Along the South China Sea at Haitang Bay, Shangri-La Sanya approaches resort hospitality through the relationship between guest experience, the surrounding environment, and the local community. A peaceful seaside retreat with 492 guestrooms, family activities, and varied dining experiences, the resort also maintains environmental and social initiatives extending beyond its day-to-day hospitality operations. This approach has received 2026 recognition from the International Sustainability Awards for responsible hospitality through mangrove conservation, plastic reduction initiatives, and long-term community engagement.

A Resort Experience with a Wider Perspective

Shangri-La Sanya combines its coastal setting with an experience designed for families and leisure travelers. Its 492 guestrooms offer garden or ocean views, while recreational spaces include an outdoor waterpark, Funventure Zone, and outdoor swimming pools. Activities range from Funventure Boot Camp to helicopter tours, creating different ways for families to spend their time at the resort.

Dining is another part of the experience, with offerings that include innovative Hainan Local cuisine and authentic Southeast Asian delicacies. Together, these elements establish the resort as a place where time by the sea can move between relaxation, dining, recreation, and shared family experiences.

Beyond these guest-facing elements, Shangri-La Sanya has developed a longer-term environmental focus. Its support of Tielugang Mangrove Nature Reserve dates to 2016. In 2026, the resort planted 60 new mangroves, bringing the total planted through the conservation initiative to more than 5,700. The work places biodiversity conservation within an ongoing program rather than a single activity.

Reducing Single-Use Plastics

The resort’s environmental measures also extend into hospitality operations. In October 2022, Shangri-La Sanya introduced a pilot initiative to stop providing single-use plastic water bottles at banquets and meetings. From June 2023, it adopted the local government’s plastic-free policy, under which combs and cotton slippers are no longer provided in guestrooms.

These measures address several areas of the guest journey while reflecting a practical approach to reducing reliance on single-use plastics. Alongside mangrove conservation, they form key components of the sustainable initiatives that Shangri-La Sanya plans to continue. The resort has also received China Green Hotel certification at the 5-Leaf Level, evaluated according to the national Green Hotel standard GB/T 21084-2007.

Community Engagement Beyond the Resort

Responsible hospitality at Shangri-La Sanya also includes engagement with communities in Sanya and Haitang District. The resort regularly organizes beach clean-up activities focused on the coastal ecological environment and provides long-term care for children at Sanya Bright Connection Centre for Children with Brain Disabilities. It has also donated books to Changtian Primary School in Haitang District to support local education.

Further support is directed toward Bingcun Village School, a rural school serving Mango Village, Sanzao Village, and neighboring communities. According to the resort’s sustainability assessment, this support encompasses education, care, health and safety, nutrition, and facilities improvement projects.

Hospitality Connected to Place

The International Sustainability Awards recognition places these initiatives within a broader view of responsible hospitality – one in which environmental action and community engagement develop alongside the resort experience. For Shangri-La Sanya, mangrove conservation provides a particularly clear expression of this approach, with support for Tielugang Mangrove Nature Reserve sustained since 2016 and measured through more than 5,700 mangroves planted.

As the resort continues its mangrove conservation and plastic reduction efforts, its sustainability direction remains connected to both place and practice. Along Haitang Bay, that perspective adds another dimension to a seaside stay shaped by family experiences, dining, recreation, and the natural coastal environment.

Discover more about Shangri-La Sanya.