For children, the Kid's Club, said to be the largest of its kind in resort hotels in the city, is a must-visit adventure of rings, swings, slides and a special children's rock climbing installation.

At the back of hotel there is also a slide and swing, but these are for indigenous wild macaques. The mountains are home to the macaques, which may appear near the hotel.

The hotel's mascot is a monkey called Tiantian, which is derived from part of its Chinese name shanhaitian, meaning mountains, sea and sky.

Down a street through the mountain, you can browse a bazaar near some fishing villages that is popular with the locals, where you can feast on fresh sea food, local specialties, smoothies and fruits.

Unlike many of its rivals, the hotel is just five minutes by car from downtown Sanya offering easy access to the city's amenities including shopping malls and restaurants. It is remarkable that while the hotel is so close to its worldly neighbors, it enjoys such a tranquil atmosphere just down the road.

My friends' concerns over my trip evaporated on my return after I shared my photos with them on WeChat, China's most popular social media platform. For me, the melting heat was refreshing, thanks to the relaxing ambience of the hotel embraced by nature.