3-Star Hotels in Tawau Division

The hotel is ok, but nothing to write home about. The standard room (C), has squat toilets. We upgraded to B (with western toilet) and it was perfectly fine and clean when we checked in. However, it was not cleaned during our stay (5N) and only the last afternoon did they ask if we wanted it cleaned... unnecessary at that point. Often 3-5 of the staff would be sleeping across tables/outside guest rooms and we had to step over them... a bit weird to collapse like that, when rooms were not even being cleaned! We also did not appreciate staff smoking in the restaurant, right in front of a no-smoking sign. Smoke goes into the rooms with windows in that direction, not great when you have asthma! Had to tell one guy several times (and get upset) before he stopped smoking there. The main cook, receptionist and the bar guy were very nice and really did their best. The food was bland and repetitive, the fish dry and the chicken was only gizzards (necks), not something western tourists enjoy, as there is barely any meat, they contain a lot of bones and are tough/chewy. Granted, the hotel mainly caters to the Chinese tourist market. We asked for food without onions because of allergies, but they didn't seem to understand. We got all our food cooked separately... but with onion!? After a few days they finally got it, as we showed them which pieces in our food we can't eat. They tried their best, but also always cooked our food early and put it out an hour or more before we came to eat... it was always cold. Luckily they do have a microwave. We appreciated the fresh water melon after dinner and the fact that they had filtered water for refilling yourself. There are aquariums in the dining area and also some fish trapped in a net between the rooms. It is very dirty and sad. I think someone heard me commenting on it, since a guy started to clean the aquariums, but only the front, so the fish can be seen. The rest of the tanks were covered in algae, as was the vegetation in them. It all looks really bad, not great if you want to impress Europeans. We appreciated our dive guide. He was good and speaks English. The equipment worked, but has seen better days... If you are an experienced diver, ask early on to go only with others who are as well. For our first dive, a guy in our group (AOW certified, but had maybe 10 dives) used all his air in under 30 minutes. Luckily, our dive guide split the group afterwards. We kind of knew what Mabul Paradise would be like, after looking at the pictures and reading the reviews. It is a basic place, catering to the Asian market, with very basic food and therefore it's cheaper than places on the other side of Mabul. If you want to be close to Sipadan, it is an affordable place. Side notes (not comments on the hotel): 1. June is the worst month in the area, as visibility is not great. We saw lots of turtles and other great stuff, but it's not easy or cheap to get here, so rather go when the chances are greater to have good visibility, especially if you intend on going to Sipadan. We had two good dives there, but they do not make our top ten list, due to bad visibility. It would've been amazing otherwise. The hotel does not have their own permits, you go with a company from the mainland, who pick up at Mabul at 9:30. Visibility is best early mornings and apparently you're also more likely to see shark action early. The company was perfectly fine, no complaints really. It's just good to know that others, who have their own permits, start at 6:00. You can book your Sipadan dives with them, even if you stay at Mabul Paradise. These dive shops also do 60 min dives, not only 45 min, that the company we went with claimed was max. 2. There is a lot of plastic and other garbage all around Mabul. It is not a pretty island, but still much better than staying in Semporna. You'll see garbage while snorkelling/diving. Please help with cleaning up while doing so!

Located at Taman Megah Jaya 10, Tawau. Convenient Location: 3-minute walk to the Indonesia Republic Consulate in Tawau (Konsulat RI Tawau). Numerous restaurants nearby, including a vegetarian restaurant just a 5-minute walk away. Clinic and laundromats within walking distance The famous Yuan Yuan Soto Tawau restaurant, just a 4-minute drive away. Garden City and Bataras Hypermarket located 4 minutes by car. KFC and McDonald's are also 6 minutes drive away. The space: Spacious 3-Bedroom with 2-toilets, 1 living room, 1 dining room, 1 kitchen Single-Storey Terrace House with Full Amenities Welcome to our cozy single-storey terrace house, ideal for families or groups of friends. This home features 3 comfortable bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, accommodating 6 to 10 guests. The living room includes a sofa bed, and up to 3 additional single mattresses can be provided upon request for extra guests. The house is fully equipped for a comfortable and convenient stay. The kitchen comes with cookware and a refrigerator, and you’ll also have access to a washing machine, hair dryer, iron, and a television for entertainment. Both bathrooms are fitted with water heaters for warm, relaxing showers. Air conditioning is available in the living room and all bedrooms to keep you cool. Stay connected with high-speed WiFi, and there’s a parking space in the front yard. For added security, the front and back yards are monitored by cameras. Whether you're here to relax or explore, our terrace house offers everything you need for a pleasant and enjoyable stay. Guest access: entire house

My room (superior king room) was big and clean, but smelled a bit weird, it might be the smell of the sanitiser. The building from inside is newly renovated (renovation is still in progress), the lobby looks very nice, the staff is nice and friendly, but they have no restaurant, no small bar, no lounge, nothing. And the most disappointing thing: I could smell in my room that someone(s) smoke in the corridor or somewhere close! It was crazy disgusting! Smoking is not allowed in the building, but unfortunately they cannot detect it, since there is no smoke detector, which is dangerous.

The shower heater doesn't work and I have to shower in cold water. The shower stall area smell of urine. The whole room smells musty. The toilet seat is dirty. The walls in the whole room and the toilet are stained and doesn't appear to be wiped. The only redeeming quality about this hovel is the exemplary staff-they are helpful and obliging. The owner of this hovel ought to be shot. I can't wait to get out of this place tomorrow early morning.

The location of the room is super good. It is 3 minutes away from the seafood market. Downstairs is a supermarket, hotel and Watsons. It belongs to the center of Semporna town. The door is a bit small. We booked a VIP room with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The newly renovated room is super big. , the front desk can book a car to go to the airport and it is not expensive. I have chosen it for a long time and I am not disappointed...👍 It takes 15 minutes to walk from Xingbapa. 7 minutes away from the public pier for island hopping.

Not bad, everything is good, the boss is very nice

The location we booked is amazing. Behind it is the conch gathering point pier. Walking is easy haha. And the owner of the famous hotel is smiling all day long, giving people the impression that he is very friendly. The back is indeed haha. There is something wrong with the airport transfer we booked. They gave us the wrong time and we didn't speak Malay. The boss and his friend helped us call and asked if we wanted to call a car. We called it ourselves. Thank you very much. Then we talked about the living environment and I thought it was clean. It's also very quiet and you can have a good night's sleep when you come back from island hopping. It's perfect. Haou, a very big kitchen can basically be used by 3 families. There is a lot of salt and oil. Haha, we also left some salt, oil, soy sauce and so on. It’s only a 10-minute walk to the town for those in need! I'll stay here next time

Very suitable for group travel house, public space is large The landlord responds quickly and it is very convenient to check in by yourself But if the pumping problem can be improved, it's fine. (There will be no water in the toilet in the middle of the night 🥲)

Very nice n selesa