5 Star Borneo Holidays

Janet Courtney

A slice of paradise! From the smooth check in at Jesselton Point to the scenic 10- minute boat ride across to Gaya Island, everything was effortlessly. The resort is set in a conservation Marine Park surrounded by rain forest and coral reefs - breathtakingly beautiful. My jungle canopy Suite was luxurious, private, and peaceful, with a balcony that extended and looked into the treetops, I loved the sound of the jungle each morning. The resorts main restaurant was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed the Japanese Shabu Shabu - and the emense breakfast buffett was a real treat. I enjoyed the kayaking through the mangroves, even if it rained, and snorkelling with Safwan, yoga with Gisele, and a heavenly spa massage. The staff - Shawn, Terence, Hani, Rachel and Safwan - made my visit exceptional. Highly recommended for anyone seeking tranquillity, nature and luxury combined Janet Courtney #thetravellingcouturier

Edward W

I had to give 3 out of 5 stars for service as the pre-arrival service was terrible. Had so much difficulties getting in touch with the hotel to advance book the spa facilities. It was all centralised at the so called HQ in KL and they knew next to nothing and had major communication issues. I was told that the boat ride is first come first serve nothwithstanding their direct website stated needed to book the boat ride, and which I did. After a blasting that it was totally unacceptable for a so called luxury hotel and a SLH co-branded with Hilton Honours, then the HQ attempted to explained themselves. We stayed in room 624 and the air-conditioning was horrendously warm even with the fan dialled to the max. Towels were stained, so was bath tub with peeling off in various spots. Apparently when my wife told them about it, they said many guests have made same remarks!!!!!! Faucets were rusty. The status of Luxury and SLH is a very very over statement!!! As far as I am concerned it matches an international 3-starred hotel. The staff themselves were great. My go to hotel in KK now is Hilton or Marriott. We had our honeymoon in KK 30 years ago at Shang Tg Aru, but now this resort as well as the sister resort in Rasa Ria is far from peaceful, noisy weddings are hosted almost every time we go and we go 2-3 times a year, and mass tourist loads of buses arrive often. So I have stopped going to the Shang resorts in KK. The other resorts in KK are well dated.

Kelvin Lim

Resort is nice, serene peaceful. Lacked activities. Service not up to par, for 5 star resort. Needs a lot of attention in this sector. Monkeys are all over, even in the restaurants. Gym machine weren't great, needs better maintenance. Overall experience, could have been better.

Michael South

Beautifully located resort on a tropical island. Our huge room, #823, was perfect, with a spectacular view from it's veranda. It was higher up the hill, so may not be suitable for someone with mobility/fitness issues. The food in the 'Feast Village' was very good, and the food in its formal restaurant 'The Fisherman's Cove' was excellent. Staff were, without exception, genuinely friendly and very helpful. Any issues were very quickly dealt with. Enjoyed a wonderful Malay massage at the spa, in a very pretty setting. Only used the private beach which inlvoved a short boat trip, but well worth the effort. Quieter than the hotel beach, which was mainly used by families staying in the resort. Mangrove kayaking was enjoyable and informative. Highly recommended.

Gary Biddle

Excellent all round, kayaks, paddle boards snorkeling equipment free and scuba diving available but at a cost. Nature walks daily and an opportunity to visit another island for the sun bathers. Also buffet and alocarte restaurants, happy hour 4 till 6pm daily.

Jon Castardo

Great stay in this resort. I like that they have a very kid friendly pool and aside from that they also have a playroom for kids. Lots of options and activities that you can avail in this resort. The room is spacious and amenities is good although I wish a much bigger TVs which a bit of a standard nowadays. The only missing here is a good beach so if you are looking for it, this is not the place to be. The internet speed is capped at 5Mbps based in my speedtest result. Overall, we had a fantastic stay and my son enjoyed so much

Sahira

We had a pleasant and comfortable stay at Magellan Sutera Resort, the lobby area is very spacious and grand, but very hot during the day. The check-in and check-out didn’t take long and the staff was very welcoming. Our room is comfortable and serve the purpose, very clean and well maintained but is quite outdated, I wasn’t impress when we first came in especially after spending a night in Shang-ri La, but price wise, the two are not apple to apple comparison. But after some time, we grown to like the room. I didnt quite like the bathroom amenities because its almost unscented, the shampoo and conditioner also not so nice, especially that this resort market itself as a 5 stars establishment, and other 5 stars establishment Ive went to went an extra length in providing best quality bathroom amenities. Breakfast is also quite basic, the spread is also quite limited, but serve the basic food options that are not bad actually. Location wise, this resort is close to Imago and a few minutes drive away from the town, therefore, I found that convenient. The scenery here is remarkable and feels more private than Shangri-La, parking is also easy to find since they have a dedicated parking area for guests. Overall, we enjoy and like this resort, but it’s definitely not a 5 stars resort, more like a 3 to 4 stars establishment.

