As Christmas and the New Year are approaching, hotels in and around Sanya are holding Christmas tree lighting events and offering special packages with all the joy and trimmings of the festive season to bid farewell to the year 2015.
 
As Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year in the West, Christmas decorations are put up everywhere, in public spaces as well as homes, bringing Christmas cheer and the holiday spirit to everyone around.
 
Starting at the end of November, many 5-star hotels at major bays in and around Sanya began to celebrate the beginning of Christmas and year-end celebrations with Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies and other special events.
 
The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya
 
The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya invited all guests to the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 28th.
 
 
A Christmas tree decorated with lights and colorful Christmas ornaments is located in the hotel lobby, filled with glimmering maze-shaped lights and hanging silver and gold lights. The hotel provided the appreciative crowd with an assortment of beverages and seasonal delicacies and special cocktails. 
 
As the night fell and the sounds of the choir rose in the cozy lobby, an adorable Santa Claus and four Christmas angels appeared carrying gifts for the kids and guests. 
  
 
 
In the presence of all the invited guests, the Christmas tree was switched on. The tree, as well as the festive atmosphere and everyone’s mood, lit up. The hotel also prepared a festive dinner feast for the children and their families, wishing them many new friends and good memories of this holiday season.
 
MGM Grand Sanya
 
The MGM Grand Sanya certainly ushered in the Christmas season, the arrival of 2015, and the hotel’s 3rd Anniversary with a festive bang.
 
The festivity began with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony on 30th November in the hotel lobby accompanied with lovely Christmas carols by children and a flash mob delicately prepared by the hotel team members.
 
 
MGM Grand Sanya’s 3rd Anniversary Gala Reception added another tantalizing twist to the Christmas festive calendar and, no surprise, the invited guests were treated with a host of special treats, such as a display of stunning luxury cars and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, delicious food and fine wines, creating a night of glitter and glamour that was totally mesmerizing.
 
 
The festivities were attended by more than 200 media figures, partners, loyal team members and senior management individuals who have been with the hotel for three years.
 
InterContinental Sanya Resort
 
The traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the InterContinental Sanya Resort on December 4th began with the tree lighting festivities, and guests then enjoyed seasonal delicacies, including baked Christmas goodies and beverages.
 
  
The InterContinental Sanya Resort held its Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the evening of December 4th, in the presence of hotel VIP guests, local major media and corporate travel agents who were gathered for the special moment.
 
 
A children’s choir from the Canadian International School of Sanya presented their wonderful songs and shared the spirit of the season with hotel guests. To share the Christmas cheer and goodwill, the night was also an extra-special charity fund-raiser to help children with disabilities at Sanya Bright Connection.
 
 
Guests enjoyed cocktails and scrumptious appetizers prepared by the hotel’s highly skilled culinary team. The guests got to watch a large Yule log cake, carried by 8 chefs, be marched in. The Yule cake’s approximate total weight was 169 kg, consisting of 60 Kg of butter, 780 eggs, 18 kg of flour, 20 kg of sugar and 11kg of chocolate.
 
Renaissance Sanya Resort & Spa
 
 
On December 5th, 2014, Renaissance Sanya held Christmas Light Ceremony at the lobby to appreciate guests’ and accounts’ constant supports for the year of 2014, as well as recall the great results achieved. Meanwhile, the shining and sparkling Christmas tree and the holiday songs officially unveiled the festive season of year-end.
 
Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya
 
 
 
 

 
A traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony took place on St. Nikolaus Day, 6th December, in the Hotel Lobby and Lobby Lounge of the Kempinski at 7:00PM, with homemade German spiced mulled wine, a large gingerbread house and delicious traditional pastries.
 
Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya is presenting a calendar of festive highlights this season, including an Adventskalender Ceremony, a Festive Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Gala Buffets and after-dinner party’s available throughout December 2014.
 
The Adventskalender Ceremony is a German tradition to bring children the Christmas spirit and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. During the month of December, children open one door on the calendar each day to find hidden sweets until Christmas Eve. To celebrate this European tradition, Kempinski Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya has prepared a gift for children staying at the Hotel every day at 5:00PM until 24th December.
 
Hilton Sanya Yalong Bay Resort & Spa
 
The Hilton Sanya Yalong Bay Resort & Spa marked the beginning of this year’s Christmas celebrations on 6th of December with a joyful Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the hotel lobby.
 
