5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

Many people visit Kota Kinabalu just for its legendary sunsets, rumored to be among the top three in the world 🌇. That's why we chose to stay at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru. The hotel boasts its own private beach, so you don't have to jostle with crowds at the public Tanjung Aru beach. The Sunset Bar, the lawn, and the beachfront boardwalk all offer incredible vantage points for the sunset. Although there was haze when we visited, we were lucky enough to catch a decent sunset that day 🌇 – a delicate pink and purple hue, perfect for photos. To be honest, the hotel 🏨 grounds are massive, to the point where it's easy to get lost. After checking in, we couldn't find our room initially and had to ask staff to escort us. Even checking out, we almost couldn't find the front desk. However, the hotel offers a plethora of activities, and we simply didn't have enough time to explore everything. If you're booking, I recommend getting a ground-floor sea view room. You can walk straight from your balcony to the beach, saving you a long detour. Guests get priority for sunset viewing spots at the bar, with three price tiers. I think even if you book the cheapest option, you can still take photos in the more expensive sofa areas – no big deal. We booked the 198MB per person high-top seats, and the sunset photos turned out amazing. The hotel even provides beach flip-flops, which is a thoughtful touch. However, when I called the front desk later that evening to request another pair, they sent a different type of standard hotel slipper. The person who delivered them seemed to be a local, and communication was a bit difficult. When I explained I wanted the other type, he seemed annoyed or something, and told me they only provide them once and don't restock those specific flip-flops. Is that really a rule? I think it's just laziness; that staff member was unhelpful 🙅‍♀️. On a positive note, I have to commend the bar staff. They're super engaging, posing with a🫰 hand gesture in photos and even showing off a cool trick, balancing a bottle on their elbow – absolutely brilliant. Another special shout-out goes to the young man at the coconut 🥥 stall by the beach. He's genuinely handsome and kind, with a great personality. It was incredibly hot on the beach that day, so we went to buy a coconut drink. While chatting, he asked how many days we were staying, and I mentioned I was leaving that very day. When it was time to pay, he refused to take my money, saying it was on him since it was my last day. I was so touched by his generosity. The hotel breakfast is incredibly rich and delicious, with something for everyone. I would definitely book here again next time. Everything was wonderful. I imagine many people also have lawn weddings here – it must be so romantic. If you're going diving at Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, it's very close to this hotel too.

The water in the hotel's area is heavily polluted; it's so dirty that snorkeling is completely out of the question! The front desk staff were very perfunctory with guest requests and didn't follow through on promises. In the morning, we requested a private boat tour for island hopping and snorkeling. We discussed the time and itinerary with the dive center staff and finalized the price with the front desk. We even altered our subsequent travel plans for this. However, by 4 PM, we still hadn't received confirmation. When we called the front desk, they told us they couldn't arrange it. We asked several people, and got different explanations: first they said there were no boats, then that other guests had already been arranged for island hopping, and then that there would be a storm the next day (which turned out to be perfectly calm). I suggest the hotel improve its island hopping service. For those looking to dive, definitely don't consider this hotel! Also, the beach is incredibly tiny, barely palm-sized!

The staff friendliness is just amzing 10/10. Excellent Service.Our room had amazing view of the sea and opposite resort called Gayana. Dinner: Only Buffet option is available and its about RM167/person +taxes. The spread are fairly good and it is delicious. Though they do have 2 more different Restaurant in the island,Japanese and fine dining. Breakfast: Included in the room price. Menu changes daily. I have nothing to complaint about the room,for us its comfortable.All rooms have exactly the dane Designs the only difference is where it is located. You are paying for the view. Activities: For me I think 3 days 2 nights are perfect to spend your time here, swimming by the pool,kayaking,snorkling,Jungle trekking, visiting the private beach. 1 hour complimentary use of snorklinh masks. I like the public guests showers and towel provided.Very convinient. One thing that I would like to comment is the boat fees are relatively very expansive.15 mins speedboat per person one way cost about Rm80+taxes..Just return trip cost RM170++ per person. This is not even including island conservation fees and tourist fees. All this added fees makes the Hotel cost more expansive. Because a boat trip to nearby or same Island cost only Rm40. GAYANA ECO RESORT provided inclusive/complimentary return boat fees. I hope the Management can improve this because we as Guests are going to spend more money on F&B and at the Bar. Last but not least I would like to compliment the service and staffs in thsi Resort I think they did such an amazing job. Overalö the Resort is beautiful andclose to the nature.

