Beaches of soft white sand, pristine clear waters and lush rainforests are not the images usually associated with China. But these are the dominant features of Hainan Island, China's tropical paradise and rapidly emerging destination for international corporate groups.

But what is placing Hainan Island firmly on the event organiser's agenda is the development of some outstanding 5 star properties along the beautiful palm-fringed shoreline of the South China Sea at the resort town of Sanya.

Hainan is located off the coast of the Chinese mainland to the south of Hong Kong,at roughly the same latitude as Hawaii. There are miles of unspoiled beaches with plenty of opportunities for watersports, paragliding, snorkelling on the reef or scuba. Pearls are harvested in the shallow waters surrounding the island and tigers live in the interior rainforest.

Recently TMG Events account manager Sophie Moseley had the opportunity to see all this for herself and assess the likely appeal of the brand new hotel properties.

" I stayed at the Hilton Sanya Resort and Spa in Yalong Bay. What a great location! Set in tropical gardens and amongst meandering lagoons, the property overlooks 750m of stunning beachfront. The rooms are huge with extra large terraces or balconies and fantastic views over the water. There's a good selection of restaurants, including the Chinese banquet presented on large table rounds of 16, absolutely ideal for smaller groups. And the service levels are excellent from the multi-national staff, though the management is primarily European. Perhaps what impressed me most of all was the sheer quality of the spa…and what great value…the equivalent of just £50 for a ninety minute massage in a 5-star spa. Outstanding! Hainan is luxury at a bargain price."

The Sheraton and Kempinski are alternative five star properties at Sanya, with both Mandarin Oriental and Ritz Carlton scheduled to open their doors before the end of the year.

Sophie considers that a three-night 'relaxation' break at one of these sparkling new establishments would be ideal to graft on to a two or three night stay in Beijing, or better still, Shanghai or Hong Kong. Flying time from Shanghai to Hainan is around 2hrs30mins and from Hong Kong a very rapid 1hr30mins. Sanya has its own international airport just minutes from all the hotels. Sophie returned via Hong Kong.

Sophie's top three tips: 1. The Langham Place Hotel is a great place to stay cool and contemporary in a good location just off Nathan Road. 2. DO build into the budget a helicopter flip from the summit of the Peninsular Hotel - there's no better way to see Hong Kong. 3. Be sure to plan at least one meal at the Café Deco, a 1930's inspired art deco restaurant at the top of Victoria Peak - sensational views through the glass wall extending the entire length of the restaurant.

Interested in this destination? Contact TMG Events.