5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu is probably the best place to stay in the entire city, not just for the rooms, but for everything else as well. The hotel is modern, very clean, and the service attitude from every single staff member is outstanding, from check-in to housekeeping to restaurant and bar teams. The pool and views on the 23rd floor are amazing, and the gym, while slightly small, has a really nice mountain view. Breakfast offers a great variety, and à la carte options are included at no extra cost, which is a big plus. The bar is excellent, especially during happy hour with buy-one-get-one-free deals on selected drinks. Honestly, the hotel was so comfortable that we barely wanted to leave, even just for a walk outside. Special thanks to Natalie at check-in, who was incredibly friendly, patient, and welcoming. She even upgraded us from a city-view room to a mountain-view room, which made the stay even more special. At the bar, Alvin was tirelessly explaining the menu and drinks to us, and Yus always greeted us with a warm smile and provided great service, they truly made the experience memorable. If I ever come back to Kota Kinabalu, this would 100% be my place to stay again.

Our small family decided to have a staycation in few hotel/resort and by far Sutera has won our heart. This place is amazing and i suggest anybody who wants to experience this place to stay more than 1Night. The room is still in its Vintage style , tv only has those old channel , there's one bathtub in the room which we loved specially my son,for the breakfast i do believe they can add more choices as they are more korean dishes focused, it'll be nice to have local kuih (hinompuka/pais pisang) other than kuih pisang only.. But other than that, you actually get free 1hour of bike rental on ur stay which we only know when we ask around, it was located right in front of the kids pool , other than that they do have a small train going around from Magellan to Pacific sutera and its FOC!!! I loved the staff energy the entire time, he asked our son to be in his seat as a driver and even let my son press few button and act like he's driving the train!! god bless your fun soul sir!! keep up the good work!! we will definitely be back again soon🥰❣️

An absolutely fantastic experience, you simply *must* book a sea-view room! Not only do you get an unbeatable ocean vista, but stunning views are everywhere you look. 👍 I forgot my slippers 🩴, so the thoughtful provision of slippers 🩴 was excellent and much appreciated. The most heartwarming touch: after check-out, they offer a temporary lounge where you can shower, take a bath 🛀, and even use a sauna, complete with hair dryers.

My stay at Hilton Kota Kinabalu was professional and comfortable overall, balancing business efficiency with a holiday atmosphere. It's a very mature and reliable upscale hotel option in the city center of Sabah. 📍 **Location** The hotel is located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, with convenient transportation. It's about a 15-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and surrounded by a wide range of restaurants, shopping malls, and banks. It's very convenient for accessing the waterfront and major business districts, making it suitable for business trips and short stays. 🛏️ **Room Experience** The room design continues Hilton's consistent modern business style, with a well-planned layout. The bedding is very comfortable, and soundproofing is excellent. The room's cleanliness and maintenance are kept at a high standard, effectively alleviating travel fatigue. 🍽️ **Dining & Executive Lounge** The breakfast offers a rich variety of options, combining Chinese and Western cuisine, with efficient service. The Executive Lounge provides a quiet and private environment, suitable for business meetings or brief work. In the evenings, it offers light meals and drinks, providing a professional and orderly experience overall. 🏊 **Facilities** The hotel is equipped with a gym and an outdoor swimming pool, both well-maintained. The pool area offers expansive views, balancing urban scenery with a relaxing experience, perfect for a short break during a busy itinerary. 🤝 **Service Experience** The front desk and service staff are highly professional overall, with smooth communication and seamless English service. Their timely responses reflect the mature service system of an international chain hotel. ✅ **Overall Review** Hilton Kota Kinabalu is highly suitable for: • Business travel • Company hospitality • Mid-to-high-end guests • Trips requiring stable accommodation and service standards The overall stay experience was solid and dependable, making it one of the hotels in Kota Kinabalu worth long-term partnership and recommendation.

I have to say this is one of the best hotels that I have ever visited. The hotel room is dustless, very clean. The location is very strategic, less than 5 minutes walk to go to Todak waterfront to enjoy seafood, or another 5 minutes walk in opposite direction to go to Suria mall for shopping. The staff here are friendly and dedicated in their services.After checking in, the staff gave me a call to ask me whether I am happy with the condition of the room. The breakfast is awesome, many varieties and very tasty. I am a demanding person, but this hotel does not disappoint me. It should be a role model for other hotels to follow.