Hafiz Harudin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had an excellent stay at Magellan Sutera Resort. The view from the resort is simply stunning — a perfect combination of sea and greenery that creates such a relaxing atmosphere. My room was cozy, comfortable, and well-maintained, making it a great place to unwind. The breakfast spread was another highlight. There were plenty of choices, from local dishes to international selections, and everything was fresh and tasty. Overall, this resort exceeded my expectations with its beautiful views, cozy rooms, and wide variety of breakfast options. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Kota Kinabalu!

Yul Jhfa

Terrible experience! My child was injured by a sharp surface at the bottom of the swimming pool and needed stitches. This is completely unacceptable! The hotel didn’t apologize, didn’t fix the pool, and showed zero responsibility or concern for guest safety. For the price they charge, this is a disgrace. I will never come back, and I strongly warn others to be careful — this hotel clearly doesn’t care about their guests’ safety!

GG WV

The check in service is appalling. We waited half an hour where there were two queues. This meant that if you were in a slower queue, you'd have some others be served before you as their line was faster. I think having one queue and filtering into a free front of house staff member would've been better. Also, not enough desks for the number of people checking in. We checked in 30 minutes before the three o'clock time and was told to come back for our keys after signing the paperwork but the queues had built up even more when we returned! We had asked if we could just take our keys earlier but head to the room at 3pm but this wasn't an option. This therefore doesn't help the queue if a party has to queue twice even though that party had the initiative to not make a mad rush for the check in. The staff were polite and it wasn't their fault but better managing was needed.There were other staff behind the desk that walked past but didn't try and support the desk staff members. Room is lovely, very clean, big (we got a twin room). Can see the sea in a certain position on the veranda. The waitress that served us at Tarik was very helpful. And although we weren't told where to go for our rooms (the staff were clearly too busy) , as we walked along, the porter approached us to help direct us to our room. I suspect we will enjoy the resort and facilities but the experience has started off very badly unfortunately.

Ladenia Jones

My experience was fantastic! The resort itself is beautiful and literally built in a rainforest! The staff were all excellent, slight exception to the activity centre staff who mostly just encouraged you to use a QR code for information. Everyone without exception at the front desk were knowledgeable, friendly, couldn't do enough for you! At one point I had to tell a lovely woman to sit and that I was happy to walk a few paces to the restaurant to get my own ice. I love their insect repellent which is all around the hotel, and I will be making my own in future because of them. The restaurants weren't just "hotel restaurants". The food was top notch. The breakfast at the main buffet and Oceano were a dream come true. Anyone who says they couldn't find anything to eat is crazy because there was literally food for every palate and dietary requirement. The laundry service was the most reasonably priced out of everywhere I stayed on this trip (110RM for a full bag up to 45 pieces!). We had our first hotpot experience which was so exciting...my shirt didn't survive, but that was a small price to pay 😁). Thank you for everything, and I hope I am fortunate to stay at a Shangri-la again someday. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Bella Patel

The hotel is beautifully designed and decorated. Very grand… I would say slightly bordering on a cooperate side. Due to the vastness of the hotel it didn’t feel as intimate as I was expecting it to do so. This is not a reflection on the staff… as they were so welcoming, friendly and helpful. In fact they made our stay very special as the family holiday was for my 60th birthday… and I felt so spoilt by the staff. The beach is walking distance and has only a few sun loungers. Malaysia does have a huge problem with plastic and I noted how much was washed up on the beach which made it less appealing and for me that was slightly disappointing as I was looking forward to snorkelling. As far as swimming is concerned the hotel does have two pools however access to both depends which wing you’re staying in. The pool staff were amazing, friendly and chatty. The hotel does provide a shuttle to the Kota Kinabalu city, which is definitely required, as it is far from it…so please keep this up. To wrap up all the staff we interacted with were so polite, welcoming and helpful and the Patel family cannot but give them a big applaud. Shanghai-la Rasa Rai you have amazing staff thank you

Carla Neal

Have just stayed at the Shanghai -la the staff are very friendly and helpful very willing to help. Breakfast was so good it was my main meal of the day. My room was clean and had a bath and shower. The sunsets are a beautiful sight every evening. Be prepared if you walk along the beach for sand flies. Especially thanking Lionel for his help on reception. You need to get the covenant shuttle bus or taxi to KK as nothing in walking distance. Would be happy to come again.

