Room (9.5/10):
We stayed 3 nights in the sea view bi-level suite. The room was very spacious with a gigantic 2-story window that led to a beautiful balcony. The view of the sea during sunset was phenomenal! The hot tub on the balcony was powerful and the rainfall shower was very comfortable. The clothesline in the shower was great for hanging up bathing suits after being in the water. The audio system for the both TVs were great since they were both equipped with Bose soundbars. The sink in the powder room unfortunately leaked out from the side of the sink bowl so it ends up on the floor.

Service (6/10):
On a positive note, we appreciated that the hotel let us sign out beach towels and let us borrow dinnerware.
On a negative note, prior to arriving at the hotel, the airline damaged our luggage in transit so it was no zipper to close it. We let the staff know to be careful in case anything fell out, but when our luggage was brought to our room, we noticed that they simply rolled it into our room which had the potential of items falling out of the broken luggage. It would have been better if it was on a cart until it reached our room. Also, the staff member bringing the luggage to our room didn’t offer to place the luggage anywhere in the room after bringing it through the door. Apparently, the room was supposed to have evening turndown service, but it never happened during our 3 nights.

Location (8/10):
The location is close to the main parts of town such as the KK Waterfront. Across from the hotel is a local market which is very convenient for local food, but it can get a bit noisy at night and has a strong smell.

Lounge (7/10):
The club lounge during the afternoon refreshment was a bit underwhelming. It mainly consisted of self-serve cucumber sandwiches, pop, coffee and tea. The food during the evening cocktails was good and on one of the days, there was a staff member making and serving drinks. When entering the club lounge, usually the staff members would say “ok, have a seat”. Since it was our first time there, we would have a seat thinking that there may be someone coming around to take drink requests or giving us guidance on what’s available at the lounge and that it was self-service. As a suggestion for a better experience, perhaps do a short tour of the lounge for new people entering the lounge for the first time and provide guidance on the experience. During the lounge breakfast, the staff member Regina Chong was wonderful! She was welcoming and attentive. Once we sat down, she asked what we would like to drink, to which we requested Teh Tarik. Even the next morning at breakfast, she asked if we wanted another Teh Tarik.

Pool (N/A):
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to experience the pool because it was under maintenance for the first 2 days that we were there and then was further extended to beyond the time that we were there. The hotel did offer to transport guests to the Marriott pool though.

Overall (7.5/10):
I would say to friends that the room itself was beautiful, but the service and lounge did not feel like a 5-star hotel at all. If they were ok with mainly enjoying the room and having independence without much interaction with the hotel staff, it would be a good choice for them.

Had a comfortable stay here recently. Would like to praise receptionist Ms. Raezie for her prompt, friendly service and warmth welcoming. Hotel is decently clean, comfortable and amenities well appointed. However, hotel fell short on lobby, corridor and room furnitures fittings seem to have high level of wear and tear damage despite the hotel looking recently renovated, perhaps due to high occupancy.
Location is at the heart of Kota Kinabalu town centre and 15 minutes drive from the airport.

My wife and I stayed here 4 days before going down the road to the Marriott to try them both out.
This was a full service hotel with all the amenities that you’d expect. They even had a sauna and steam room.
The pool was closed for maintenance but one could take their free shuttle 1 kilometer away to use the Marriotts pool.

The food at breakfast was not quite up to speed for a vegetarian like me. (no fried food and no meat or fish) Still, finding enough good food was easy as there is so much to choose from.

Overall though, the value is very good for the money.
The staff is absolutely A+ in every category.
So many of the Marriotts (and Hiltons) in Asia are
competing that all have absolutely great service with a smile.
The staff in the Executive lounge were all fantastic. They really make you feel like you’re home!!

Howard S.