4-Star Hotels in Semporna

This is a very understated overwater bungalow, only available for booking on Trip.com. It's about 10 kilometers from the port, and the owner is a Malaysian Chinese. If you're looking to take those 'influencer-style' photos, showing off luxury and extravagance to the world, then this might not be the place for you. However, if you want peace and quiet to enjoy your vacation, this is definitely a great choice. Downsides: - There's occasional trash in the surrounding area, which isn't the hotel's fault. - The decor and facilities aren't luxurious. Upsides: - They offer a unique Bajau historical and cultural knowledge tour and exploration (something other overwater bungalows don't have). - They take guests by boat to beautiful large coral reefs for snorkeling. - The bungalow has its own marine life enclosure, perfect for families with young children or those who can't snorkel, allowing them to enjoy marine life during low tide. Finally, there's a fantastic local staff member named Shafry, whose Chinese name is 'Wanshidao' (Mr. Know-It-All). When you go snorkeling, he'll dive to the seabed to catch sea cucumbers, giant clams, clownfish, and all sorts of marine creatures for you. He's also an excellent photographer, perfect for guys who are constantly scolded by their girlfriends for not taking good pictures (like me 😅). He can help you with anything, just remember to tip him! ~~

Unlike most guesthouses, which are typically large houses with several rooms, Pineapple Resort feels more like a hotel. It consists of a dozen small, standalone wooden cottages nestled among palm trees. The management is also quite hotel-like, and while breakfast isn't extensive, it offers a good variety. Although the resort is about five kilometers from Semporna town, considering the town's general disarray (especially near the jetty with seafood vendors and Bajau beggars), which can easily spoil a good mood, it's better to stay a bit further out in a quiet resort. Pineapple Resort offers free shuttle buses to and from Semporna jetty from morning to midday and in the evening, making transportation very convenient. What's more, it provides a warmer experience than a star-rated hotel, giving me a home-away-from-home feeling. For foodies, if you're a good cook (the resort doesn't yet have a professional chef), Pineapple Resort is happy to provide a cooking area for seafood bought from the town market, which is incredibly convenient for those of us who love beautiful views and good food.

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.

This is such a relaxing island, perfect for a vacation! 🌴 We went during the rainy season, which is considered off-peak, so there weren't many people. Every day at noon, there's a boat to pick up and drop off guests. We stayed for three days, and compared to peak season, it felt like there were never more than 20 guests in total. It's incredibly suitable for families with children, with shallow beaches, 🏖️ turtles, lush greenery, and an exceptionally beautiful natural environment! There are three hotels on the island, and Dragon Pearl seems to have the best facilities. They offer water villas, beach villas, and garden villas. The rooms are spaced appropriately, so you won't be bothered by neighbors. The beach villas have loungers on the porch and under the coconut trees in front, as well as hammocks, giving it a private beach feel. All rooms are equipped with life jackets 🦺, and upon arrival, there are clear signs in both Chinese and English advising guests to always wear a life jacket when in the water and to avoid swimming after 6 PM. The beach is large, the shallow water area is extensive, and the water is incredibly clear – like jelly! You can see the bottom even in two to three meters of water, making it perfect for snorkeling. Every day, island-hopping boats come to snorkel near the pier, where there's a clownfish nest. You can spot turtles daily from the pier, and the island even has a dedicated turtle hatching program, with occasional lectures and release events for baby turtles. The front desk and dive center can also arrange activities like scuba diving 🤿 and snorkeling. This was my first time trying scuba diving here, and because there were so few guests on the island, I got one-on-one instruction from the coach. I saw two turtles up close, truly within arm's reach! I even swam alongside a turtle during the ascent – incredibly lucky! For snorkeling, a dedicated staff member accompanied us with a swim ring 🛟, actively searching for turtles throughout the sea. The service for these small, boutique groups was fantastic! The island's front desk has Chinese-speaking staff, and while the dive center coaches speak English, you can always understand them through gestures and simple explanations. The reception area has a restaurant and a small shop, so the facilities are quite complete and convenient. Perhaps because it was the off-season and there were so few people, the meal options were a bit simple, but the food was delicious and definitely plentiful enough to fill you up. Finally, regarding the season, the rainy season wasn't bad at all. It didn't rain every day. We stayed for four full days, and it rained twice. The first time was at noon, a heavy downpour, but it was a thunderstorm that passed quickly and didn't disrupt our afternoon island-hopping and snorkeling. The second time was on the day we left; the rain was quite heavy, starting around 4 or 5 AM with loud pitter-patter sounds and thunder and lightning ⛈️ that you could hear from inside the room. It rained on and off for most of the morning. The temperature dropped a bit, but it was actually quite comfortable without the scorching sun. The waves were a bit stronger than usual, but I have to commend Dragon Pearl Hotel's location; as we walked along the beach, we could clearly see that the wind and waves calmed down significantly in front of the hotel. Even with the rain, the island-hopping boats for snorkeling kept coming. It was an incredibly comfortable trip! It's definitely worth visiting and worth revisiting!

The overwater bungalow environment is exceptional! You can snorkel endlessly, and even if you're not an experienced snorkeler, there's a guide who takes guests out every afternoon at 4 PM. The staff (local guides) are fantastic! We even saw a huge sea turtle at night. There's never a dull moment on the island; you can go fishing, dive, play mahjong, and there are even local performances in the evenings! The 'jellyfish sea' is incredibly photogenic, every picture turns out amazing! One lovely lady even managed to catch a small fish 🐟

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?

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! 👍

I chose this hotel for a one-night stay before heading to the overwater bungalow the next day. Although the room facilities were a bit old, they were very clean. There's a convenience store right downstairs, and it's very close to the pier. The sea breeze was a bit loud at night, but the breakfast was excellent and plentiful.

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.