  
All the guests enjoyed seasonal delicacies, including Christmas desserts, baked goodies and Gluhwein. The hotel staffs, together with children invited from Bayi Kindergarten, presented their wonderful choir singing and shared the spirit of the season with the hotel’s guests. And Children from Sanya Xindi Latin Sports Dance Center showcased their brilliant sports dance skills. Bayi Kindergarten is a school service for navy service families, while the Xindi Latin Sports Center is in the top of the dance field in Sanya. As the Christmas season signals the time for sharing, Hilton Sanya Yalong Bay Resort & Spa has continued to communicate with the local community in terms of culture.
 
 
During the ceremony, a Santa Claus appeared as a surprise and gave out Christmas gifts to the children. With the sound of the countdown from all the guests, the lights on the hotel’s Christmas tree were all lit up and the ceremony ended with an atmosphere of great joy.
 
As the Christmas trees are lit, the festive season of this year begins. In the followed four weeks, Hilton Sanya’s culinary, food and beverage team will present a series of classic festive dinners on Christmas Eve, Christmas, the last day of the year, first day of the new year and on the Russian New Year on January 13th.
 
Christmas lighting ceremony at Four Points by Sheraton in Wanning
 
The Christmas lighting ceremony at Starwood Resort Complex in Shenzhou Peninsula, Wanning Hainan was a feast for the eyes.
 
 
Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton’s executive chef Danny Dan, and his team, created a huge Ginger Bread Forest for the guests of the night for the special occasion. 
 
 
We walked into a ginger bread forest filled with ginger breads, Christmas ornaments, cakes and candies. At 18 meters long and nearly the real size of timber logs, and made from chocolate and sponge cakes, a ginger bread house and ginger bread men, the sight was spectacular. 
 
The hundreds-strong invited guests were invited to dig in to the ginger bread forest. But, they only managed to make a tiny dent in the huge candy forest after nearly an hour of digging into it.
 
The Christmas hot toddy, made from red wine, rum and other secret ingredients, was delicious and warm. It was spiced by cinnamon sticks, aniseeds, and nutmeg, kept warm in pots, and there were alcoholic and nonalcoholic versions which visitors could choose from. Other beverages included Malaysian milk tea and specially brewed coffee.
 
 
A pre-Christmas celebration is never without carol singing. A group of joyous young children dressed in Christmas costumes joined and sang at the ceremony as the countdown began for the Christmas tree’s lighting.
 
Father Christmas was happily giving out his Christmas candies, which kick-started the festive mood filled with a joyous Christmas atmosphere.
 
After the lighting ceremony, the special guests were invited to an evening of buffet dinner, entertainments and a prize lottery. The night ended late and was no doubt a success with all the guests happily wishing the hosts goodbye.
 
Shemeiwan Le Meridien in Wanning
 
We had the honor of staying at the resort hotel the night before the ceremony. Located at Shimei Bay in Wanning, the resort is one of the best money can buy for a holiday stay. Six years in the making, the resort is fully developed with great beaches, tropical rainforest landscaped surroundings, extremely well designed villas and accommodations nestled among nature, great facilities and good services to go with it.
 
  
  
 
   
 
There is a western restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a beach hut restaurant, bars and a café. You don’t even need to step outside the resort during your long stay if you come here to relax.
 
  
 
The lighting ceremony was held at the open patio lounge area, which stretches all the way to the swimming pool and the ocean. The entire place was decorated with Christmas trees and ornaments, giving the resort a festive feel. 
 
 
Along the long patio there was 6 meters of ginger bread and cakes, which symbolized the hotel resort’s six years in the making.
 
 
A small group of Paraguayan entertainers sung Christmas tunes and were later joined by fully-costumed children specially invited to sing for the occasion.
 
The Christmas lighting countdown started just before 7pm, and the General Manager, Kevin, was first to cut the cake and was joined by all the guests.
 
 
It was an unusually cold night at the tropical resort, so the hot Christmas toddy served in mugs went down well with the cakes.
 
 
 
The dinner was a somber affair with mostly news media for guests. The Paraguayan entertainment group continued their singing at the table, which made the guests feel special.
 
 
 
 
 
The well-preset dinner consisted of a full course meal starting with smoked turkey and avocado, followed by pumpkin soup with homemade assorted breads. The main course was a huge turkey drumstick sautéed in red wine, and then a chocolate sponge roll dessert to finish it off. The media in attendance had the opportunity to network during the event as well. 
 
As the Christmas season signals the time for sharing and giving, apart from the traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony, many 5-star hotels in and around Sanya have launched memorable Christmas activities in an effort to spread some of the joyous Christmas spirit to the local community. 
 
SOURCE: WOS Team