Esha

We had a wonderful 3 days, 2 nights stay. We booked two Garden Wing Deluxe Seaview Inter-Connecting Rooms, which were spacious and offered a lovely view. Dinner at The Eight was excellent—the food was absolutely delicious. What truly stood out, however, was the impeccable service. From the front desk to the breakfast staff, housekeeping, and everyone we encountered, each person was warm, welcoming, and attentive. I don’t recall hearing a single “no” throughout our stay. My whole family felt so well taken care of, and that made our trip truly memorable.

Kellie Mitton

This beautiful resort has its own private beach and spectacular views. We visited for my brother’s wedding and were blown away by the friendly and accommodating staff, outstanding range of activities, and reliable internet available from any location throughout the resort. The wedding was absolutely stunning, with the sunset beach view providing the perfect backdrop. The price of all items was very reasonable compared with similar quality resorts in other places around the world. I would highly recommend the Shangri-La Resort.

Adrian Currie

We stayed here for 4 nights and had a fantastic time. The hotel was well equipped, the pol area was lovely neat and tidy, good size pools with slides as well. The food was excellent and we had a club room which gave you a little extra benefit of a special room for. Breakfast and evening snacks and drinks. We loved our stay here and definitely would go back. The staff were also some of the most friendliest and helpful we have ever had at a hotel, a real credit to the Hotel.

Walim Naciri

From the moment we arrived, our stay at the Shangri-La was exceptional. We were incredibly touched to receive a honeymoon upgrade right upon check-in... what a thoughtful gesture! Our room was spotless and beautifully decorated for the occasion. We were also treated to a delicious complimentary cake and a fruit basket, making the welcome even sweeter. For a unique experience, I highly recommend the Wednesday evening buffet with the cultural show. It was a paid activity but completely worth it and a fantastic way to immerse ourselves in the Kota Kinabalu atmosphere on our first night. The hotel grounds are stunning, offering some of the most sublime sunsets you will ever see. The breakfast spread is excellent and comprehensive, truly worthy of a 5-star hotel, and the service during breakfast was impeccable. Location-wise, the hotel is perfectly situated ; everything is just a 10-minute taxi ride away. Life at the resort is well-organized, with the pool area and a variety of activities keeping both children and adults entertained. If you are looking for a luxurious, serene hotel with genuine quality service, both in terms of staff professionalism and logistics, I cannot recommend this establishment highly enough. It was a truly memorable experience.

Joyce Khor

Very nice place to relax and chill. Location is awesome except for a small traffic jam on weekend, sunset. The service from the staff were amazing but 1 star less because the venue needs some upgrading. A little dated. Also the lounge needs to improve on the food served. A little disappointed there. Overall, great but not awesome yet! The view is amazing though and the sea breeze that comes in is incredible!

Lisa Pickering

Gorgeous views, great activities for the kids plus lovely food. Our two children particularly loved the games room with pool table, darts, table football, pingpong, chess and board games. Special mention to all the friendly staff but especially Fernando who played with our kids and entertained them. They loved him! Thanks for great holiday memories 😃

Ramsay Do

My wife and I had our honeymoon and babymoon at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru resort in September 2025 and it was perfect. We were picked up from the airport by the resort and our room was upgraded upon arrival with an evening checkout on our last day as our flight was late in the night. The resort is an amazing location to watch the beautiful sunset and only a short grab ride away from the shopping malls and restaurants. The buffet breakfast was great with plenty of cuisines on offer. All staff were incredibly friendly and hospitable. We must also personally thank the front office manager Christina Ting who was super helpful with providing restaurant recommendations for our honeymoon dinner and even helped us organise a gender reveal cake for our baby - Thanks Christina for making our trip that much more special for us!