Hotels With Pools in Sabah, Malaysia

This is our family trip to Malaysia, and we have two elders and a baby with us. Considering the check-in time was 3 AM, we booked two days so we could enter early in the morning and rest. Honestly, when you’re traveling with family, you just do whatever is most convenient as long as it’s affordable. The apartment has a great location—literally 15–18 minutes from the airport. All the food spots and supermarkets are within walking distance. It’s just an all-around great package for a first-time visitor to the city. It was easy to sign in at security and get access to the apartment. The elevator is a bit slow because there are many residents in the building, but it’s acceptable. Once we entered the room, the AC was already on—what a breeze to welcome us on arrival. The room was clean, everything tidy. There were even clear instructions in the shower on how to use the water heater, which made things a lot easier. My in-laws took a nice hot shower after a 3-hour flight delay, and it was such a relief. Later in the day—maybe because of the red-eye flight and the massive delay—the fatigue kicked in. Plus, we’re not used to the humid and hot Malaysian weather. My father-in-law started having a fever. I had Tylenol and other medicines ready in the bag, but we clearly needed a plan B. I reached out to the owner immediately. My father-in-law was feeling cold even after the fever subsided. The owner contacted his friend in the same building right away and got us an extra blanket. Plan B was to cancel our driving trip to Mount Kinabalu the next day. Since my father-in-law was sick, having him in the car for a 2–3 hour drive wouldn’t help his rest. And if things got worse while we were up in the mountains, he wouldn’t get the medical attention he needed in the middle of nowhere. It was better to cancel and stay in the city. So naturally, if we could extend the room and let him rest another day, he might recover enough for us to continue the rest of the trip. Unfortunately, the room was already booked for the next day. The owner told us we could book another room and he’d try to let us check in earlier to make the transition easier. After we booked the new room, I believe he made some arrangements behind the scenes. He later texted us saying we could stay in the same room tomorrow—no room change needed. I’m really thankful to such an understanding owner, someone who genuinely cares and makes the effort to help a random visitor like me. I told him I’d write down this positive experience to share with others. Hopefully, it brings him more business.

I recently stayed at the Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabalu, and it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. The location is excellent—right in the city center, making it easy to walk to nearby restaurants, shopping malls, and the waterfront. It’s convenient whether you’re here for business or sightseeing. The room was clean, comfortable, and well-equipped. The bed was cozy, the air-conditioning worked well, and the Wi-Fi was stable. I also appreciated the small touches like the coffee/tea facilities and a good-sized work desk. If you’re lucky to get a sea-view room, waking up to the South China Sea is definitely a bonus. The hotel facilities are also great. The breakfast selection was good with plenty of choices, and the staff were friendly and helpful throughout my stay. The check-in process was smooth, and I felt well taken care of. Overall, I had a very good stay at Promenade Hotel. It has great value for its location, comfort, and service. I would gladly choose this hotel again the next time I visit Kota Kinabalu.

Clean and tidy, spacious rooms, well-equipped, and a great location! Very nice. You can see the ocean right from your window, and even catch the sunset in the evening!!! There's also a beachfront pool on the 7th floor 😄 where you can also watch the sunset.

Doesn’t like hotel..except there’s a people in front desk other thing all just like Airbnb Without hotel services, late night check in with small baby, many luggage bag and stroller totally no one helping for it..front counter staff just look at us and when I ask any bell boy they say only self services Water flow for both toilet stuck just open shower head awhile the floor already like flood Last month I stay at here also ‘ARU’ but is under owner Airbnb.. this time choose hotel due to late flight arrive and prefer have services helping but no different with Airbnb… who knows actually the same building The room with a very very kick ‘wet smell’ not sure is the sofa or what..actually it is the same with the previous stay Airbnb the unit just next door (more prefer Airbnb at this place) Drinking water provided and 4 cans soft drink.. for short stay okay within 24 hours but more than that not recommend

The hotel is clean and hygienic. It's a one-bedroom apartment with a washing machine. It's very convenient for getting around, being close to the pier, so you can sleep in a bit. I was always the last one to be picked up for tours. It also has a balcony.

I thought it was a hotel, but it turned out to be an apartment rented out by a hotel. Many people I asked didn't even know where it was. It was a bit difficult to contact the owner, but thankfully, Trip.com's concierge helped me get in touch and check in smoothly. The room is quite spacious with good lighting, and it even has a kitchen with an induction cooker and tableware, which was very comfortable. The security is also good, as you need a card to access the elevator. It's just a few minutes' taxi ride to Gaya Street, and since it opened this year, the facilities are all new.

Our small family decided to have a staycation in few hotel/resort and by far Sutera has won our heart. This place is amazing and i suggest anybody who wants to experience this place to stay more than 1Night. The room is still in its Vintage style , tv only has those old channel , there's one bathtub in the room which we loved specially my son,for the breakfast i do believe they can add more choices as they are more korean dishes focused, it'll be nice to have local kuih (hinompuka/pais pisang) other than kuih pisang only.. But other than that, you actually get free 1hour of bike rental on ur stay which we only know when we ask around, it was located right in front of the kids pool , other than that they do have a small train going around from Magellan to Pacific sutera and its FOC!!! I loved the staff energy the entire time, he asked our son to be in his seat as a driver and even let my son press few button and act like he's driving the train!! god bless your fun soul sir!! keep up the good work!! we will definitely be back again soon🥰❣️

Really friendly helpful staff and very polite too. Especially to name Ben and Ronald who are very good and helpful at the ”front line.” That is what I called the Front line. Once again, a special Thank you to all. Like the infamous Arnie said, ” I'll Be Back!!!

This hotel offers an absolutely stunning experience, especially the panoramic sea views. Watching the ocean change colours from daytime blues to a dramatic sunset and peaceful evening was unforgettable. The scenery alone makes this place special. The room was modern, clean, and thoughtfully designed, with large windows that brought the outdoors in. Sitting by the window with a cup of coffee while watching planes pass over the sea and islands in the distance was surprisingly calming and unique. The atmosphere throughout the stay was quiet and relaxing, perfect for unwinding. Everything felt well-maintained and comfortable, from the room setup to the overall hotel environment. If you’re looking for a hotel with beautiful views, a peaceful vibe, and a touch of luxury, this is an excellent choice. I would happily return and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a memorable seaside stay.

There was a big debate with my family when we were booking. I really liked the swimming pool here, while my family wanted to stay at the new Hyatt, closer to the jetty and Gaya Street. In the end, we decided on the Marriott. We didn't experience the issues mentioned online about no hot water or plane noise. The hot water was plentiful every day. You could hear planes before falling asleep, and I'm a light sleeper who really values quiet, but I slept very well all four nights. Maybe there aren't any planes late at night. For transportation, I personally don't think it's a big deal; it's a short taxi ride to both jetties, and getting to places like Welcome Seafood for food is also a very short taxi ride, just the base fare. It's only a bit further from Sabah University. The only thing I think could be improved is the breakfast; it was exactly the same all four days. It would be nice to have some variety! 😀 As someone who swims year-round, I'd swim in the evenings after island hopping and in the mornings before going to the mangroves. This pool is about 25 meters long and absolutely wonderful. Every day after my swim, I'd float on my back in the pool, watching planes fly overhead – it was incredibly relaxing.