Beach Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

This is my third stay, I had a free upgrade room to Deluxe room, that was really great. For the first two times, I was talking about feeling too cold after shower as cold air from the room will be going into the bathroom through the airventilated door. This time, the room is too warm, the temperature inside the bathroom after shower is just nice, but too warm to sleep at night, covering the quilt makes me too warm, without it would be too cold. Told the receptionist couple of times and they said maintenance had tried to turn it on to the max but the speed was still slow. However, I have a friend staying for the same night in different room, the fan speed of the air-conditioning in his room was really strong. I guess there's something wrong with the air-conditioning in my room. Other than that, everything's great.

The hotel's location is excellent! 👍 The service attitude is great, facilities are complete, and transportation is convenient. Especially, there's a fantastic Malay restaurant (Restoran Nikmat 2) right behind it – highly recommended! After 11 PM, the hot water supply wasn't quite sufficient, only lukewarm. Also, there was a sewer odor in the bathroom. Hope these minor issues can be improved upon.

I arrived at the hotel around 1:30 PM and was told check-in wasn't available yet. So I registered my passport and stored my luggage, and they said they'd bring it up to the room later. After going out for a meal and a walk, I returned to the front desk around 3:30 PM, only to be told they couldn't find my reservation. I explained that I had already registered, and then they informed me the room was under my husband's name, which was why my name wasn't found. But the problem is, they had already registered all our family's passports! Then another issue arose – they said the room wasn't ready. I pointed out that it was well past check-in time and that this was the hotel's problem. Eventually, they upgraded our room. The room itself was decent, and they even set up the sofa bed as requested for our family with a child. Just as I was about to relax, I used the toilet. I pressed the flush button on the wall, and the entire flush plate fell off, which gave me quite a fright. The facilities are really subpar. The hot water for the shower also wasn't working, and I had to call staff to fix it because their shower button design is so counter-intuitive. Did I think that was the end of it? There was another surprise when we were leaving. After checking out, my child's smart watch was missing. The location showed it was still at the hotel. I asked the front desk, and they said they hadn't found it. I showed them the watch's location, which clearly indicated our hotel and even the floor. The staff then took us to the room to look, but we couldn't find it. Finally, I asked them to find the cleaning staff, and sure enough, it was with them. But why didn't the cleaner report finding the watch immediately? If it weren't for the smart watch's tracking, it would have been impossible to prove. Luckily, we got it back. Additional note: The hotel pool is on the top floor and is quite small (a far cry from the Shangri-La).

I arrived at 9 AM and was immediately checked in. After a good sleep, I headed out to explore. No deposit was required, which was a nice touch. The staff were all smiles and made me feel right at home. Next time I'm in Kota Kinabalu, I'll definitely choose this place again. The privacy is excellent, and the capsule rooms are great. It's also conveniently located near the Central Market and Gaya Street, making it easy to get around.

I had a wonderful stay at Mapple Home. The apartment was clean, comfortable, and fully equipped with everything I needed — ironing facilities, hair dryer, microwave, fridge, TV, heater, WiFi, plates, bowls, pots, cutlery, glasses, pans, an electric stove, and a very comfortable mattress. The entire area was spotless and well-maintained. Special thanks to the host, Syafini, for being so helpful in answering all my questions and kindly allowing me to check out late at 12 pm. The sea view was absolutely beautiful and truly healing — I could enjoy the calming view of the ocean right from the bed. Overall, an excellent stay. Highly recommended!

The room was beautiful and spacious, giving off a super vacation vibe! The hotel staff provided excellent service. There's also a bar by the sea where you can enjoy a drink and dinner. The location is right by Sutera Harbour, and the famous 'Love at Ringgit Island' (which was popular online) has now moved to Sutera Harbour. It's also not far from the airport, making it very convenient for getting around.

We rented a two-bedroom villa. Boat transfer to the island is included in the price. The breakfasts were delicious. The villa is uniquely decorated and everything is provided: slippers, bathrobes, and separate towels for the beach and the room. The island itself is magnificent with a clean beach of white sand and turquoise sea water. During the day, many day-trippers visit, but after lunch, they leave, allowing you to enjoy a sense of oneness with nature. A special bonus for us was the absence of Wi-Fi in the rooms; it's available at the reception and in the restaurant.

Aside from the nice views, everything else was pretty mediocre. We stayed in room 7418, which was quite spacious and kid-friendly. It had both a bathtub and a shower. The TV had static, and the breakfast was the same every single day – at least for the 6 nights we stayed, it was the same few options. Surprisingly, there were no noodles at the club lounge restaurant. For any egg dishes, you had to specifically ask a waiter for the menu, otherwise, you wouldn't know they even had them. For 6 nights at the executive lounge, the alcohol wasn't self-serve; they only gave you a tiny bit each time. The service, from check-in to check-out, was pretty much non-existent. Housekeeping seemed to depend on the staff's mood; the first night the room was cleaned exceptionally well – I almost regretted not filming a full walkthrough. But the following days, the cleaning was very superficial.

An exceptional 2 nights in this kid room, clean, tidy and spacious. We looked for sliding bed which combined playground and bed into one, my kids loved it so much. I would love to see washing machine in my room, we can clean clothes and dry under sunshine at balcony easily. Location was convenient when we left, only took 10 mins to airport, and around 15-20 mins to Gaya market. Swimming pool at 11th floor offered excellent view for Kota Kinabalu and regular aeroplane arrival and departure, especially at night. Note that swimming pool closed at 8pm.

The hotel facilities are great, especially for families with children. The water slides and kids' play room were a big hit with the little ones. The only minor downside is the lack of restaurants nearby, so you're limited to the hotel restaurant or taking a taxi into the city, but that wasn't a major issue for us.