Banyan Tree is pioneering a brand new sub-tropical hideaway on China’s Hainan Island, which is to be the first-ever, all-pool Chinese villa resort. Banyan Tree is pioneering a brand new sub-tropical hideaway on China’s Hainan Island, which is to be the first-ever, all-pool Chinese villa resort.

Hainan Island is ideally placed to capitalise on Asia’s booming economy. As well as its close proximity to the Chinese mainland, the island is just one hour’s flight from leading international travel destination Hong Kong.

Scheduled for a ‘soft opening’ in April 2008, the exclusive Banyan Tree Sanya Resort and Spa will complement the group’s two highly-acclaimed properties located in the depths of China’s Yunnan province.
Located at Luhuitou Bay, on the southern coast of Hainan Island, extensive conference facilities make it an ideal venue for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition events.
With 49 secluded pool villas set amidst a sculpted tropical lagoon, the resort is designed as an exclusive hideaway; a lavish escape from urban sprawl. It comes with a Banyan Tree Spa and hydrotherapy complex, and signature dining outlets.

However, the real showstopper will be the resort’s two presidential villa complexes. Unprecedented in both scale and luxury, these will accommodate heads of state and their entourages, and cater to groups of up to 50 in each private compound.

The resort is located just 30 minutes’ drive from Phoenix International Airport in Sanya. Hainan Island is also connected to the mainland via the Guangdong-Hainan passenger railway link.

Isle of Plenty
Until 20 years ago this relatively unknown island was better known for its palm-fringed beaches, seafood and colourful aboriginal tribes such as the Li minority, just one of over 20 indigenous people who have retained their own forms of unique arts, dance and music.
Being blessed with beautiful beaches, a climate described as ‘the endless summer’ and the best air quality in China, Hainan Island quickly grew to fame as a tourism hub. There are also several outlying islands in the vicinity of the main island, making for pleasant day trips, diving excursions, and spectacular photography.

Driven by Design
Designed entirely by Architrave Design and Planning, the in-house architectural division of Banyan Tree, the resort comprises 21 pool villas, 16 deluxe pool villas, seven spa pool villas, and five two-bedroom pool