Shangri La Tanjung Aru Kota Kinabalu

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.

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.

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.