I stayed with my friends at Garden view balcony room at the Ritz in July end 2011.
The rooms were top notch.
The resort is huge and has lots to explore around. It has a well equipped amusement roon with table tennis, badminton, fooseball, chess and other board games to enjoy. There is a projector TV which plays movies for kids to keep them busy.
There are a number of Mahajong rooms. The resort had about 4 (or 3?) swimming pools. We did enjoy spending our times at the pool. Not to miss is the pool size bar which also serves great snacks.

The staff is really helpful. It was my husband's birthday and the staff was helpful enough to arrange for the surprise layout of his birthday cake (ofcourse on my instructions, but it was a flawless execution).

The breakfast buffet is sumptuous with almost something from every cusine.
The spa at the resort is also very nice with close access to a great beach.

All in all a very self sufficient and hospitable place.

We expect a lot from Ritz Carlton hotels given the price and reputation. Firstly the hotel is 120RMB from airport, about 45 mins so not close. Upon check in, they made us wait a long time. I like Eastern hospitality but it just tends to be disorganized and slow, ie our room wasn't ready despite we called that morning confirming a noon time arrival. And after we waited and hung around, checked in, we got our welcome drinks. Wierd. But that is not a big deal. The rooms and beach are generally fabulous- Yalong bay is gorgeous! But when lounging by the pool, no one comes around to offer drinks or food. At the beach we did get a free shot of mango juice, but she also never came back. You have to chase down service. Also - not a big deal because some people like their peace. The biggest issue is the unknowledgeable concierge people. They led us mistakenly to the kids pool to get tennis racquets and then had no recommendations for restaurants out of the hotel. Finally at check out, they tried to tax us 22 Rmb claiming it was Hainan service fee. We disputed this saying our travel agent should have charged it. They removed it. All in all- great for China albeit very costly! But service levels and training need work.

Stayed for 2 nights in mid-November attending a business conference.

Good points - wonderfully spacious room with great bathroom; superb buffet breakfast (wonderful selection of both Western and Asian cuisine); helpful staff; good beach (nice sand quality); really good spa facilities; very nice gym. Overall, a very nice beach resort

Bad points - The nearest town (Sanya) is more than half an hour away by taxi so you're pretty much stuck with the F&B outlets at the resort and other 5 star hotels in the vicinity. Given the captive audience and given that this is a Ritz, food & beverage outlets are not cheap (but they are good!). Main courses at the Italian restaurant average around US$40 in the evening. If you're at the Chinese restaurant be careful if you order Chinese tea. Normally tea-ordering in a Chinese restaurant is an afterthought - the assumption being that the tea will cost a couple of dollars per head. At the RC, that's not the case. It's very easy to end up ordering a tea costing US$15 or more per person - demand to see the tea menu (it's extensive) and you'll avoid a nasty shock

Stayed for 6 nights as part of a conference. The room was large, a bit too far to walk from the bed to the dressing room truth be told, very well appointed and practically faultless. Staff were extremely helpful and always smiling, which makes a change from further north in China.

The hotel is big, you have to walk a long way to the main facilities if you are in one of the outer blocks. But there is a good choice of restaurants. I particularly liked Sands, which is nearest the beach. It has a relaxed atmosphere and very good seafood. The main lobby bar had amplified music on an evening, which was unnecessary and appeared to drive people away because you couldn't hear what anyone said.

The beach is really nice, firm sand, very clean and the water warm an inviting. Golf is available very close by at Yalong Bay. Recommended. Excellent gym at the hotel also.

The only downside apart from the high prices these resorts charge is that you are 20-25 mins away from anywhere that isn't a large resort hotel. Downtown Sanya has some restaurants and nightlife but it is a trek to get there and back.