Sheraton Haikou Hotel

This is a nice hotel, with large and comfortable rooms. The site has a nice swimming pool and public beach access is across a small footpath. It was quiet when we were there in April. Breakfast was large and had lots of options. Although they do not have a club lounge, they have a happy hour, where elite members can have snacks and drinks in the evening.

I arrived at the Sheraton Haikou directly from the MGM Grand Sanya, and without a doubt, the Sheraton was a much nicer experience in many aspects. Check-in at the Sheraton (I am a foreign tourist, so I understand there are procedures to be undertaken) was under five minutes, whereas it took about 45 minutes at the MGM Grand, and they could immediately process a credit card payment, whereas the MGM Grand staff had to firstly locate such a machine and then find a second one after the first didn't function. One truly superior feature of the Sheraton is its live music and lobby bar. I enjoyed every second of the multilingual singer and keyboardist, who alternated between English- and Chinese-language songs. This was complemented by the central location of the bar (which allowed for people watching in the lobby) and a relaxing, dimly lit atmosphere. No such central bar exists at the MGM Grand Sanya, where their singers' English-language songs were practically incomprehensible to native speakers, as they clearly must not have been born, raised, or studied in an English environment. The Sheraton has a very lush, tropical tree-filled outdoor walkway leading to the resort's pool and beach that is particularly beautiful at nighttime, and the Breeze restaurant had a wonderful selection of international foods with great wait staff service. Lastly, the housekeeping staff was incredibly efficient, detailed, and responsive.

My stay at Sheraton Haikou almost ruined my first visit to the city. To be fair, the location was OK, right next to the beach, despite being relatively far from all the activities in town. Facilities were visibly old. The poor hotel apparently didn’t fare well during the pandemic, but housekeeping had tried their best to keep the room clean. That was the only highlight during my stay. The biggest turn-off was the staff’s attitude towards service, or rather, the lack of it. As a beach resort in a tropical climate with outdoor spaces like balconies and terraces, Sheraton Haikou was ill-prepared for mosquitoes - no repellent sprays in the rooms, and when I approached the concierge, the best they could offer was some herbal essential oil that proved no more effective than alcohol wipes, and even that came in short supply as I was adamantly asked to return the bottle ASAP. Most of the time, the staff member I came across didn’t seem to know what they were doing. When four wine glasses were requested, only two came, covered in water stains. When a cafe latte was ordered, an americano was served instead. And don’t get me started on the boy at the reception desk, who, for unfathomable reasons - maybe it was a long day, maybe it was the stress from the full house - showed zero hospitality, but instead, cast hostility at me throughout our interaction at check-in. The whole situation could have been disastrous were it not for a more sensible colleague of his who came to the rescue. We all have bad days, but if emotional stability is one’s weak suit, he probably should consider career alternatives. I seldom fuss about room upgrades. And when I was not upgraded at check-in this time, I didn’t have an issue, as I was aware that there was a concert in town, and the hotel was said to be fully booked. But when I later found out that a friend of mine who was also staying here, who was of a lower Bonvoy tier than mine, who made the reservation later than I, who checked in just after I did, who booked a room just like mine for the same dates, got upgraded to a presidential suite, I really felt acutely reminded of how LITTLE my loyalty was appreciated. I don’t expect hotels to be perfect. Most properties have a thing or two that needs fixing. But small things add up, and it’s rare to come across a place that fails on so many ends. I am not sure if I’d visit Haikou again, but if I do, I know where to AVOID.