The Ritz-Carlton Sanya

Roof pitch, timbers and light natural stonework bring local characteristics and authenticity to the contemporary design

contemporary chinese architecture at Ritz Carlton Sanya overlooking the pool with candle lanterns floating

At a glance

The Ritz-Carlton Sanya is a 37-acre beachfront resort at Yalong Bay, Sanya, China, designed by WATG, comprising 361 keys, 20 suites, and 35 villas. WATG reduced the originally specified 500-key programme to a lower-density layout of approximately 300 keys to prioritise guest privacy, a decision later validated by the resort’s commercial performance. Accommodation buildings are oriented between mountain and rainforest to the rear and Yalong Bay and the South China Sea to the front. The resort received China’s National Green Hotel Gold Leaf Grade in 2010.

Project Data

Location

Sanya
China

Size

37 acres, 361 keys, 20 suites, 35 villas

Services

Architecture + Design Consultancy

Exterior image of the Ritz Carlton in Sanya, China

Roof pitch, timbers and light natural stonework bring local characteristics and authenticity to the contemporary design.

Pool view of the Ritz Carlton in Sanya, China

Accommodation buildings are positioned to take in the majestic mountains and rainforests to the rear and the open view to Yalong Bay and the South China Sea to the front.

Ritz-Carlton Sanya

Sunken seating in outdoor pavilions brings the human scale of landscaping and water features to eye level inviting sea breezes and serenity to the guest experience.

Practice has proved that the low-density main body and pool villa layout created at the Sanya Ritz-Carlton, focusing on privacy, has become the magic weapon for Ritz to win in Sanya.

The Result

Although WATG successfully won the bid for the project, it was eliminated in the first round because it adjusted the required 500-room resort size to a lower-density resort with only 300 rooms. But in the end, WATG relied on its insistence on the privacy of the resort to regain the bidding qualification and became the ultimate winner. Practice has proved that the low-density main body and pool villa layout created at the Sanya Ritz-Carlton, focusing on privacy, has become the magic weapon for Ritz to win in Sanya. The garden inspired by the Summer Palace makes this seaside holiday wonderland even more powerful.

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