5-Star Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

I expected a great hotel stay and they delivered. All the staff were lovely. Thank you for that. My only issue is the lack of room information regarding what is available in the hotel. Normally I would expect marketing information and menus for restarunt and bar in the room. The TV does give room service menu but was not required. Fortunately we found Ben, the Concierge in the lobby who very kindly explained what we asked, and provided a map for the area. Very welcome. Thank you very much.

The sea view is amazing! 👍 The facilities are a bit old (I expected this, so it was fine). The service, however, was terrible. For a hotel that costs over 2,000 per night, the service is worse than what you'd get at a business hotel. I arrived a little after 3 PM to check in and waited over half an hour. Every counter had staff, but they were incredibly inefficient, and the lobby was a chaotic mess, packed with people. Since the lobby is on the second floor, our luggage was supposed to be delivered to our room. It took almost an hour, and after four phone calls, it finally arrived at 4:56 PM (I needed my computer by 5 PM, which is why I kept calling room service to rush the luggage). We were charged an extra bed fee for three people, but by 11 PM, when we returned to the room, the extra bed still hadn't been set up. After calling, a staff member came, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a bed. The 'duvet' was a sheet covering a blanket, and the mattress was a soft spring mattress placed right next to the balcony door. It was less comfortable than three of us sharing two king-sized beds. The walk from the lobby to the Tanjong Wing is very long. For this price, there should typically be a shuttle service, but there wasn't one here. They didn't even inform us that the hotel actually had a car, but by the time we saw it, we were almost there anyway. After watching the sunset, I left my room key in the room. I had to trek all the way back to the lobby, only to start waiting again. When I tried to ask other staff members in the lobby for help, they all directed me to the front desk. At that point, there were only two staff members at the front desk, so I had to queue again. Even when staff members came out from inside and saw the queue, they didn't open another counter. In summary, the service completely, absolutely does not match the price. It's purely for the sea view (which, I admit, is truly stunning and worth it).

Service: Absolutely fantastic! They provide complimentary waterproof phone pouches, raincoats, eye masks, and other little essentials. Plus, there are free iced drinks and, best of all, free laundry service – perfect for a trip to Sabah! The laundry is super fast too, and the housekeeper is very responsive to guests' needs. Facilities: Not great, actually. The space is small, and the apartment design has some issues. The shower stall has a tiny bathtub that's neither comfortable for a bath nor spacious enough for a shower. And the sink is a nightmare – water splashes everywhere the moment you wash your hands, so it feels like you're washing your hands and feet at the same time. Environment: It's an apartment within the Imago mall. Plane noise is quite noticeable, so I wouldn't recommend it if you're a light sleeper. Since everyone takes taxis around here, convenience of transportation isn't really an issue. There's also a fish noodle restaurant in the mall that wasn't very good. Cleanliness: Good. It was clean and tidy, with no visible stains.

On Xiaohongshu, everyone said the old Grand Hyatt wasn't good, but the four of us guys think that's complete nonsense. The lounge view is unbeatable, breakfast is delicious, the rooms are clean, and the service is attentive. Plus, they upgraded us directly to a sea-view room! If you're still not satisfied with that, I suggest you just don't stay in hotels.

We had an excellent time at Magellan with our 7 year-old kid. 1. There were many facilities catered for children. There were 3 different pools to choose from, there was a small beach to snorkel and feed fish and also play some sand, there was a floatie prepared at the shallow pool and there was a bouncy castle slide for adults to enjoy as well. Snorkel and life jackets prepared for those wanting to try at the small beach. Perfect for those who are short on time to do island hopping. There were movie screenings every Fri-Sun. There's a playground. There's a kid's club with affordable prices and activities. There's bowling, pickleball, tennis and so much more for adults wanting to do some activities in the resort. 2. Service was excellent. We had a malfunction phone in our 1st room which became inconvenient. They manage to get us a room change with an upgrade! The manager on the case, Ms Mahera was very kind in handling our case. We changed our rooms the day after check-in and had accidentally left behind my kid's bag. And since we had the manager's number on hand, we contacted them and we got the item back safely within an hour of contacting them. Every encounter with a staff was met with a smile. We ordered room service twice since we got so tired and the food was delicious. 3. Location is great. We went island hopping via the Marina Jetty that was just next door, no need to commute to other locations. The hotel also had an amazing view of the sunset. There were multiple spots for photos and restaurants to enjoy the sunset. Also the location is a mere 15 mins away from the airport and city centre. Grab from hotel to city centre is less than RM15/ trip.

