handled a party of 20-30 people and was the perfect place to soak in the rays in complete privacy. As if this weren’t enough, the space boasts an even larger hot tub, twin rainforest showers and a totally undercover spa area for those who prefer to enjoy their treatments without even having to step outside their door.
When it comes to food and drink, there’re two restaurants at the hotel, in addition to the Breeze Way bar in the lobby, which itself offers an à la carte menu alongside fantastic tropical smoothies and cocktails. The bar’s outdoor seating on the terrace, in the gorgeous courtyard, ranks as one of the best places at the hotel to while away an afternoon or evening. Meanwhile, the hotel’s western/buffet restaurant Constellation is a very solid, if not stand-out, offering, and the breakfast buffet is also decent. However the hotel’s Lotus Garden Chinese restaurant was definitely our favourite. The menu incorporates several Chinese cuisines, including Cantonese, Sichuanese and Hainanese, and managed to simultaneously scintillate my western palate and my partner’s Chinese one, while keeping the kids happy. No mean feat. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Hainanese treats on offer here, especially the Wenchang chicken and Lingao suckling pig, because no trip to Hainan is truly complete without a taste of the vibrant local dishes that are impossible to find outside the island. Apart from these, the busy menu’s packed with many more familiar favourites, such as spicy Sichuan fried chicken and Cantonese Dim Sum, which are also sure to impress. Service in both of the restaurants was fantastic, and the prices very reasonable for the portion sizes and quality of the dishes.
Of course, any hotel stay is defined not only by the luxuriousness of the facilities, quality of the food or beauty of the location, but also by the service. Happily, despite having been open just a few months, at no point did the service fall below exemplary and there are clearly no teething problems at the hotel. Staff were at all times accommodating, keen to help and able, whether on reception. One thing that definitely stood out for me was that all of the staff I talked to were able to speak decent English, which definitely isn’t true of all Hainan’s hotels, meaning that the stay was more relaxing than normal for me! The friendliness of the staff, even those who had no responsibility for guest experience, such as the gardeners and maintenance staff, also shone through and brightened our stay.
Wyndham Service Culture – Count On Me
Count On Me! is Wyndham Worldwide’s global commitment to customer service. Supported by all Wyndham Worldwide business units, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Wingate by Wyndham and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, this culture is a key differentiator for our business. This program is designed to enhance all customers, both internal and external experience with our brand.
Built on a foundation of three building blocks and 9 behaviors, Count On Me! challenges all associates to live the Count On Me! Commitment.
* To be RESPONSIVE to the needs of every individual I encounter
* To be RESPECTFUL in every way
* To DELIVER a great experience, every time
The Wyndham brand team has identified key areas of business opportunity and correlated those areas to the Count On Me! service philosophy. Under the General Managers’ leadership, guidance and commitment, the Count On Me! Committee will execute programs in each of those key areas. In addition, the following tools have been created to assist in the planning and organization of Count On Me! Committees.
Count On Me! Committees are designed to provide a framework for developing associate and consumer engagement, as well as enhancing property performance. By encouraging the participation of our most dedicated associates, events, activities and conversations can develop the culture of and deliver the service promise of the Count On Me! philosophy.
SOURCE: WOS Team