InterContinental Sanya Resort
Sanya, Hainan Province

Dear Cherry,

I have visited the InterContinental Sanya Resort 3 times during its construction and development and once again when it was open to the public.  Following my first tour of the construction site with General Manager Tony Marrinan, I was so overwhelmed with my first impressions of this resort that I decided to watch the progress very closely and, upon opening, report the results of the tremendous efforts applied by Tony’s team to make this resort a sparkling jewel on the beach of Serenity Coast in Sanya.  From an official press release and their website I quote “Sanya’s only eco-friendly tropical oasis, InterContinental Sanya Resort is 130,000 square meters of stylishly serene beauty; nestled between pristine beachfront on one side and scenic mountains on the other. The Resort is an eco-friendly oasis with extensive water features and gardens both inside and outside, creating a contemporary, natural environment that sets a new standard not only for Sanya, but also for resorts in China. Opened in July 2010, InterContinental Sanya Resort occupies one of the most beautiful locations in Sanya, Xiao Dong Hai, surrounded by sandy beaches and green mountains, and offers guests picturesque views from every room. The Resort offers 343 sea view rooms including 24 beachside villas & 12 executive suites, and guests can lounge in 5 swimming pools, dine in 8 restaurants and bars, unwind in our soothing SPA InterContinental or choose from 1 ballroom and 7 inspiring meeting rooms.  We are located 5 minutes away from Sanya City and 25 minutes from Sanya Phoenix International Airport”.  InterContinental Sanya Resort is owned by Luhuitou Tourist Area Development Co., Ltd. Sanya, and managed by InterContinental Hotels Group.  See more at: www.intercontinental.com/sanya.  Here are some additional comments from a press release regarding a recent prestigious award, “It is our great honor that InterContinental Sanya Resort had been awarded as one of the ‘Best Newly-opened Hotels in Greater China Region’!” said Mr. Tony Marrinan, the General Manager of InterContinental Sanya Resort. “We are very happy that the readers, editors, journalists and guests like our distinctive eco-friendly property design, superior facilities, friendly services and the incredibly beautiful environment. The entire team of InterContinental Sanya Resort is committed to exceed our guests’ expectations. Sea Pavilion, the Chinese Restaurant over-the-sea will open soon, I’m confident that our customers will enjoy an unforgettable dining experience in this never-before-seen restaurant.”

I arrived shortly after 12:30 in the afternoon to join General Manager Tony Marrinan and his wife Eileen for lunch in Mediterraneano Restaurant, which features light Mediterranean fare on the beach.  We had a nice talk about the resort, its opening, and plans for the immediate future while Executive Sous Chef Thibaut Pouplard provided a wonderful multi-course lunch of salads, soup, fresh seafood, meats, and cakes.  It was delightful and I remember hoping I would have room for dinner that night!  Tony provided a suite for me to relax in before dinner.  We picked up the key from Andy Chuah, Director of Rooms, and Tony escorted me to my suite to show me around.  It was very well-appointed with spacious rooms and inside and outside seating at the top of the Skygarden building with spectacular views of the resort below, the beach, the mountains caressing the cove, and the South China Sea beyond.  I took a deep breath and absorbed the beauty.  I shot some photos of the suite and the views and then took a walk around the resort.  I was particularly interested in seeing how the SPA turned out, having seen it under construction and impressed by its size and scope.  Called SPA InterContinental, it is the most comprehensive SPA I have seen and it is beautiful with water everywhere and walls of orchids.  Rachel Xie, who showed me around while I took more photos, warmly greeted me.  She was very informative and gave me a good description of the services provided in the most extensive SPA facility I have yet seen.  Quite impressive!  See more at: http://www.intercontinental.com/intercontinental/en/gb/spa/sanya

Then I went back to my suite to escape the afternoon heat and enjoy some air conditioning while relaxing and taking some notes, and looking over the expanse of luscious scenery below.  After freshening up, I left my suite at 5:30 and walked to the lobby bar called Hai Lounge, with an expansive view of the beach and the sea beyond.  I sat at the bar and following some explanations regarding my particular idiosyncrasies associated with my Martinis, Jane Li did a great job of serving up a clear and cold Dry Bombay Sapphire Martini, while Bella Ma prepared my Bitters and Soda with Lemon and a lot of ice, both exactly the way I like them.  I had a nice talk with Jane about the excitement of working in a new and vibrant resort by the sea.  I enjoyed talking with Jane and appreciated her enthusiasm for her job.  A trainee now, I think she has a bright future in hospitality!  Hai Lounge is an open-air environment and breezy on this late October evening.  In fact, the entire resort is the epitome of open-air and spaciousness and expansive living space, giving the feeling of a leaf being lifted off the calm waters and floating through the air on gentle breezes.  I felt like I could fly around the whole place like a liberated and free spirit in total harmony with the environment.  I was fooled sometimes by open spaces in walls, and mirrors strategically placed, so that I had to look closely to see what was real and what was a reflection.  I liked that, like a mirage in the desert.

