5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

The room interiors are nice, and the sea views and sunsets are absolutely stunning. However, there's barely any beach; it's mostly grassy areas with sea views and sunsets. The breakfast is quite perfunctory – only five or six types of meat, all chicken, with no beef or seafood. This definitely doesn't justify the 3,000-per-night room rate. The seascape is very beautiful. The Horizon lounge room is small and just average. Breakfast is not very good, only chicken, no seafood, it doesn't match the room charge.

Don't book during the rainy season, don't book during the rainy season, don't book during the rainy season. It's from Sep to Feb. I said 3 times it's important if you don't wanna ruin your holiday. We booked 3D2N in mid Sep. Our holiday turned out to be a staycation nightmare in the resort. We can't do all the water activities neither the jungle trekking. The water heater in our room is not working, we have to shower with shivering cold water in this kind of weather. Lots of big size anta inside the room crawling from the bathroom to the bedroom. Make sure you cleaned up for your snacks and drinks, tie up the garbage bag if you don't want these insects to come to your bed, There is also a landslide happening on our first night, luckily we are not affected as we stayed in the ocean villa. There is only one restaurant in this resort, food prices are the same as SG restaurant pricing, no cheap option here. In room dining needs to pay RM25 extra. Staff service is good but this cannot cover the several run down part of the resort.

We stayed in the Ocean Wing. The room was very spacious, but the facilities were a bit old. The plunge pool on the balcony was large, but a bit dirty. Both the swimming pool and the beach were great. The restaurants require advance reservations, which felt a bit like a 'scarcity marketing' tactic. The Italian restaurant wasn't good and the environment wasn't clean. Breakfast was just average, and so was the service. In contrast, the Japanese teppanyaki was excellent, with warm service and good food. The free airport shuttle was a nice touch, but it only runs twice a day, in the morning and evening. The front desk service was very enthusiastic, and they even gave us a local specialty necklace and welcome drinks. Overall, it's a good place for a vacation.

Service: Five stars! I sent the hotel an email the day before my arrival, explaining the purpose of my trip, and they kindly replied. At check-in, they gave us a cake and decorated the room. The service at this established hotel is truly top-notch. Facilities: It's an older hotel, so no smart home features, but it's well-maintained. The room had no strange odors, and the hot water was fast and plentiful. Location: Unbeatable! The sea view is genuine, not just a sliver of the sky. The island-hopping pier is a 10-minute walk, and the Gaya Street night market is only a 5-minute walk. Drawbacks: Breakfast is too expensive, and there are many alternative options nearby.

Booking was smooth and convenient, and upon arrival, the Marriott's service was as expected – efficient and helpful. However, despite emailing beforehand to request two adjoining rooms, we were placed on different floors, which was very inconvenient. The hotel's room service was good, but the room decor felt dated, not like it had been recently renovated, which was a bit disappointing. Also, if you're a light sleeper, definitely avoid this hotel. It's located directly under a flight path, so planes fly overhead frequently, which is terrible for sleep and rest; I was woken up multiple times!

This resort is expansive, with lush tropical palm trees everywhere, directly facing the magnificent South China Sea. You can enjoy a breathtaking, 'god-tier' sea sunset without even leaving the hotel. The hotel boasts its own private pier, allowing direct boarding for trips to Mantanani Island and Mengalum Island. This means no more early morning rushes to the city pier, saving a lot of travel hassle. The staggered, oversized pools are quiet and uncrowded, and strolling along the private beach is incredibly relaxing. With comprehensive family-friendly facilities, traveling with kids is made exceptionally easy. The breakfast buffet offers a rich variety, and the grounds are tranquil and private, far from the city's hustle and bustle. The guest rooms have a vintage, time-honored feel, which, while not cutting-edge, doesn't detract from the vacation experience at all. My entire stay was comfortable and rejuvenating. It truly stands out as a top choice among Kota Kinabalu resorts, and I would definitely choose to stay here again on my next visit to Sabah.

Old hotel in good condition. Pool area needs renovation. Expensive but good Restaurants. Beachfront was cleaned well but area between beach an Hotel was very dirty. Superb staff and Service.

After poring over countless guides, I finally picked this hotel as my first stay in Kota Kinabalu, and checking in was a breeze even with our late-night flight! The next morning, I was absolutely thrilled when I opened the curtains to an amazing sea view. After breakfast, I went straight down to explore. I couldn't believe how beautiful the water was so close to the city, no need to go out to the open sea! I immediately changed into my swimsuit and hit the hotel beach. When I crumbled some bread into the water, a bunch of little fish swam right up – instant snorkeling! In the evening, we just walked to the beach right there and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset, no need to bother with Tanjung Aru Beach at all. The experience was fantastic! This hotel offers incredible value for money, and luckily, we didn't encounter any of the downsides I'd read about online before our stay!

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.

This village is all about beachfront holidays, and its pros and cons revolve around that. **Pros:** The private, secluded cabins offer unbeatable ocean views. You can lie on the terrace lounge chair at night, accompanied by the sound of waves and sea breeze, under a sky full of stars. During the day, various fish and birds keep you company. It's a diving resort, with both scuba diving and snorkeling available. I heard the diving is good, but I didn't try scuba. The snorkeling right off the beach near the village entrance wasn't great. So, we hired a private boat to go snorkeling elsewhere, which was excellent; we saw multiple sea turtles. **Cons:** What made it great also made it less so. The cabin is drafty on all four sides, and the air conditioning is really weak and blows directly onto the bed, almost making me sick. However, it was still better than opening the windows. The ocean waves in the morning were definitely louder than a bus downstairs. The most bizarre thing was that only the terrace had curtains; the rest of the cabin didn't. So, the morning sun shone directly onto the head of the bed, which I guess is due to its orientation. These are points where opinions might differ. Most frustratingly, aside from scuba diving and snorkeling, there are no other entertainment options in the village. Under the tropical sun, everyone just retreats to their rooms. Plus, scuba and snorkeling are handled at separate locations. I have to complain about the somewhat old facilities. You can see sea fish through the gaps in the wooden floorboards. The bathroom had various issues: the toilet needed two flushes (and I, being an engineer, still can't figure out why), the overhead shower only produced about a third of its normal water flow, with the rest squirting out horizontally onto the partition. Luckily, there was a handheld shower that worked for one day. The next evening, the handle broke off when I tried to turn it on, and water started gushing out. So, two security guards came, both claiming they were just security. The last time, around 11 PM, I was already in bed when three people arrived, again stating they'd fix it tomorrow. The next day, both showers were repaired... The food was... edible, I guess. In short, this village is a matter of personal taste.