Stayed for 3 days and 2 nights. The unit is suitable for two couples, a small family, or a group of four. The location is near town, which is very convenient. The owner is easy to communicate with. There is no deposit required upon check-in, and the check-in process is simple—just follow the given instructions. Check-out is also easy; just leave the key in the mailbox. The unit has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a small living room with a TV, and a small kitchen. A refrigerator is provided. The water heater works well, and there are 3 air conditioners. The TV has Netflix available, but you need to use your own account. The lift is fast and not crowded. For reference: Parking is paid parking — approximately RM3 for the first 2 hours, then RM1 for subsequent hours, up to a maximum of RM15 per day. There is no washing machine in the unit, but a laundry is available on the ground floor. Guests have access to the swimming pool. For Muslim guests: no sejadah (prayer mat) is provided, so please bring your own. Note: Hopefully, the owner can continue maintaining the unit to be more Muslim-friendly, as we would love to stay here again in the future. Thank you.

The Hyatt Centric was a fantastic experience! We arrived at 9 AM and asked the front desk if we could check in early. To our surprise, they had an available room and arranged it right away! After dropping off our luggage, we headed across to Suria Sabah Mall for some 'Ah Yen' and exchanged some Malaysian Ringgit at B1 according to the Alipay exchange rate. It's only 200m from the popular Sutera Harbour, which we visited twice. Gaya Street is also very close, just a 200-300m walk. The environment and service were both excellent. The hotel breakfast was incredible value for money. For a room that cost 800 yuan a night, the breakfast was à la carte, and the service staff spoke Chinese, making communication very easy. The variety of dishes was extensive, including Chinese, Western, Korean, and Southeast Asian options. I highly recommend the Indian bread with curry and the Beef Laksa from the à la carte menu – they were absolutely delicious!

After an unhappy incident at another property(Mercure Kota Kinabalu), I impulsively booked a stay at Sheraton, honestly, best decision ever. From the moment we arrived, the vibe completely shifted. We were warmly welcomed by the friendly porter, and check-in was handled smoothly by Mr. Irfan at the front desk—super helpful, genuinely pleasant, and he even surprised us with an early check-in and a room upgrade (already winning) . The room? Spacious, comfortable, and blessed with both city and sea views, hard to beat that combo. I also have to say, I really loved the toiletries; such a small detail, but it made the stay feel extra thoughtful. Facilities-wise, the gym is well-equipped (no excuses to skip a workout), and the infinity pool is chef’s kiss—perfect for those Instagram shots. Location is another big win, super central and convenient for getting around. All in all, what started as a spontaneous escape turned into a genuinely wonderful stay. Definitely a place I’ll come back to next time I’m in town.

AMAZING!!!! The staff here! They are so unbelievably friendly and helpful. They truly made me feel so special and welcomed throughout my stay. Especially the ladies at breakfast and the guys at the door. I got the seaview room and that view was breathtaking! Front row seats to that sunset every day! The rooms are very clean and the beds and pillows are extremely comfortable, would 100% recommend if you’re looking for a comfortable and relaxing stay. The rooftop bar also has the best view of the sunset in my opinion. Breakfast was great, too- so much choice!

The honest review about this homestay is superb! We stayed here only 1 night and this homestay can accommodate up to 12 pax (adult + kids). The owner really helpful and answer all my questions during check in. This homestay facing with the spectacular view (golf resort & beach). Located above the Imago shopping mall, easy to find food too. Near to the homestay (around 1KM), we can buy souvenirs at Pasar Filipina (Anjung Kinabalu) and also eat seafood at Anjung Senja. I would like recommend this homestay to the others who will travel to Kota Kinabalu.