Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort

They call Hainan Island the Hawaii of China, but as of this moment it may have surpassed Hawaii in at least one important respect: Hawaii suffers from an abject shortage of Park Hyatts. It’s located in a spanking-new resort community along the scenic inlet of Sunny Bay, only a couple of miles over from the longer-established Yalong Bay. So it’s safe to say you’ll have all the conveniences of home, and then some — though, Park Hyatts being what they are, you’ll be able to make it as private an experience as you like.

Most of the two hundred units face directly out to the South China Sea, and all of them, standard rooms included, are spacious, handsomely contemporary and exceedingly well-equipped. The freestanding villas, of course, are where you go for the full-on Bond-villain treatment, complete with private pools and butler service. But at any level you’ll find you’re in for one of the most lavish beach-resort experiences you’ve ever seen.

Much of the above, frankly, follows logically just from the mere mention of the Park Hyatt name. Though the collection has grown quite a bit in recent years, there are few other brands that are quite as consistent at meeting the expectations they’ve created. Five pools, eight restaurants and bars, and (naturally) a spa — though it’s not finished quite yet — and still the whole thing feels calm and serene, a far cry from the circus atmosphere at some resorts of similar size.