Before the trip, we really didn't know much about Saipan other than it was a critical location during WWII with Japan. We booked a tour package to get away from Shanghai. There were direct flights to Saipan which made the trip with little children a bit less hassle, however the red-eye flight wasn't too pleasant either. We got into the hotel ~4am.
Saipan is beautiful, a relatively less developed island. Hotels and restaurants aren't up to par with the famous beaches. However it's much less crowded and feels more relaxing. Scenery is superb and beaches are clean and unspoiled.