A special surprise exists for those who want something even more special than the normal accommodations here.  From the resorts literature, “Club InterContinental is a boutique resort within the main resort where guests enjoy new levels in personal service from the time they check in.  You can choose to get away from it all and escape to the Inspiration Space, which is an oasis from the real world.  Here you can take a relaxed cooking class, read a novel, or watch a classic movie while enjoying your privacy.  If you so choose, you can still stay connected to the outside world via laptops, Wi-Fi and TV.  There are a total of 133 guest rooms in Club InterContinental; 96 Club InterContinental, 8 Club InterContinental Suite, 20 One Bedroom Villa, 4 Two Bedroom Villa, 4 Premium Ocean Suite and 1 President Suite.
Privileges for Club InterContinental Guests:
Buffet breakfast served daily from 6:30 to 11:00
 -Afternoon tea served daily from 15:00 to 17:00
 -Complimentary alcohol and canapés from 17:00 to 19:00
 -Coffee, tea, soft drinks and snacks are available throughout the day
 -Computer and Internet services
 -Complimentary laundry of two pieces per day
 -Relaxation & inspirational moments at the Inspiration Space & Art Gallery
 -Club Lagoon Pool”
Of course my focus was directed to the exclusive restaurant for Club InterContinental guests, and other diners by reservation only if space is available.  From the resort’s website, “Exclusive to Club InterContinental guests, the beachfront dining venue is suffused with casual elegance befitting its esteemed clientele and features international fare, cocktails, and either indoor or outdoor seating areas”.  I thought a detailed review of an exclusive dining experience in this special restaurant would be exciting, so here it is!  I hitched a ride to Club InterContinental in an electric golf cart limousine driven by Thomas Wu.  With a wave and a smile, Executive Chef Richard Andrieux passed us on a motor scooter and beat us to Club InterContinental where the receptionist, Lydia Huang greeted me and escorted me to the restaurant.  I chatted with Duty Manager Demos Luo on the way and upon entering the restaurant was greeted by my Waitress, Jane Huang who installed me at my table where I sat for hours.  I talked with Annie Xu for a while, the Restaurant Manager who took care of me at lunch in Mediterraneano who was also managing this restaurant in the evening.  We talked about the restaurant, its location, and design and then Executive Chef Richard Andrieux stopped by to discuss the menu offerings and we agreed that he would prepare a multicourse degustation menu comprised of dishes typical of what guests experience during a normal visit to Club InterContinental.       

