Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

The overall scenery is incredible, offering the most beautiful sunsets. The swimming pool was also very comfortable and had a great vibe, which the kids really loved. However, the hotel is quite old, and you can tell from the room facilities. The air conditioning in our room on the first night was too loud, but they moved us to a different room the next day. The hotel's response was decent, but for this price point, the value for money has been steadily declining over the years. The staff were polite but not particularly warm or enthusiastic. The breakfast, though, was fantastic!

Had a perfect holiday at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru! A special shout-out to Shahzrul at the front desk. From the warm welcome at check-in to patiently answering all our questions, he made us feel right at home throughout our stay. His service was professional yet warm, and combined with the world-class, breathtaking sunset, it truly made for an unforgettable experience! Five-star recommendation, will definitely come again!

The hotel was great. The Thursday cultural performance with a buffet was a pleasant surprise and definitely worth it. I'm not sure why the Chinese customer service representative (Adzean) was based in the US, but they were very enthusiastic. When they couldn't reach me, they even sent a text message to check if my issue was resolved. I highly recommend the hotel's sunset paddleboarding, especially for families. Kids can even take an English paddleboarding lesson. The spot where the instructor took us for photos at the end was also excellent, right next to the sunset bar. The only downside was having to carry my heavy luggage down the lobby steps myself when checking out, which was a bit inconvenient.

Family trip: Booked a pool view room and got upgraded to a sea view room. The room was spacious with plenty of spots to hang wet clothes, which was very convenient after swimming, island hopping, and snorkeling. The hotel has its own pier, making island hopping easy, although it's a bit pricier. If you're traveling with kids and are concerned about primitive facilities on the islands, the hotel's direct round-trip option is quick and convenient. There's a simple water park and a pool where kids can play for a long time. They also provide two buckets of water balloons (5 per bucket) for the water war activity each day, free of charge. The hotel offers a variety of activities as well. We joined the 'Green Tour,' where staff took us to a herb garden to learn about and taste tropical plants, and to the Clownfish Discovery Center to touch starfish and sea cucumbers and feed clownfish. The kids absolutely loved it! Requests for water or other services were also handled very promptly.

The room was generally clean and tidy, and the service was good; all the staff were very warm and hospitable. I hope the renovation finishes soon. I think once it's completely done, the hotel could go up another level. The hotel's location is definitely worth the price.

They say photography is the art of deception, and that's absolutely true. Countless posts online rave about the stunning sunsets at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, but nobody tells you that you can get in without paying or making a reservation. I only found out upon arrival that the hotel's so-called 'private area' becomes packed with reserved guests, and quite a few non-reserved ones, every evening. Guests who actually paid end up having to jostle with a large crowd just to see the sunset. Even more ridiculous is the 'private beach,' which is tiny. I have to ask: if anyone can enter, how is it 'private'? There were even commercial photography teams doing extended shoots, completely disregarding guests' privacy and peace. To be fair, the frontline staff were all very kind and helpful; I won't deny that. But the management's policies really make you feel like you're paying to be annoyed. If you just want to see the sunset, head straight to the Tanjung Aru public beach – the view is much better, and the experience is far superior. If you want a hotel with good service, Hilton or Le Méridien are both better than this Shangri-La. After this experience, I'm quite disappointed with the Shangri-La brand and will likely avoid staying there again. However, I must commend Ctrip's handling of the issue; they responded quickly after I reported the problem. The hotel offered a 170 MYR dining voucher as compensation, which I declined. Later they offered a bottle of wine, which I also refused. I'm not sure why I was being so stubborn, but perhaps it's because a bad experience can't be made up for by any amount of compensation. I'm not writing this to discourage anyone from going, but simply to share my honest feelings and provide a reference for future travelers. Put yourself in my shoes – anyone who pays for an experience and doesn't get what they expect would be disappointed.

The hotel's location is excellent. I was worried about getting a room with a bad view due to renovations, but that didn't happen. The breakfast was also much better than what some online reviews suggested, with plenty of options. Overall, I'm satisfied. The only minor drawback is that the facilities are a bit old, but they are already in the process of being updated.

Terrible value for money. The room was very old, and the beach was tiny. The free beach next door was even nicer than the hotel's. Over 4,000 a night, and the breakfast was bad too. The hotel is really old. Waited half an hour for the shuttle bus and it still didn't come. Not even as good as the Sheraton.