4-Star Hotels in Semporna

Wonderful experience, good environment resort, I say one by one Hygiene: The rooms are very new, the room is bigger than expected, the bedding is white, the water is estimated to have been filtered, our filter shower color is not even obvious Environment: There is a swimming pool, the water is temperature-controlled, very clean, we played for an hour. Surrounded by green trees and green plants, but there are few mosquitoes. There are snack bars and canteens in the resort, so you can go downstairs to buy things at any time. Transportation: It’s a bit far from the town, but you’ve gained a huge space and a relaxing experience. We jumped the island and came back to eat Haisai and then lay down by the pool and drank. Where in the town has this experience? And in fact, there is a shuttle bus, once we missed the shuttle bus, the boss father and son actually drove their own car to take us to the town. To sum up: This resort has too few reviews. It opened in September. When I booked it, I was also muttering, but I stayed for two days. It was perfect. Thanks to the enthusiastic and handsome boss. The business is booming.

The host provided very clear and detailed instructions on how to access and use the house. Compared to the expensive hotels near the pier, which aren’t worth the high cost, this house offered a reasonable price and a much more homey feel. It’s a bit farther from the pier, but it’s easy to reach via Grab. The best part is that the house is located in a quiet community, making it a peaceful retreat.

The Popo Fish Water Bungalow offers incredible value for money, it's absolutely stunning! The water is so clean, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out we could book a diving experience during our two-day stay. All four of us agreed it was incredibly comfortable. The customer service representative was also very proactive in resolving any issues. When you go diving, make sure to eat on the boat and don't get off at the island.

We stayed for three consecutive nights, and it was absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend this place for families or couples. It boasts a beautiful tropical jungle setting, perfect for nature walks where you can spot plenty of wildlife. This is a truly excellent hotel that provides complimentary city shuttle service, making everything incredibly convenient and hassle-free. They offer personalized butler service, and the kitchen excels at preparing various seafood and delicious Cantonese cuisine – simply superb! Semporna itself is amazing! You can go hiking and take in stunning views of the emerald-green sea; make sure to seize every opportunity. Booking island hopping tours through the hotel was very cost-effective. We got two snorkeling sessions, each lasting about half an hour, and it was incredible! We saw countless fish and vibrant coral reefs. We ended up staying in Semporna for eight or nine days. The sea fishing was fantastic! We actually caught fish – small groupers and redfish, medium-sized, and plenty for a delicious dinner! We even added an arm-long mantis shrimp to our meal. It was a perfect experience! I haven't fished in ages, and I was so surprised to actually catch fish here, especially since I'd rented a fishing boat on another island in a different country before and caught absolutely nothing.

It took a 30-minute speedboat ride from Haifeng Pier to reach the overwater bungalows. The surroundings are beautiful, with clear blue waters, and sitting in the lobby feels incredibly serene and comfortable. The room was also nice, facing the ocean, which was a real treat. Although the facilities were a bit old, it's understandable – being out at sea, exposed to wind and sun, things are bound to age faster than usual! The service was excellent, and the owner was very helpful. My child left their phone in the pick-up car, and it was quickly found and returned to us, which we really appreciated! The overwater bungalows were a memorable and wonderful part of our family's trip!

I have mixed feelings about this hotel. The location is beautiful, set in a jungle with lush greenery and flowers all around and it feels peaceful the moment you arrive. The staff were generally nice, especially the Chinese-speaking lady. The rooms are quite spacious, with two large double beds that were very comfortable, and relatively clean given the remote location. They also offer shuttle buses to and from town, though these are limited and require advance booking. On the downside, the remoteness creates some challenges. The shuttle requires early wake-ups and long waits as the day tours start later, and there isn’t much to do in town once you arrive. Prices at the resort are very high compared to town, and they charge extra when paying with Alipay or WeChat in Chinese yuan as instead of local currency they charge in Chinese yuan with elevated rates, which felt unfair. Also the room’s roof material made the rain extremely loud. During our stays,it rained all nights during, and even earplugs didn’t fully help with the sound. Breakfast was also limited and not great in quality. Overall, the hotel has a lovely setting and comfortable rooms, but advertising it as 5-star felt misleading. It’s more like a 3–3.5 star experience. Worth visiting if you want the location and nature, but be aware of the extra costs and limitations.

Three days, two nights, and every day brought a new kind of 'excitement.' Day one, the air conditioning didn't work, there were tons of mosquitoes, and the shower only had cold water. The only decent thing for dinner was the fried shrimp, which disappeared in seconds, and the few other dishes available were practically snatched away. It felt like a refugee experience. Day two, we got a different room. After swimming, I went back to shower, and there was no water, then cold water, then extremely hot water, constantly cycling. The water pressure was also incredibly low; I almost lost my mind trying to rinse the shampoo out of my hair. That night, it was very windy, and there was a lot of noise outside, as if something wasn't properly secured. On the third day, as we were checking out, our luggage was mistakenly taken by a staff member and given to other guests. It was only returned after the other guests realized the error. Our luggage was perfectly fine in the restaurant; how dare you just take it away? Do you have any basic management sense? Of course, the environment is nice, that's the only highlight. Given how expensive it was during Chinese New Year, you should provide a service level that matches the price. The buffet was cafeteria-standard, and we still had to fight for food. Are you not ashamed?

