5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

Close to the airport and situated on a beautiful beachfront, almost 80% of the guests were Chinese tourists. We stayed for four nights and it never felt boring; the kids absolutely loved playing in the pool. Breakfast was abundant, and my children insisted on having pasta at the seaside restaurant every evening, even having two portions on our last night. Our favorite amenity was the ice machine on our floor, making it easy to grab ice anytime. The sea-view terrace room was spacious, directly facing the ocean, and incredibly comfortable. The hotel even has its own pier, offering easy access to nearby islands like Sapi Island. It's a shame we didn't experience any world-class sunsets during our 4-day stay, which was a bit disappointing.

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!

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 time I brought my family and we encountered heavy rain (luckily, we still enjoyed the most beautiful sunset in the evening). There was a 'fiasco' on the beach (the hotel's quick and professional handling made us feel even more at ease to relax and play), and a 'four-legged intruder' in the pool (the hotel swiftly caught and relocated it). We saw little squirrels, stepped on live clams, admired the full moon on the 16th, and celebrated my father's birthday, which was all arranged by the hotel. RAINA's thoughtful advice about the road construction saved us from missing our flight, and so much more. If you're coming to Kota Kinabalu for a sunset holiday and have the budget, come to Shangri-La Rasa Ria. And if you ever meet RAINA again, just hand all your troubles over to her! ☺

The facilities are indeed quite old; the corners of the tables and cabinets are worn and shabby. The hygiene was just so-so. I compared it to another Hyatt Centric, which had higher ratings but wasn't as close to the sea as this one. I came specifically for the sea view and asked the front desk in advance to reserve a high-floor sea view room. The view was slightly inferior to the sea view B&B I stayed at previously, but still acceptable. The sink design is unfriendly; I felt like I was going to fall into the basin. I highly recommend the breakfast – the variety is amazing. Make sure to leave plenty of time in the morning to savor it slowly. A happy day starts with breakfast, haha!

First off, the room was spacious and had a small balcony; swimwear and other items would air dry overnight. Secondly, the pool was huge, perfect for both adults and kids to enjoy water activities without leaving the hotel. There's also a small segregated area in the natural sea where kids can snorkel. Magellan Jetty is right within the hotel, so you can sleep in, then head out for island hopping and snorkeling, and still catch a same-day tour. It's great for relaxing, especially if you haven't made prior arrangements. I personally love this kind of resort-style hotel. While the hotel's drainage and shower systems might not be the latest models, the water pressure is excellent, and there's a continuous supply of hot water. I was too lazy to move hotels and repack, so I stayed here for all three nights. The average price was 1400 RMB per night, though room types affect the price.

Everything was perfect. Every staff member at the resort was incredibly welcoming and helpful, even the maintenance workers I passed on the paths greeted me warmly. The food in the restaurant was delicious, and breakfast was absolutely perfect – I couldn't find a single fault. The resort doesn't cut back on service or close facilities just because there are fewer guests, which is great. It was a perfect getaway, and I will definitely be returning.

How do I put it? It wasn't particularly outstanding. I was originally torn between the Hyatt Centric and The Magellan Sutera, but once I arrived, I realized the Marriott is essentially in the middle ground between the two, both in terms of location and hotel type. The Hyatt Centric is downtown with numerous eateries right downstairs, while The Magellan Sutera is more of a secluded beach resort. The Marriott is in between, so it doesn't quite excel at either. It's true that there are motorcycles revving down the street if you have a city view, but it didn't really affect my sleep. It's also under the flight path, but there weren't many planes at night. To the south, there's a Bataras supermarket, and their pomelos are highly recommended this season. Further south is Imago. The area directly downstairs from the hotel itself is a bit desolate. The infinity pool on the 8th floor is decent, but there are no changing rooms.

It's already 2026, and they're still using these old-fashioned hairdryers that don't even reach far – they're so hard to use. And the air conditioning was so hot that I woke up seven times in one night. I basically suffered from insomnia for the two days I stayed there. The hygiene, however, was quite good. But I do have a small suggestion: when cleaning the room, please check if the shampoo and other amenities are sufficient and need refilling. Otherwise, guests won't have anything to use when they shower! 😵💫😵💫 Everything else was fine, really good. ❤️❤️

First, we gathered at the jetty, and then the second picture shows the bus taking us back to Tawau Airport from Semporna. It was fantastic; I'm so glad I chose this. The value of this long-standing five-star hotel keeps increasing. The service was excellent, and extra meals were served promptly. The buggy service was also very quick. The underwater scenery was even more vibrant and colorful. The sunset was also beautiful. There were so many sea turtles, we encountered them everywhere, along with manta rays and various schools of fish. It was breathtaking. I'll definitely go again if I have the chance. I've already recommended it to my friends!