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4.0
#22 of 122 hotels in Kota Kinabalu
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Mandarin Hotel is an excellent choice for travellers visiting Kota Kinabalu, offering a family-friendly environment alongside many helpful amenities designed to enhance your stay.
While staying at Kota Kinabalu Mandarin, visitors can check out Atkinson Clock Tower (0.1 mi) and Marlin Statue (0.2 mi), some of Kota Kinabalu's top attractions.
As your “home away from home,” the hotel rooms offer air conditioning, and getting online is easy, with free wifi available.
Guests have access to 24 hour front desk, a concierge, and room service while staying at Mandarin Kota Kinabalu. And, as an added convenience, there is parking available to guests.
When you’re feeling hungry, be sure to check out Welcome Seafood Restaurant, D' Place Kinabalu, and Sri Latha Curry House, which are some Asian restaurants that are popular with locals and out-of-towners alike.
If you are interested in exploring Kota Kinabalu, check out a science museum, such as Marine Aquarium and Museum.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Modern
Languages Spoken
English, Chinese, Malay
Location
Lot 136 & 138 Jalan Gaya, Kota Kinabalu 88800 Malaysia
Mandarin Hotel
183 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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I stayed for a week and it was fantastic in so many ways - prime location on Gaya Street (also right where the Fri and Sat night market is, as well as the Sunday farmer's market); safe, clean and comfortable; and the staff are great: very prompt, professional, and friendly. I asked for no housekeeping and in some other places I've stayed at the staff is either not properly briefed or just forget and still come in. Here there was zero issue with that. Then whenever I needed anything and called the front desk, my call was answered immediately and whatever I requested was delivered shortly. Era was especially helpful when I was facing some issues and personally took it upon herself to really help me out, something I was extremely grateful for! The only thing is I found the lighting quite dim (difficult to do makeup, so had to use the flashlight on my phone, which isn't ideal). But everything else was ideal for my stay. Would recommend, and would stay again:)
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Front desk staff were very friendly. Helped me arrange a day tour with a driver who speaks little English. The location is very convenient, right next to the night market and a variety of restaurants. The room was clean, although small. But it is of good value because I only paid $40 USD a night. No hot water in one evening, but the manager switched me to a different room.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shortly after arriving at the hotel we found out that there were some plumbing problems with our bathroom. After informing the staff they immediately offered us a different room, which was perfectly fine.
We were very happy with the outstanding service. after we left we found out that my boyfriend left his phone in the taxi. After contacting the hotel they managed to track down the taxi driver and got him to deliver the phone back to us at the airport.
Tip; chose a room on the front side of the hotel. The back side is facing an outdoor cafe, which has live music till 12.30 am
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot of people gave me funny looks when i stayed here for my one week work trip due to previous bad reviews and previous conditions. However, as many will know now, the hotel has been renovated and upgraded and boasts one of the bigger modern rooms then most hotels in the vicinity. The price for this hotel is not that expensive but the rooms are comfortable, big, and the service here is excellent!! for any setbacks that happened during my stay, they made double the effort to ensure it was compensated and did not happen again.
If there is one feedback, for the movie channels it would be nice to offer Fox Movies or HBO rather then Cinemax.
Overall, definite recommendation to stay here when you are in KK, excellent location for food and excellent services (laundry, wifi & taxi services provided too!!)
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Date of stay: July 2014
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I understand the feelings of those who stayed here before the upgrading/renovation. I stayed here too in 2006 and I know how worst the hotel was at that time. However, my second visit recently (June 2014) surprised me a lot. They recently renovated and upgrading the entire hotel. It also means that the title of a 'budget' hotel can be removed. It is no longer a budget hotel (I say a budget hotel cost lower than RM100 for 2 pax for 1 room). I was on my way to Kota Kinabalu from Kudat and 30 minutes before arriving, I called the hotel to make a last minute reservation. The employee was very friendly and polite. She quoted RM189.50 for superior king size non window and RM200.50 for room with window. (These are prices for 2 pax). Deluxe- a bit higher. I was quite shocked in the beginning. However, when I checked in, I understand why they fix that price for that room.
Reception- Employees greeted us politely and treated every customers equally with genuine smile, they will even say SELAMAT MALAM each time you entered the premise at night. Seems that they have not only upgraded their facilities but the service as well. Check in was smooth. Assigned to room 9413. Decor all over the floor going to rooms are wonderful. Totally different from my last visit in 2006. Photos attached to this review will tell you guys everything. I am 100% satisfied with this hotel improvement.
They do have some weaknesses though. They do not provide parking to all guest. You will have to park somewhere near to the hotel and of course during working days you car will be subjected to the City Hall parking fees. If you managed to get parking in front of the hotel or anywhere near on Sunday, you have to remove your car very early in the morning or better midnight Saturday. This is because of the Gaya street Market- yup every Sunday. They do not have a cafe of their own. It will be much better if they decide to open their own small cafe. Currently you can order food from the nearby DAILY UTAMA restaurant-the staff will send your order directly to your room.
Overall, I am satisfied. Will I be back? Yes but not frequently. Other hotels do offer greater rate although they are not newly renovated. I wish that one day the Management of this Hotel consider to erect their own cafe so that they can offer breakfast to guest and maybe scrap parking fees during working days? If paying RM189.50 comes with breakfast and parking, I will be surely become their frequent quest.
