Hotels With Spa in Sabah, Malaysia

Honestly, I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews online for this hotel. I'll just share my own experience. First, I didn't feel discriminated against at all. My English is terrible, and I had to rely on gestures and a translation app to communicate with the front desk, but the staff member was incredibly patient. Second, I didn't see any evidence of Chinese tourists being deliberately upgraded to rooms in a renovating building. My ocean view room had no obstructions whatsoever, so maybe I was just lucky, but I definitely didn't encounter any of the issues mentioned online. As for the hotel itself, the environment is absolutely top-notch. Any spot is perfect for taking stunning sunset photos. The entire hotel feels like a mini-resort, ideal for relaxing and not wanting to venture out too much. The room's hardware is a bit dated, and overall, the value for money is just average, primarily because you're paying for the incredible views.

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!

I chose this hotel for a one-night stay before heading to the overwater bungalow the next day. Although the room facilities were a bit old, they were very clean. There's a convenience store right downstairs, and it's very close to the pier. The sea breeze was a bit loud at night, but the breakfast was excellent and plentiful.

The place is beautiful. The ocean and the beach are amazing. The hotel is seafront, a few steps and you’re swimming in the ocean. The rooms needs a lot of maintenance and deep cleaning, our room had many things need to be repair so, they gave us upgrade to a huge wood villa with 2 floors. The restaurant is ok… but no delicious. Breakfast is not so good but they prepare eggs as you like. The hotel needs dee cleaning and a lot of maintenance. They have places looks like abandoned.

This is my second stay at Shangri-La Rasa Ria, with the last one being 13 years ago. Although the hotel is older, the facilities are generally well-maintained. There are some minor damages in certain nooks and crannies, and while the bedding felt clean, I personally thought it was a bit old-fashioned. As a five-star hotel, I believe the linens should be updated more regularly. The service was excellent – warm and attentive. Some staff members could communicate in Chinese. Furthermore, knowing we had a child, they even converted the sofa into an extra bed in advance. The location is quite remote, so dining options are limited to the hotel itself. You can also use Grab, but the choices there are somewhat limited. The hotel's various restaurants offer different cuisines, catering to individual preferences, though the prices are a bit on the high side. The hotel has many activities available, which are great and fun for kids. If you have the budget for a family trip, I'd highly recommend it.

The overwater bungalow environment is exceptional! You can snorkel endlessly, and even if you're not an experienced snorkeler, there's a guide who takes guests out every afternoon at 4 PM. The staff (local guides) are fantastic! We even saw a huge sea turtle at night. There's never a dull moment on the island; you can go fishing, dive, play mahjong, and there are even local performances in the evenings! The 'jellyfish sea' is incredibly photogenic, every picture turns out amazing! One lovely lady even managed to catch a small fish 🐟

Excellent hotel, surrounded by lush greenery, and there's even a monitor lizard on the premises. We had a ground-floor room with a stunning sea view. The room was large and felt fresh, likely one of those that had been renovated. Breakfast was excellent, with a huge selection of both European and Asian cuisine. You could order eggs cooked to your liking, make soup, try Indian-style roti, and there was plenty of fruit and vegetables, yogurt, and even Gouda and Parmesan cheeses, delicious croissants, and a coffee machine. Overall, highly recommended!

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.

Everything was perfect. Every staff member at the resort was incredibly welcoming and helpful, even the maintenance workers I passed on the paths greeted me warmly. The food in the restaurant was delicious, and breakfast was absolutely perfect – I couldn't find a single fault. The resort doesn't cut back on service or close facilities just because there are fewer guests, which is great. It was a perfect getaway, and I will definitely be returning.

The hotel facilities are a bit dated, but we booked a sea-view room on the 10th floor and the view was absolutely stunning. The breakfast was quite good for us Chinese guests, and the kids enjoyed it too. The hotel's location is very convenient, close to the pier which makes going out to sea really easy. The swimming pool is quite unique and kid-friendly. The hotel beach is relatively small. Even though the hotel is close to the airport, we didn't hear any noise from planes taking off or landing, so the soundproofing is excellent. Overall, it's a good stay with high value for money!