5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

Room: Very spacious, consisting of a dining area, living room, bedroom, two bathrooms, and a terrace. It was comfortable for three adults (though the extra bed in the living room was not very comfortable and not recommended for those with back problems). Decor: As a historic hotel, it's generally well-maintained. Although half of the rooms are currently undergoing renovation, my room was not affected – I neither saw nor heard any construction (I had specified my room preferences when booking on Ctrip and also emailed the hotel in advance). Room View: My room was on the 4th floor, which didn't have as good a view as the same room type on the 2nd or 3rd floors (the eaves above obstructed part of the view), and nearby pillars also blocked some of the scenery. It wasn't as good as the standard sea-view rooms at Tanjung Wing, but overall it was still very open with both sea and tree views. For watching the sunset, we'd go to Coco, so it didn't really matter. Room Location: The Tanjung Wing is quite a distance from the jetty/front desk/Shang Palace (Chinese restaurant). Although buggy bus service is available (by calling room service), during peak hours (12 PM / 3-4 PM), there are fewer buggies, leading to long waits, which is quite inconvenient. Once, I waited half an hour for a buggy from the jetty back to my room. Restaurants: The breakfast restaurant offered a good variety, but it didn't change much. After eating there four times, there were basically no variations, so it could get repetitive if staying for a long time. It was also very crowded during peak hours. We tried Shang Palace once; the food was delicious, but the air conditioning was very cold, so an extra layer of clothing is recommended. Coco offered afternoon tea as part of the executive lounge benefits; the food was decent, and the location was excellent for watching the sunset. Service: Overall, the service was quite good, with a few highlights. Firstly, executive rooms included a complimentary airport drop-off. Secondly, the hotel's jetty was very convenient for trips to nearby and distant islands, and they provided comprehensive gear (life jackets/snorkeling equipment/towels, etc.), which was a great experience. Thirdly, the lounge was excellent, available for use both before check-in and after check-out, which is very convenient for red-eye flights. Overall, I'd give the hotel an 85-90 out of 100. There's room for improvement, but in Kota Kinabalu, I don't think there are any better options. Chinese Service: When booking, I assumed many hotel staff would speak Chinese, but in reality, very few could communicate fluently in Chinese. So, if you don't speak any English, your stay experience will definitely be affected (e.g., when participating in water sports).

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!

Getting there: You need to take the hotel's special speedboat from Megaton Jetty, which takes 10 minutes to reach the hotel's pier. This is charged per person. The hotel has a Southeast Asian resort vibe, with wooden structures that show their age. There are many monkeys 🐒 in the trees outside the room, as well as lizards of all sizes and hornbills. The sand isn't very fine, and the beach isn't large; it's not really big enough for a good walk. There are no other businesses, just the hotel's three restaurants. There are also corals 🪸 not far from the shore. Cleanliness: Average. Ambiance: If you're not too particular about room cleanliness, everything else is pretty good, but I personally care a lot about it. Service: Our luggage was taken directly to our room. When we were leaving, we had to depart at 6 AM, and they prepared breakfast for us – two large bags with fruit, bread, coffee, and milk. We mentioned that the shrimp was delicious but found some other dishes hard to get used to, so the chef specially prepared a delicious plate of shrimp just for us and brought it to our table.

Pros: - Friendly and helpful staff. - Compatible with shower filter use. - Facilities are a bit dated, but luxurious and clean. - Great value-for-money services (golf, tours, breakfast, laundry). - Thoughtful touches placed around the resort: bug spray, Tiger Balm, aloe vera, and drinking water. - Beautiful natural environment within the resort. - A wide variety of activities and programs (buggy tours, surfing, snorkeling, traditional dance shows, bird watching, horseback riding, etc.). Cons: - Far from the city center; it takes at least 30 to 50 minutes to get there. - Non-buffet restaurants are mediocre in terms of taste, service, and portion size relative to the price. - Ocean Wing >>> Garden Wing. Well worth the extra investment for better water quality and fewer issues with bugs and pest control. - There is a private beach, but it's not ideal for swimming or sunbathing. There is plastic litter in places and the seawater is murky. However, you can still have a wonderful vacation experience with a friendly crew at a reasonable price, so I would definitely visit again. I strongly recommend bringing a shower filter—I've included a photo of what the filter looked like after just one use.

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！

The hotel is in a very convenient location—dining and shopping options are all within a few minutes' walk. The front desk service was excellent; a special shout-out to the lovely lady whose name starts with JA, thank you so much! We were very pleased with the floor assigned to us, and the housekeeping was spotless. The swimming pool is on the ground floor with a dedicated toddler area, and our child had a blast. Hyatt Regency Kinabalu is a trusted, classic brand that truly lives up to its reputation.

The hotel surroundings are very photogenic and well worth a visit. However, the facilities are a bit dated; the bathroom in particular is a bit dim and the toilet is quite old. On the plus side, the hotel's swimming pool is truly amazing. Furthermore, the service is exceptionally good—both check-in and check-out experiences were fantastic. On our last day, because we were going snorkeling, we accidentally left our snorkeling shoes and clothes on the balcony when we checked out. I especially want to thank NAINA at the front desk, who personally took me back to the room to check and communicated multiple times with the housekeeping team to help me retrieve my belongings. I am truly grateful! 🙏

A fantastic stay and a perfect resort and team. Only issues are 1) plastic from sea, nothing they can do about it but it affects enjoyment, 2) we had a minor issue with housekeeping not coming and then coming when it was dark and letting a lots of bugs in the room (we had been careful to avoid that). Honestly amazing value and a great time though!

Five-star review! The room was clean and tidy with no strange smells, the bedding was comfortable, and the hot water was consistent. The front desk handled check-in efficiently and the service was warm and friendly. The location is convenient. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'll definitely prioritize staying here on my next trip.

The Pacific Sutera Hotel has a huge number of guest rooms. The common areas, with their beach and swimming pool, offer a fantastic environment. Overall, the cleanliness is quite good, and the rooms are very spacious. All the staff are locals, so you need to speak English. Every time I requested room service, I had to call the front desk twice. The service was a bit lacking.