My Dining Experience:  Jane brought a glass of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Non-Vintage Champagne for me to enjoy with my first course, Trio of Salmon Canapés with Dill, Basil, and Mixed Herbs, presented by Chef Richard.  The Salmon Canapés were good, and I liked the variation of the 3 herb combinations with the Champagne. Another waitress named Crystal Zhao brought some bread and Jack Huang, Sous Chef in Charge brought my next course, Lobster with Turnip Slice, Rosemary, Vinegar, and Peanuts.  I continued with the Champagne for this dish and was surprised with the combination of flavors; sweet sauce, peanut flavor, crunchy turnip, and lightly cooked lobster, with a few local Rocket Sprigs on top for color, but also added pungency to the flavor blend.  Perfectly cooked, I loved the lobster.  It was a nice surprise.  Jane brought a bottle of 2009 Sauvignon Blanc by Cloudy Bay from New Zealand to enjoy with the rest of my dinner, while Jack brought my Scallop Tartar with Coconut Ice Cream, Mango Puree and a little Caviar with Hazelnut on top.  Cool and refreshing, this dish had explosive flavors of mango, coconut, and hazelnut, very nice with the Sauvignon Blanc.  Jane poured more wine and told me what the next course would be, Homemade Spinach Noodles with Chili Oil and Brazed Beef, Chinese Coriander, and Beef Bone Soup, which was delivered by Jack.  I heard that the resort owner likes this dish and I can understand why; obviously, he has excellent taste!  This is a Chinese style noodle soup with beef, baby bok choy, and mushrooms.  The beef was presented on top of the noodles with baby bok choy.  The beef was a little spicy and went well with the Sauvignon Blanc, which cooled the spice.  The flat noodles were mild and tasty, while the soup was very beefy and a little salty, a nice blend of savory flavors, and lots of it!  When Jane cleared my dishes there was nothing left because I picked up the bowl and drank the last of the soup.  Jane’s service was excellent and she always served from my right side, as is correct but often not followed in many restaurants.  She was also on top of my wine-chilling situation, always replenishing the ice in the wine bucket without my having to ask for it.  Pleasant conversation accompanied the service, which made it even better.  Jack brought my next course, Sea Bass with Passion Fruit and Rhubarb Compote.  With the rhubarb compote on top, the fish was tender and moist and mounted on top of the sauce and passion fruit, which was very sweet.  The fish was sandwiched between sweet passion fruit under and sweet rhubarb compote over.  The fish tasted, as you would expect a good Sea Bass to taste, a consistent mild flavor and flaky texture.  I ate the rhubarb compote with the skin of the fish, which was a little crunchy, and the rhubarb was powerfully sweet, but different than the sweetness in the passion fruit under the fish.  It was like 2 candies and 1 piece of fish in the middle.  The rhubarb was great, and as with rhubarb, it is not only sweet, but also has its own tartness in its character, which was different than the passion fruit.  This is quite an exercise to try to describe, so just go there and try it yourself, haha!  It was a very creative dish and fun to eat.  Rhubarb is special to me because it reminds me of my earliest years growing up in Portage Park, Chicago when my Grandmother, Ella Svendsen, would grow rhubarb against the wooden fence in the back yard of our house in the city.  I remember as a little boy going with her to the back yard to help her pick the rhubarb and I would watch her clean it in the kitchen and make it into a Rhubarb Pie with strips of pie crust crisscrossed on top.  I always loved those pies.  I miss them….and my Grandmother.  Next, Jack brought Cod Fish with Saffron Sauce, Calamari, Confit of Tomato, Asparagus Tips and Fresh Basil Garnish.  It was a beautiful dish with the cod fish on a thick yellow saffron sauce, 2 calamari on top and 1 on the side, 2 asparagus tips, the red tomato confit, and the green basil garnish.  I was ready to try some immediately because it smelled great and looked so nice.  The cod was very tender and warm and the sauce very rich, just my style!  I would welcome this as a main course on an a la carte menu in a huge portion because I could get lost in this one.  The fish was translucent and delicate, the tomato confit was sweet and of medium texture.  Not a puree, it was flat and folded over.  I ate it whole and alone as a distraction, then immediately went back to the fish to catch the intended combination of flavors, which was very good.  The asparagus was young with concentrated flavors.  I finished the last 2 pieces of the cod with the sauce alone and this was my favorite combination of flavors in this dish.  Jack brought dessert, 12 Flavors in a Coconut based Syrup over Whole Tomato Stuffed with Mixed Fruits and a Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.  A Michelin Star Chef in France originally created this dessert.  The tomato was warm and the ice cream cold, so it was a hot and cold dessert.  The fruit was diced into ¼ inch squares inside the tomato. The stuffed tomato was very sweet and with the vanilla ice cream and the spices and textures, reminded me of good old American Apple Pie.  Wow, this was a surprise taste treat not at all what it looked like!  This was a fantastic dessert that actually looked healthy!  While I was finishing this, Jack surprised me with another dessert, Chocolate Bliss – Chocolate Ice Cream on a Brownie.  What can I say about these chocolates?  You know, it is one of my many weaknesses and I devoured all of it in 3 bites.  Ahhhh, a nice finish to a fine dining experience in Club InterContinental.  Although the restaurant is designed with a casual feel and atmosphere, the quality of the food was truly in the “fine dining” class.  For one of the very best fine dining experiences in Sanya, I recommend that anyone visiting or living in Sanya make a trip to the Club InterContinental restaurant to try the creations of Chef Richard Andrieux, Chef Jack Huang, and their talented kitchen staff, while experiencing the fine service performed by the wait staff.  I know I will be going back for more of this excellent cuisine and Jane and Jack’s fine service provided seemingly so effortlessly, though I know it is hard work.  I had a nice talk at the end with Chef Richard and then with Jane.  I finished my wine and left very happily, saying goodbye to Jane and being driven back to the lobby by Jay Guo to get a taxi to my hotel.  I was so impressed with InterContinental Sanya Resort, that upon my return to Sanya I will stay there to experience the whole of what they have to offer.  I am looking forward to that, and I highly recommend this resort as amongst the very best available in any tropical paradise anywhere in the world.  So, if you feel like floating like a leaf on tropical breezes over serene water gardens, go to InterContinental Sanya Resort and relax on the beach in the beautiful sunshine.  My congratulations to Tony Marrinan for assembling a fantastic team and delivering to his guests, a dream come true!

CHEERS!

My Best as Always,

Randy