Absolutely fantastic! The owner is Chinese, and the price is very reasonable. It's perfect for couples or friends traveling together! Plus, there's a daily shuttle service to and from the pier, which is super convenient. The owner is incredibly welcoming, and there are lots of cute cats and dogs running around the courtyard. I really loved this guesthouse! Definitely recommend staying here!! The only downside is that toiletries like toothbrushes and toothpaste aren't provided, so you need to bring your own. But honestly, I don't think it's a big deal.

My Semporna trip was full of pleasant surprises, and I absolutely have to rave about the overwater villa I stayed in! 😆 Before I left, I'd only booked a standard terraced room, but to my surprise, the owner upgraded us to a private standalone villa for free when we checked in! It worked out to only about 800 yuan a night for a private sea-view villa with its own terrace – what a steal! We were grinning from ear to ear the moment we stepped inside. Once we actually settled in, we didn't even feel like going out to sightsee. In the mornings, we'd just pull up a small chair on the terrace, feel the sea breeze, do some fishing with our feet dangling in the cool water, and just relax. It was so comfortable doing absolutely nothing. In the evenings, we'd sit on the terrace and watch the sunset paint the entire sea a fiery orange. And waking up, we'd see the sunrise emerge from the horizon right from our room. There's also a huge bathtub where you can soak and gaze at the sea – now *that's* a vacation! I have to give a special shout-out to the butler here; they were incredibly thoughtful. When we wanted to go sea fishing, they had bait ready for us in advance. When we wanted to go into town for food and shopping, we just mentioned it and a car was arranged to pick us up very quickly, no delays at all. Plus, when you look down from the overwater villa, you can clearly see all sorts of small fish swimming around in the sea. In the mornings, we even saw little crabs 'strolling' on our terrace. Feeding the fish breadcrumbs and just leisurely passing the morning was incredibly relaxing. This is absolutely the most satisfying overwater villa I've ever stayed in, hands down. If you're coming to Semporna, you really should consider this place! 👍

First of all, let me talk about the conclusion. It is still worth recommending. Reasons: 1. The room is very new, a large capsule-style room, new facilities, smart toilet, air conditioning is also very quiet, and the space is basically enough. The room is built on a cement column more than 1 meter high, and the room is dry. 2. There are currently 11 rooms with intervals between each other. They do not interfere with each other and are very quiet. If you are disturbed, it is the sound of small animals climbing on the roof or raindrops. It feels pretty good. 3. It is 15 minutes away from the town or the pier without traffic jams, and 25 minutes with traffic jams. Between 8 am and 8 pm, free pick-up and drop-off are available at any time, and the time is almost the same. If there is more deviation, 50 Malaysian ringgits will be charged each time, but it is safe and the vehicle is in good condition, so it is worth it. 4. The restaurant can arrange for the processing of seafood, and the vehicle will be sent to buy, then picked up, and then processed. The taste of the seafood is very good, not worse than the pier restaurant. The processing fee is also transparent and fair. 5. I felt unwell one day, and I arranged a vehicle to take me to buy medicine in time. I came back and made a vegetable noodle soup with eggs as required. It was very comfortable to eat. Although it was a little expensive, I was grateful. See the attached picture 55 Malaysian ringgit. 6. I feel that the hotel is a group hotel, which is quite powerful. The restaurant is very large and equipped with five vans. I heard that there are more and bigger plans in the future. There are also many service staff and their attitude is also good. Here are some of the shortcomings I encountered: 1. The hotel confirmed the order by email, and the name and date were sent incorrectly. I contacted by email twice later, but no one responded. At present, the Malaysian customs is friendly to Chinese people and has not checked. 2. You need to contact in advance for airport pick-up. Please remind me in the reply email and clearly provide contact information, preferably WeChat account. 3. Set a fixed WeChat number for the service butler. There are five butlers in the service group. I really don’t know who to contact if there is a problem. 4. The bath towels were changed twice during the five-day stay. During the period, I asked to clean the floor, but it was never cleaned. 5. During the period, there was one time when a vehicle was needed to pick up the car, and the waiting time was as long as 70 minutes. During the period, the reason was not informed in time. I stood at the door of KFC for 50 minutes. If I had informed you in time, I could have taken a rest nearby. 6. The hotel is still a little far from the pier and town, but the shuttle service compensates for it. However, the price is still slightly high, the price is the same as the Sheraton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, and the cost performance is not very good. Personal experience and opinions, for reference only. It is still worth recommending after overall improvement.