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Date of stay: June 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:If you want to avoid noise from the outside market on Sunday or from the street outside, ask for...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have to highlight the exceptional service i received during my short stay here. Arrived at night from the last airport bus only to realize that I have lost my passport on check- in. After futile attempts at contacting the bus company to search since it was closed, Mr Henry the hotel manager drove to the airport himself and contacted the boss of the bus company. True enough they managed to search the bus and found it. I have never met anyone with such commendable work ethics to go literally all out (of hotel) to help retrieve my passport. That, i am extremely grateful.
The hotel itself is very clean, something i am particular about (clean sheets!) and reasonably priced for a budget hotel with good location.
It is very near the airport bus station and bus station in bandaran where everyone departs to various districts. Good if you're planning a trip out of KK to catch a bus out of city. Also on jalan gaya where the famous Sunday street market is.
It is also a walking distance to the Suria Sabah mall, and the ferry terminal for island hopping.
Since the location is strategic, one need not worry about food, night activities, or late night supper.
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Date of stay: January 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this hotel. It was very evident that everything was new. They just did a major renovation and upgrading project, I am sure. Everything - I mean EVERYTHING IS NEW. Everything was working perfectly. Wifi was fantastic. Housekeeping was attentive and cleaned our rooms each afternoon. There are slippers and toileteries provided; even a hairdryer in the toilet. Coffee and tea making sets; kettle; flat screen TV with cable channels; Good WiFi; plush towels; bottled water. Staff was very attentive and accomodating. Definitely a recommend. I read some older reviews on Trip Advisor about this hotel. But really this is a NEW hotel. Really reasonable. And location location location. Everything important to me were within walking distance. Will definitely come again.
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Date of stay: June 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We wanted to enjoy our holidays even though we were locals, we chose this hotel b'coz we thought its a nice budget hotel but we were so disappointed with the looks of it, i can only say i should have add some more money at other hotel rather than this one. I should say the hotel was not maintained well and the services were very poor. I never ever want to stay at this hotel anymore even if its free..
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Date of stay: December 2007
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Recently, I have stayed in the Mandarin Hotel for 3 days. The hotel is budget enough, but yet, i think that the conditions of the rooms can be better. I'm surprised to see the corridors near the stairs are full of unwanted furnitures, pillows and mattresses. And the stench is just unbearable. The rooms are spacious enough but (in my room) the plugs are loosen and quite dangerous. You can even see sparks flying out from the plug and in numerous occasion, the TV was switched off on its own due to the faulty plug heads. Overall, the service was quite friendly but the room's conditions are well below average. With a MYR79 per night for a single room, you can get a better and cleaner room in other budget hotels. The only positivity bout it is its location on the infamous Gaya Street which provided easy access of public transportation. But then again, there are lots of budget hotels on the street.
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Date of stay: February 2007
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have been at the Mandarin Hotel in August 2006.
At first the lobby seems not bad even if bunches of sheets and towels are constantly stored in a corner.
Corridors are quite awful: low, dirty, ceilings do not help, exactly as the various mattress and furnitures along the steps.
Our 601 (6th floor) is a corner room looking on the square (and with a sea sight) where on the Sunday night a song contest took place and lasted until 4.30 am! So, avoid this hotel if any contest or festival (August 31st is Merdeka, the independence day in Malaysia) is next to come...
The room was quite large, with fridge, tv (with a "fantastic" remote control set in the bed headboard but not working... never seen something like this!), telephone even in the bathroom (but in 601 only the wire was available...).
The room is really loved by ants (but even at Kinabalu Daya hotel, which is better, were present so we can consider them as guests).
In the bath each tap was leaking after having opened it (laterally, I mean, where the tap connects with the sink) so on the floor you'll always find some water while in the bathtub the shower hose was so short that the shower has to be taken hunch-backed. Nevertheless, the hot water is always available.
Average cleaned, you will have at your disposal a "fantastic" pair of flip-flop for your comfort (I guess who has weared them before... brrrr!).
A boiled water bottle per day is included. Air conditioning was working properly.
But the less nice thing is the door communicating with the room next to the 601: you will have the sensation of living with your neighbours (in our case a family with crying baby).
For this reason, after the first night we asked to change the room: they give us the same positioned room on the 5th floor (501) without communicating door.
So almost same space but here the aircon has probably been modified by some guest so that it will continue working even after having removed the key from the electricity hole, so the room has the same temperature of the fridge and we need to open the window and sleep with our clothes to prevent any illness.
The bath has the second telephone...
At the end, if you do not find any other hotel (and it may happen), the plus are the large room (at least the king bed rooms) and the fridge (at an acceptable price, 105RM). Position is good (song contest apart). Minus: staff not very helpful and kind, average cleanliness. Incence stick are recommended for "a better atmosphere" as long as pillowcases.
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Date of stay: August 2006
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had a single occupancy room and it had a double and a single bed as standard also the room was plenty big enough to take 2 beds. I'm sure if you request such there won't be a problem.
hope this helps enjoy your stay
No breakfast, but there are many options in the streets beside the hotel as it is in the centre of the ' Old City' area, with a very large number of cafes and restaurants, with excellent, cheap food.
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