A cool glass of chardonnay; fresh grouper with French beans and roe crab; a view across perfectly cut lawns past an infinity pool to a turquoise sea; a marble bathroom, BBC World and a kingsize bed...

The Maldives? The Seychelles, Mauritius, Dubai, Caribbean, even Bali? Well, obviously. But now you can add Hainan to the list, a Chinese island on the South China Sea that's about to transform the way we think about holidays in the world's most populous country.

The resort of Sanya on the southern tip of Hainan, 300 miles from Hong Kong, was little more than a sleepy agricultural backwater a decade ago, with a few hotels offering R&R to Beijing's elite and HK expatriates.

Now it is in the midst of a Dubai-style hotel expansion, adding a beach option to the busy cultural itinerary of Beijing (The Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall of China), Xian (Terracotta Warriors) and Shanghai (the country's most vibrant, westernised city).

Sheraton and Marriott have recently opened 500-room resorts, while Hilton and Crowne Plaza are coming next year. Shangri-La is sizing up its opportunities. And the suggestion is that several other big name chains are on the point of making announcements. Room booking in Sanya's five largest hotels are projected to rise from 298,000 to 517,000 this year, an increase of 43 per cent.

Claudio Nardini, the dapper general manager of Sheraton Sanya Resort on Yalong Bay, the prettiest stretch of coast (with a sand beach and year round temperatures in the plus 20Cs), believes worldwide recognition is just a matter of time. He said: "Until recently nobody had heard of Sanya, but now, with the arrival of so many new international companies, we're getting on the map.

"Most Europeans don't know about China - their knowledge is not up to date. They don't realise China has opened up. It's now the great developing country. It's been astonishing how things have changed recently, simply astonishing."

One reason for Hainan's increased exposure is the Miss World competition, held annually on the island in November. The profile boost since 2003 has brought in big name investors, who have been alerted to the island's white sand, palm tree and blue sea potential. Hainan has been dubbed "China's Hawaii" - partly as it is on the same latitude as Hawaii, although the waves are not big enough for surfing. Instead, there is windsurfing, jet-skiing, snorkelling and diving.

One British tour operator, Kuoni Holidays, is now offering Sanya in its China programme from 2006. Two-week breaks taking in Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Sanya cost from £1,500-£2,500. "People can chill out after seeing the main China sights," said spokeswoman Sarah Bolam. "It adds another dimension to the country. We really think it's going to be big. I'm very excited about it I get prickles when I think that we're here now at the start of something that is going to be massive."

Nearby attractions include the market in the city of Sanya (population 500,000), a 20-minute drive from Yalong Bay and, 40 minutes away, Guan Yin, the world's tallest statue, which opened in April and at 108 metres is taller than the Statue of Liberty. Nardini hopes that the international airport - big enough for 747s - will start taking flights from Europe soon. "Last week we had four groups here from Germany; they had been to see the Terracotta Warriors at Xian and to Beijing," he said. "We think there wll be international flights within a year - possibly charters, then scheduled afterwards."

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