5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

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 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!

📍Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu | A Thorough Review, Pros and Cons Included First, the conclusion: This is a typical 'lie-flat' resort for Westerners. Most Chinese tourists have packed itineraries and busy schedules, so choose this hotel with caution. ❌ Cons (The Honest Truth) 1️⃣ **Remote Location.** It's an hour's drive from Kota Kinabalu city center, and traffic in KK is often bad. This makes island hopping and snorkeling trips inconvenient. 2️⃣ **Beach Not Swimmable.** A red flag was up every day, prohibiting swimming in the sea. If you're looking to swim, you'll be stuck with the pool. Those hoping for ocean swimming will be disappointed. 3️⃣ **No Chinese Service.** Communication relies mainly on English, which isn't ideal for families with young children. 4️⃣ **Service Lapses.** After room cleaning, they forgot to replenish our 3 bottles of drinking water. Every time I ordered online, I requested 'no chili,' but it always arrived with chili, making it impossible for my child to eat (I didn't complain again to the restaurant, just a heads-up for others). 5️⃣ **Inflexible Policy.** The hotel does not allow early check-out with a refund. Any changes to your itinerary will leave you in a difficult position; it's not very accommodating. 6️⃣ **Outdated Facilities.** In my room, two out of three power strips on the desk were broken. Maintenance of hardware is lacking. 7️⃣ **Endless Beach Walk.** The beach is incredibly vast. Walking from the hotel to the actual seashore is a long trek, and doing it under the scorching sun is quite uncomfortable. ✅ Pros (No Ambiguity Here) 1️⃣ **Exclusive Beach + Stunning Sunsets.** Very few people, so no need to Photoshop anyone out of your photos. Watching the sunset on the private beach in the evening, or dining and enjoying activities right by the sea with the vibrant sky as a backdrop, is incredibly relaxing. 2️⃣ **Plenty of Activities, Great for Kids.** There are free shows, and the evening fire torch performance is good. They also have activities like 'Little Bees' (which my child was afraid of, so we didn't go). It's a one-stop shop for a 'lie-flat' vacation. 3️⃣ **Location Depends on Your Plans.** It's close to Mount Kinabalu, making it suitable for hiking and outdoor activities. 🍽️ Dining - The Honest Scoop The hotel's restaurants generally offer good food, but the prices are genuinely expensive. A money-saving tip: Order takeout via Grab and have it delivered to the hotel – it's much more economical. I even managed to get Mixue ice cream delivered, so no problem with milk tea cravings. 💡 Snorkeling Route - Essential Info To Mantanani Island, don't go through Magellan Jetty; that's for people coming from the city. Instead, use Kuala Abai Jetty in the north: it's a 2-hour drive from the city, but only 1 hour from Rasa Ria, and it's less crowded. Staying here makes a trip to Mantanani Island more convenient. 🏁 Summary The inability to swim in the sea from the beach is a major drawback, but if you treat it as a 'sunset viewing spot + family lie-flat base,' it's worth the price. If it's part of your itinerary, plan Mantanani Island and Mount Kinabalu for the same period. Avoid traveling back and forth to the city; the 1-hour drive plus traffic is a real deterrent. Plan carefully!

The hotel room offers stunning sea views right from the bed. We also witnessed breathtaking skies. Breakfast was excellent, and the service was very warm and friendly. The hotel's location in Kota Kinabalu city center is incredibly convenient. Gaya Street is just a 10-minute walk away. Dining and shopping options are abundant nearby. While the room wasn't huge, the facilities were quite good. Overall, I highly recommend it; it offers great value for money.

The environment is quite good, with spacious public areas and a pier nearby. There was a very patient Chinese-speaking lady at the front desk. There were two downsides. Firstly, the trendy room type I originally booked wasn't available, perhaps because we checked in late. They upgraded us to an executive room, but it didn't have the photogenic terrace, which was a bit disappointing. Secondly, on the evening of our second consecutive night, our room key card stopped working. It was very inconvenient late at night, and it took a long time to go back down to the lobby. There was no compensation for this either.

A fantastic stay and a perfect resort and team. Only issues are 1) plastic from sea, nothing they can do about it but it affects enjoyment, 2) we had a minor issue with housekeeping not coming and then coming when it was dark and letting a lots of bugs in the room (we had been careful to avoid that). Honestly amazing value and a great time though!

The room was quite spacious. This hotel, if it were in China, would be on par with Atour. The phone in the room didn't work; it was just a decoration. There were bloodstains on the duvet, but it looked like they had been washed but not completely removed. Given how tired we were from our layover, we didn't dwell on these issues. The breakfast was unappetizing; if you can avoid it, don't bother going, as it's not cheap either. All the hotel's facilities are very old, and the lobby had a musty, damp smell. On the positive side, it's very close to Gaya Street and Imago. Staff helped with luggage. Overall, the staff were all decent.

Before coming, I read a lot of negative reviews and was full of anxiety, but after experiencing it, I realized it was unnecessary worry. The room, bedding, and pillows were clean and odorless. Whether it was the front desk, concierge, borrowing towels at the pool, or ordering food at the restaurant, everyone was enthusiastic and I never felt neglected. One day, after the room was cleaned, they forgot to leave new towels. I called and they were delivered quickly, without a long wait. You can watch the sunset from the hotel's small beach, which is very convenient and beautiful. Snorkeling on the small beach is convenient and safe, with lots of fish, coral, and even Nemo. Island hopping close to shore departs from their own pier, which is also very convenient; just go downstairs to the pier 30 minutes in advance to buy tickets. After returning, you can go straight back to your room in your swimsuit to change and wash up, avoiding the hassle of changing clothes on the island. Room service is available, which is a good option if it's raining or you're too lazy to go out; the prices aren't too expensive. Overall, it's a great resort hotel, highly recommended, and I would stay again if I have the chance. The pictures show the hotel's small beach and the sunset from the hotel.

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.

The room was spacious with a fantastic view. I was lucky to get room 61, and I even saw sea turtles returning at night – it was an amazing experience! The buggy service was quite prompt, usually arriving about 10 minutes after a call. The service was excellent, and there was a Chinese-speaking staff member available every day. The Trip.com staff were also very responsible, repeatedly confirming my arrival, departure, and ferry times. Overall, a delightful trip!