BEIJING—The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has teed up a second resort hotel on China’s only tropical island of Hainan, signing a management agreement with Hainan Golden Tide Tourism Development Co., Ltd.
The luxury development underlines the provincial government’s drive to enhance the destination for international visitors with prestigious new projects, balancing cultural heritage and preserving the island’s natural beauty, according to the company.
Commanding an East Coast location near the city of Wanning, the private oceanfront setting of The Ritz-Carlton resort will include the debut of the first Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in China. The 18-hole course will be designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
“Nanyan Bay will be a sensational new resort destination for The Ritz-Carlton in the much-heard-about, but relatively under-explored, ‘Hawaii of the East’,” said Herve Humler, president and COO for The Ritz-Carlton. “We are pleased to be working with our partners, Hainan Golden Tide Tourism Development, to create a new international oceanfront resort for sophisticated travelers looking to explore the unexplored.”
The Ritz-Carlton, Nanyan Bay is scheduled to open in 2017, offering 244 guestrooms and suites in addition to 14 private villas. Five dining options include a Chinese restaurant, pool bar and grill, all-day dining restaurant and lobby lounge. There will be a grand ballroom, as well as meeting and event venue space. A luxury spa, fitness center, recreation pavilion and multiple swimming pools are among the resort’s private facilities. Completing the oceanview development will be residences, entertainment and luxury retail stores.
Nearby, there are secluded islands such as Dazhou and Jiajiang, which are known for their scuba and watersports.
The Hainan government has highlighted Wanning as a new tourism hub by completing infrastructure projects such as a new nearby airport, a high-speed railway and new roads to improve accessibility, according to the company.
The property’s location is also close to several natural hot springs and nature trails leading into the ancient tropical rainforests with 4,600 kinds of flora and fauna, and the home to one of three local ethnic tribes—the Miao people.