Fabulous rooms, great service, shame not directly on the beach front (5 mins walk to private beach).
Rooms were huge with 6ft wide bed and LCD TV, and the bathrooms were also huge. If you like to retire early perhaps ask for a room with a mountain view and that does not overlook the shops or pool area.

It's really a great stay cos' i booked the room at USD100/night for 2!!!
staff there r good: speaks fluent english, sincere attitude, smiling faces all the time!
the environment is good also expecially the view of their private beach, although its quite far away from the hotel main building, we have to walk across a main road for 10mins...

U can get what u expected in this hotel unless u got sick in the hotel n need to call a doctor as this was the worst feeling i got in this hotel. i hope that they can have a medical room or a doctor with proper dressing with a proper treatment to the guests...

I booked a Premium room but was upgraded to a Suite upon check-in. I LOVED the room - it was huge! Large separate mini kitchen, dining and lounge with a balcony and then a large king size bed with side lounge, plasma and another balcony in the other room which had full wall of sliding doors behind which opened into a large bathroom with the biggest tub I have ever seen in the middle of the room. The furniture, decorations and finishes were very nice - mix of modern Western and Asian. The view was of other resort buidlings as Crowne Plaza not beachfront - something that I didnt think I would mind but I found it a little disappointing when I arrived - the beach isnt too far away at all (5 min walk) but it would have been nice to view the surf and Yalong Bay (plus we might have caught some cool ocean breezes). Dining was ok - menus catered for Chinese, Western and Japanese. As a Westerner, there wasnt alot of variety for us and those dishes that were available tasted ok - nothing special. Prices were not too expensive. Service was ok too - alot of people seem to complain about it after reading other comments here and in other comments for other hotels - I dont understand how people can expect that it will be like in the US or elsewhere where people come running to the cab to carry your bag etc - its China people!!! I think all employees where quite competent, friendly, always smiling and tried to assist when asked - yes there is some language difficulty but if both sides have a little patience then you get there in the end eventually. The pools were nice - very clean but not really deep. The swim up bar was great. However the area lacked a resort atmosphere for some reason - maybe because there was not much grass/palms surrounding the lagoon pools. Crowne is situated near the "shopping mall" - a few shops selling clothes and jewellery - I dont rate them at all so a waste of time going - they have a "supermarket" but it is just full of junk food but you can buy beer/water/soft drinks which could keep your cost down in the resort. There are lots of cafes/bars here too ranging from Chinese to Sth American to US themes - no atmosphere when we went so I wouldnt return again. The Crowne seemed to have a few different conferences while we were there - I think they have the most business facilities of all Yalong hotels so I reckon it is more Business orientated than resort. We tried the Tea Tree Spa which was great - really good range of massages and facials and again the cost wasnt outrageous. Overall, I loved the suite but the hotel and its ffood/facilities was just satisfactory. I would come back to Yalong Bay again as the area is clean, quiet and the beach is nice but I will try either the Sheraton/Mariott/Hilton next.

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza after doing a lot of research for the right place on Yalong Bay. We were very pleased with the Crowne Plaza and will definitely come here again.

First off, Yalong Bay is a bit like Mexico's Cancun hotel strip, in my opinion. If you are going for the beach resort, R&R experience, then this would be the right choice. If you want more of the Playa del Carmen experience, go to Dadonghai Bay (but I think the beach is nicer in Yalong Bay).

The Crowne Plaza was particularly wonderful for several reasons. First, we wanted to have a variety of things to do and places to eat. I hate being locked into a property where the only dining options are the very few overpriced hotel restaurants. I like options. The Crowne Plaza is adjacent to a shopping center with plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy. There are even a couple of lower cost options such as a pizza place, small cafe, and ice cream parlor. There is even a small supermarket for you to find extra drinks and snacks, and necessities. Plus, there is a PADI dive center on site (affiliated with the PADI dive center at another hotel...I believe the Marriott or Sheraton), and some expensive shops if you're looking to throw some money down.

Second, the price was right. I looked on a variety of web sites and got common prices. It was sort of a holiday week when I went, so many hotels were raising prices or sold out. Don't forget about the travel agents! I found a local Sanya travel agent who got me a fantastic price, compared to many similar hotels in the area. I recommend using a travel agent, even if you're coming from overseas. You can save a lot of money, and it's nice to have someone local to contact who can assist you and possibly speak your language!

Third, our room was amazing. We were in building 3, and overlooked a big pool, toward the mountains. The bed is set smack in the middle of the room, facing the window. The room was huge. The bathroom, which has a tub free standing in the middle of the room, was bigger than some hotel rooms I've stayed in before. We did not have the cheapest room option, but we only paid slightly more for this, and it was worth it. By the way, I might suggest you avoid rooms that overlook the shopping area. There is a band that plays every night which could get loud at night.

Beach: The hotel is not on the beach, but it's just across the street. It's a simple walk (but do ask for specific directions because we did get a little lost), or you can be driven there in a golf cart. There is a special area for guests with toilets, showers, a small cafe, and lounge chairs with hotel staff to assist you. The beach itself is very nice. Pretty calm & clear waters usually, but sometimes the waves pick up enough for a body surf. Nothing to see in a snorkel so don't bother, except occasional jellyfish. Plus, you must stay within a roped area. We tested that rule, but realized why it was there when we almost got run over by a jet ski (yes, in the general entrance beach area next to the hotel's space, you can rent jet skis, boats, go in a plastic bubble, etc.). This beach area is quieter than further down by the Holiday Inn (madness), but it's still a little busy since the general entrance is next door.

Breakfast: The buffet was pretty good, I think. It didn't change much day-to-day, but it was vast. The hotel was extremely busy so service was a little mediocre during peak breakfast buffet time, but that was not a problem for us. You could even order a cappuccino...

Service: This was good for the most part. If you are expecting everyone to speak perfect English, my first comment on that is to stop it. This is China. Most staff spoke some English, if not plenty. I found the service to be wonderful at times, mediocre at times as well...much like anyplace really.

I did call on the doctor once, if anyone is interested in knowing about that. There is a doctor! :) She was very sweet, but didn't speak any English. Be prepared.