Holiday Inn Express KOTA KINABALU CITY CENTRE by IHG

Great location, plenty of food options nearby like Wajilai (a famous seafood restaurant), durian stalls, and popular local fried snacks. All were indeed delicious!

Cozy and comfortable. Suitable for family trips or business travel. Even more worthwhile for IHG members.

The hotel was very clean and close to all the attractions. They also allowed early check-in, which was a huge plus! It's very close to Gaya Street and the beach, basically just a short taxi ride away.

This was the third Holiday Inn Express I've stayed at during my trip abroad, and as always, it offered great value for money. Although the official check-in time was 3 PM, the front desk staff, Sherman, allowed us to check in two hours early, saving us waiting time and providing a room that met our preferences. The hotel is located in Kota Kinabalu city center, not far from the airport and popular attractions like Gaya Street and Tanjung Aru Beach. During off-peak hours, a Grab ride costs less than 10 Malaysian Ringgit to these locations. The hotel is a standalone building with security personnel, which made us feel very safe during our stay. The lobby on the first floor has a gym and computers available for free use. The breakfast selection was quite diverse, with slight changes to the menu daily. Convenience stores, restaurants, and other commercial facilities are about a ten-minute walk from the hotel.

The hotel is not far from the pier and the city center mall, about a 5-minute taxi ride away. The best part is being able to book a room with a sofa bed, so we didn't feel cramped even with an older child. We had a great rest.

The room was a bit small, but it didn't affect my rest. The hotel is conveniently located and the service is excellent. Much better than the W in Putrajaya and the Hyatt in Kuala Lumpur. The sofa bed, though small, was very comfortable to sleep on. Consistently good as always.

I'm from Chengdu, and I hope my review helps future travelers. First, regarding hygiene, the bed linen was clean, with only a tiny yellow stain that didn't affect our sleep, as we brought our own disposable sheets. There were no residual hairs or other stains in the room. As for soundproofing, apart from a little sound seeping through the door crack, the rest was very well done. For dining, the hotel includes breakfast, but the variety is a bit limited; it's enough to fill you up though. For transportation, I recommend using Grab for everything. There's a 7-Eleven nearby, as well as some restaurants, and it's close to the beach, within a 30-minute walk. The hotel front desk doesn't speak Chinese, but you can communicate with 'plastic English' (basic English) or a translator. I don't recommend going out alone at night; East Malaysia is still quite poor, and some people don't seem very friendly. You might also encounter some creeps, but if you tell them to 'f*ck off' in English, they'll usually back down.

The front desk staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. They gave us a great floor, specifically taking our preferences into account. The breakfast offered a good variety, including some local specialties. The location is quite convenient for getting around, but you'll definitely need a taxi because it's so sunny; even a short 900-meter walk left us feeling completely drained by the heat.