Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

Simon

Family-Friendly with Room for Improvement. A great spot for a family vacation – the staff were consistently attentive, helpful, and full of smiles, which made the stay warm and welcoming. The resort offers a relaxing atmosphere and plenty of activities for all ages. However, the facilities are showing signs of wear and tear. Some areas clearly need maintenance, and the room wallpaper was peeling, which detracted from the overall luxury feel. While the experience was okay overall, it could have been much better with improved upkeep. Still, the hospitality and family-friendly vibe make it worth considering.

Steve C

Recently stayed 5 nights. Overall a great experience. Pros The staff - every interaction we had was great. Everyone is warm and caring and seems trained to solve customer issues on the spot. The staff are probably the strongest aspect of the resort. Horizon club - book this if you go. It's worth it just to avoid the breakfast rush hour (see later) Location - short grab right into town, perfect sunset view, marina on location to allow for island visits. Very good setting for such a hotel. Cons The hotel is large - you do experience a bit of crowding at key points of the day like breakfast, sunset bar at sunset, the pool on sunny afternoons. Some guest behaviour during buffets was not great, but hard to see what the hotel can do about that. Overall a great family resort, good to see modernisation work planned soon - if the staff performance stays at this standard it will be quite an amazing place once work is completed.

Faiq Radzali

I got the package with snorkelling trip. Have their own private boat & jetty. Nice experience & ambience. Room was okay, nothing fancy, but no complaints since everything is clean. And breakfast is great.

Christine Yapp

Disappointed by What Was Once a favourite Resort I recently stayed at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort with my two children, a place I’ve always held in high regard. This resort has consistently exceeded my expectations in the past — which made my recent experience all the more disappointing. From the moment we checked in, things felt off. The process took longer than expected, and to add to the frustration, the concierge sent the wrong luggage to our room. The warmth and attentiveness I’ve come to associate with the Shangri-La brand seemed to be missing — the staff, while professional, weren’t as friendly or welcoming as I remembered. Our breakfast at Café TATU was one of the most underwhelming parts of the stay. The buffet was poorly executed: some of the food had discoloured due to overheating, and the fried rice my son had was unfortunately undercooked. The atmosphere was far from relaxing — it was loud and chaotic, largely due to a group of very noisy guests. I raised my concerns and was later contacted by the Guest Service Manager, Muhammad Zharif. I appreciated his willingness to listen and his effort to make things right by offering us a complimentary dinner buffet, which I politely declined. Instead, he invited us to have breakfast at the Horizon Lounge — a quieter, more refined setting with better food and ambiance. While the experience at Horizon Lounge was certainly an improvement, our final morning brought more disappointment. A staff member was openly using her phone instead of attending to guests, and another allowed someone to enter the lounge wearing pyjamas and slippers. For a 5-star resort that prides itself on luxury and standards, this felt like a serious lapse in maintaining both professionalism and atmosphere. It was disheartening, especially as I had talked up the resort so much to my children — praising the food, the service, and the experience. Unfortunately, I walked away feeling like I had overpromised based on memories that no longer reflect the current standard. That said, the resort itself remains stunning — just as beautiful as I remembered. The surroundings and views are still breath-taking. But beauty alone can’t make up for underwhelming service and disappointing food. Will I return? Maybe — but with lowered expectations and more hesitation than before.

Hisyam Bujang

My friend and I stayed here for two nights and had a wonderful experience. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed by the friendly staff. The room was comfortable with a beautiful view of Mount Kinabalu, and any issues we had were quickly resolved. The resort offers plenty of activities, especially for families, and the surroundings are peaceful and well-maintained. During our stay, we noticed that most of the guests were tourists from China, but it still felt relaxed and quiet. Overall, it was a pleasant and memorable stay.