The sea view from our room was partially obstructed, which was a minor downside. However, we were very satisfied with everything else. The panoramic sea-view infinity pool was fantastic. The room itself was spacious and well-equipped. The surrounding area has plenty to offer: a street with sea-view restaurants and bars, a seafood night market, and a large shopping mall with a supermarket. It's also very close to the airport and not far from Sunset Beach. Due to its location under the flight path, you might hear planes passing by. Most importantly, the price was reasonable, making the sea-view room excellent value for money.

The hotel staff were all polite and enthusiastic. I didn't encounter any issues with discrimination against Chinese guests, no hot water at night, and no deposit was required. You can tell the hotel is a bit old, but it's well-maintained, especially the large private beach where you can snorkel, swim, or leisurely watch the sunset without having to deal with crowds elsewhere. That's a huge plus! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 On the second night, I saw a dying cockroach in the bathroom (its antennae wiggled for a long time). Considering it's a tropical region, it's understandable, and the fact that it was dying suggests the hotel uses pest control. However, housekeeping randomly took guests' personal belongings when cleaning the room. Two plastic bags with items in them were on the TV cabinet, and they were gone when I returned at night. This is the first time I've encountered such a situation in my 10+ years of travel. Although the items weren't valuable, their absence was very inconvenient. Housekeeping shouldn't subjectively assume guests' items are trash and take them away. That was a bit frustrating. Additionally, service efficiency was very low. One evening, I went to the front desk to ask staff to send some bottled water to the room. The front desk staff were very friendly and enthusiastically agreed, but I waited over two hours and nothing arrived. The in-room service phone was either busy or completely silent (maybe just a prop?), so I had no choice but to go down to the lobby again to get water. We checked in around 12 PM, but were told we couldn't get into the room until 3 PM (they informed us politely). The next day, I turned on the 'make up room' light before going out for lunch, but when we returned to the room around 2 PM, it still hadn't been cleaned. In short, everything was slow; it felt like the hotel was understaffed and overwhelmed.

The hotel's location is excellent and very convenient, with a market right in front. However, the hotel feels a bit dated. The staff are all very enthusiastic and have great attitudes. The view from the top-floor roof bar is also beautiful, and having a drink there in the evening is particularly pleasant.

This is the only hotel on Pearl Island, and since we visited during the off-season, there were only two people in the entire hotel. After placing the reservation, the hotel emailed us the boat dock, and we called to confirm our itinerary. We asked several people, but they couldn't clearly explain the dock's location. We went to the wrong dock that morning, and immediately asked again, fearing we'd miss the boat pick-up time. We had originally planned to stay at this hotel so we could hike in the nearby National Forest Park, especially from the top of the mountain overlooking Pearl Island. The day before, we contacted the front desk, and they said we'd book the boat the next morning and pay the boat and guide fees separately. The next day, they told us there were no boats to the National Forest Park, which was a bit disappointing. The hotel is certainly nice, with a balcony overlooking the ocean. Starfish and small fish were clearly visible on the seabed below our room. However, snorkeling requires walking to the other end of the hotel, and you need to be careful when descending the steps to the diving area. The water is cool and there are a variety of small fish and starfish. We even saw a sea turtle on the way to dinner. The meals, while free, were mediocre. Overall, the service is lacking and needs improvement.

The entire hotel feels very new and modern, which is great! 👍 I'd even say it rivals the Park Hyatt. The room size is standard, but the bathroom has excellent hot water supply, and there's a balcony facing east, perfect for catching the sunrise 🌅. Just make sure to close the balcony door tightly, or the air conditioning won't blow cold air 😞. The pool is on the sixth floor, and you need to provide your room number every time you go. The hotel breakfast is very good; I particularly recommend their chicken congee 🥣 – it's delicious, I had two bowls every day 😋. The cakes 🍰 look nice, but they're a bit sweet. There's also a SPA at this hotel, but it doesn't seem to be affiliated with the hotel; I suspect it's privately run. You need to book a day in advance, and they only accept cash, WeChat Pay, or Alipay transfers – credit cards aren't an option. A 60-minute foot massage for two costs over 600 RMB 💰. Unlike in China, there's no shoulder and neck massage; you just wash your feet, move to another room, and the massage begins. Afterwards, they provide a plate of prawn crackers and two cups of ginger tea. I found it pretty average, and the price felt a bit steep.