The hotel is located an hour from the airport, costing less than 3000 yen by taxi. Tuaran, where the hotel is situated, is rich in nature, and I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The sunset was exceptional. I requested a twin room with a sea view. Basic amenities were provided. The hotel is very environmentally conscious and mindful of SDGs. You can also enjoy the sunset from the window. If you have children, a pool view is recommended. I booked through Trip.com, so I couldn't earn points, which was a bit disappointing. However, there was no deposit required, and payments were made as we went. Regarding dining, the same menu was available everywhere in the poolside area. For an à la carte dinner or lunch, the prices were the same. A hamburger cost 2700 yen (it was so much food, we could have easily shared it). Pasta was around 2300 yen, and pizza started from 3000 yen, loaded with cheese. After ordering drinks, we were absolutely stuffed. We tried the seafood buffet on a Saturday. It was surprisingly delicious! For breakfast, everyone enjoyed the buffet, choosing whatever they liked. There were freshly baked and sliced breads, sweets, pancakes, and the doughnuts were particularly recommended. Malaysian doughnuts are excellent, and the ones at this hotel were truly delicious. For activities, there were horse rides along the beach, jungle walks, river cruises by boat, and banana boating was also pictured. There were different events each day; we saw the fire dance on Tuesday and Sunday evenings. During the day, you can book a bus to go to the mall for lunch. We had Chinese food and Burger King there. If you decide to stay at Rasa Ria, I recommend staying put and fully enjoying Tuaran rather than constantly going out. The portion sizes are generous.

Will come back :) Babe sea turtle 🐳🐳🐳All the staff were nice ,and the front r perfect for snowkeling tons of fish and colorful coral .Wifi is fine YouTube and Netflix in room . Feed you 4 meals a day ,Very chill place to relax and clean Well maintained ，Vending machine has beers ,snacks,instant noodles all are cheap price.We did the scuba diving and will do fiahing next time. 有空會再來！10月10日後我們剛好避開很多團體，來的時候沒人非常棒，水下資源有夠美生態豐富多魚多珊瑚有傑克魚海狼海龜，員工們都非常友好，我們三個人被20個人服務覺得很棒！

Although it's still called Hyatt, it's very old and doesn't feel like a five-star hotel at all. The guest room corridors have very low ceilings and a musty smell. The rooms are quite old, the carpets have obvious stains, and the quality of amenities like slippers and tissues is quite poor. Despite booking a sea view room for four consecutive nights, the front desk only assigned us to the 2nd floor. It's incredibly close to the road, and the glass soundproofing is mediocre. We essentially couldn't open the curtains because people on the street could see directly into the room. The motorcycle noise continued until late at night, making earplugs a necessity.

DARREN：We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the front‑desk staff for upgrading our room. The upgraded room was spacious and comfortable, which greatly improved our stay experience. The service was thoughtful and warm. We really appreciated this kind gesture and highly recommend this hotel. LEANDRA：Special thanks to the front‑desk team for granting us a late check‑out. This flexible arrangement allowed us to finish our packing and leave at a relaxed pace without rushing. The considerate service made our departure much smoother. We are very satisfied with our stay here.

Everything was perfect. Every staff member at the resort was incredibly welcoming and helpful, even the maintenance workers I passed on the paths greeted me warmly. The food in the restaurant was delicious, and breakfast was absolutely perfect – I couldn't find a single fault. The resort doesn't cut back on service or close facilities just because there are fewer guests, which is great. It was a perfect getaway, and I will definitely be returning.

How do I put it? It wasn't particularly outstanding. I was originally torn between the Hyatt Centric and The Magellan Sutera, but once I arrived, I realized the Marriott is essentially in the middle ground between the two, both in terms of location and hotel type. The Hyatt Centric is downtown with numerous eateries right downstairs, while The Magellan Sutera is more of a secluded beach resort. The Marriott is in between, so it doesn't quite excel at either. It's true that there are motorcycles revving down the street if you have a city view, but it didn't really affect my sleep. It's also under the flight path, but there weren't many planes at night. To the south, there's a Bataras supermarket, and their pomelos are highly recommended this season. Further south is Imago. The area directly downstairs from the hotel itself is a bit desolate. The infinity pool on the 8th floor is decent, but there are no changing rooms.

The location and condition of the accommodation are great. It's also good that you can use the Magellan Sutera's pool after taking a shuttle or walking there. The secret beach on the Pacific side was actually wider and more pleasant, which I liked even more. The Breeze Restaurant by the pool was delicious too. If I come back, I'll definitely stay here again!