Riyuehai Hotel Dadonghai is a compact hotel that occupies the upper floors of a high-rise on Haiyun Road, in the very heart of the Dadonghai tourist zone in Sanya. There are only 35 rooms here, so there is neither a crowded lobby nor queues for the lift at breakfast, but there is the feeling of a small house with a view of the bay. The reception desk is high up, on the twentieth floor of the Bairui building, and this is perhaps the hotel’s main feature: you live not in a hotel block at ground level but as if in a flat at height, from which the sea can be seen entire. Below, right under the building, a public beach begins: in the morning you can go down with a towel and come back for a cup of coffee. In the evening guests tell of something else: the sky over the water turns orange-pink and the sea turns golden, and this sunset can be seen from the window. It suits those who came to Hainan for the sea, not for hotel luxury.

Dadonghai: the beach below, the bay ahead

Dadonghai is the most “urban” of Sanya’s beaches: it begins almost at the centre, and the promenade and the streets behind it are full of cafés, shops and massage salons. The hotel stands on Haiyun Road, a few blocks from Dadonghai Square, which means that in the evening you step out onto a crowded promenade and ten minutes later are back in quiet. It is about 11 km in a straight line from Sanya railway station, the journey by car takes about twenty minutes, so with a suitcase it is easier to take a taxi.

  • Dadonghai Beach — a wide sandy strip right under the building.
  • Dadonghai Square — the centre of evening life, shops and street food.
  • Luhuitou Park — a viewing platform over Sanya and the bay on the Deer’s Head headland.
  • Xinghua Yacht Pier — a calm place for an evening walk by the water.

Tip for travellers: The best time for the beach is the winter months and early spring, when Sanya is warm and without exhausting heat. In summer it is noticeably hotter and noisier on the beach, so at the height of the day it is better to retreat to shade and go to the water in the morning and nearer sunset. If you love a sunset view, ask for a higher room with a sea view rather than one facing neighbouring buildings.

What is inside: small rooms on a floor with a view

In a small hotel almost everything rests on small things. From what is stated in the data, there is a restaurant, left luggage, a wake-up service, taxi booking and a tour and ticket desk; Wi-Fi works in the common areas. A pool with a view and umbrellas is also listed among the amenities. The reception can do more than just hand out a key: guests write that staff helped with laundry, suggested where to eat and how to reach the sights more easily. Such a “homely” service is rare for a two-star hotel, and if you are staying for a week it saves a lot of time.

  • A restaurant and left luggage
  • Wi-Fi in common areas
  • Booking of taxis, excursions and tickets
  • A wake-up service and a smoking area
  • Help at the desk with laundry

Rooms and views

The rooms are listed with queen-size beds and two single beds, an area of about 38–43 m², many with a sea view. For two stars this is spacious: you can lay out a suitcase, put an armchair by the window and calmly look at the water. If you are travelling with a friend, choose the option with two beds, for a couple a room with a wide bed will do.

Rooms

The hotel offers the following room categories:

  • Cozy Queen Room — 38 m², 1 queen bed or 2 single beds. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Boutique Twin Room with Bay View — 40 m², 2 single beds or 1 queen bed, view: sea view, bay view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Boutique King Room with Bay View — 40 m², 1 queen bed, view: sea view, bay view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Special Room — 40 m², 2 single beds, view: sea view, bay view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Deluxe Double Room with Sea View — 43 m², 1 queen bed, view: sea view, bay view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Deluxe Twin Room with Sea View — 43 m², 2 single beds, view: sea view, bay view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Queen Room with Mountain View — 45 m², 1 queen bed and 1 single bed, view: sea view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.
  • Family Room with Sea View — 45 m², 1 single bed and 1 queen bed, view: sea view, bay view. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, desk, balcony, accessible shower.

Where to have breakfast and dinner

There is a restaurant in the building, and guests separately praise the breakfast: after a night in a room with a view it is pleasant to go down to the table and decide without hurry where to head next. If you want to try what people come to Hainan for, go to the neighbouring lanes of Dadonghai: they serve Hainanese Wenchang chicken with rice, coconut chicken soup and fresh sea fish that you choose right at the tank and ask to be steamed.

In the evening it is crowded by the square and on the promenade. If you don’t want the crowd, turn onto a side street and you will quickly come out at a café where locals eat. Ask at reception which café is open late today: in low season some venues close early.

Pros and cons of the hotel

What the hotel is valued for

  • The public Dadonghai beach is right under the building, you don’t need to travel to the water.
  • Rooms with a view of the sea and sunset, which guests name as the place’s main plus.
  • A small format: only 35 rooms, so no bustle in the lobby or at breakfast.
  • An attentive reception helps with laundry, routes and taxis.
  • Dadonghai Square, the pier and Luhuitou Park are nearby — you need neither an excursion nor a hired car.

What to know in advance

  • A two-star level: no spa and not the large set of services of the Yalong Bay resorts.
  • Check-in is on a high floor of the building, so find the entrance in advance and don’t look for a sign at ground level.
  • In high season the promenade is crowded and noisy in the evenings, especially at weekends.
  • You have to get to the station and airport by taxi, there is no convenient direct public-transport route.

What guests say

Most often guests write about the view of the sea, the sunset over the bay, the beach right under the windows and friendly staff. They praise the cleanliness and the convenient stop in the very centre of Dadonghai. The dissatisfied note that the hotel is small and without developed infrastructure, and the entrance is not always found at once.

How to book Riyuehai Hotel Dadonghai

If you need a room with a sea view, specify this when choosing the room type: the list also has options with a city view. Choose dates in the “Where to book” block and complete the booking — you will see the payment method at the last step.