Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

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.

Rijal Sukri

We loved the fact that the hotel had a lot of inhouse activities for the children at no additional expense. The pool area were my children's fav with the water slides, ice cream stand and the water bucket. In the evening there was a bubble bath in the public garden too. Personally i enjoyed the whole stay. Was very comfortable, attentive staff, breakfast was good. Couldnt ask for more 👍

Oli H

Nice place to stay, with nice swimming pools and access to a private beach. The rooms were luxury, if a little dated in places. Largely serves and Asian audience, so the food is weighted in that direction (the main restaurant is Chinese) and quite expensive. The food quality was very good and the staff both professional and friendly. Good spots to watch the sunset from the beach and dedicated sunset bar. Enjoyed our stay.

Mia Overgaard

We recently stayed at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru and left with very mixed feelings. While there are definitely some highlights, the overall experience did not meet our expectations – especially considering the reputation and price of the hotel. The Good: • The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained, with lovely greenery and ocean views. • There are plenty of fun activities for kids, which was a big plus for our family. • Some of the staff were truly wonderful, especially Draren, who went out of his way to be helpful and kind. The Not-So-Good: • The hotel itself is large but very worn down. Several buildings and facilities are clearly in need of a major upgrade. This is not the standard one would expect from a Shangri-La property. • Service was inconsistent. While some staff were great, others seemed distracted or disinterested – for example, lifeguards chatting or on their phones instead of watching the pool properly. Our son was sent down the water slide and ended up bumping into another child midway, which could have been avoided with more attention. • Towel management is chaotic. On one occasion, a guest took my towel while I was swimming, thinking it wasn’t in use. Another time, someone used the towel on my sun chair to wipe their hands. There’s no clear system for where towels are picked up or placed, which leads to confusion and discomfort. • The noise levels were very high, both during the day and at night. Unfortunately, this made it hard to relax, and my father – who uses a hearing aid – couldn’t even sit in the main restaurant due to the constant loud noise. • The billing process at check-out was a mess. There were several items on our bill that we never ordered. For example, a burger was listed as “high tea,” and a Coke was categorized under “breakfast,” making the bill confusing and unclear. It felt unprofessional and left us double-checking everything. Final Thoughts: Shangri-La Tanjung Aru has potential, with its great location and grounds, and some genuinely kind staff. However, the aging facilities, inconsistent service, noise levels, and billing issues seriously impacted our stay. Be aware of these things if you’re planning to visit – especially if you’re expecting a seamless luxury experience.

Li Theng Liew

I had an amazing stay at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru. The entire service crew, especially Rachel and Hakri from Horizon Lounge, went above and beyond to make my experience unforgettable. From the warm welcome at check-in to the attentive service throughout my stay, everything was perfect. Their genuine care and professionalism truly set this hotel apart. Highly recommend!