Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu

We stayed in the Ocean Wing. The room was very spacious, but the facilities were a bit old. The plunge pool on the balcony was large, but a bit dirty. Both the swimming pool and the beach were great. The restaurants require advance reservations, which felt a bit like a 'scarcity marketing' tactic. The Italian restaurant wasn't good and the environment wasn't clean. Breakfast was just average, and so was the service. In contrast, the Japanese teppanyaki was excellent, with warm service and good food. The free airport shuttle was a nice touch, but it only runs twice a day, in the morning and evening. The front desk service was very enthusiastic, and they even gave us a local specialty necklace and welcome drinks. Overall, it's a good place for a vacation.

It was alright. Good views, but quite pricey. It's too far from the city center, so you pretty much won't leave the hotel to explore. If you're a lazy traveler and just want to eat at the hotel buffet, it's about 200 RMB per person per night, with kids half price. We didn't explore the hotel much, but there's a kids' pool with a waterslide, a playground on the lawn with swings and climbing structures, and a hotel buffet breakfast. There's also a shuttle bus back to the city, beautiful red sunsets, and a forest next to the garden wing. The hotel has exclusive access to a huge beach with consistent tide sounds and fine sand.

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The room facilities are a bit dated, but they're very clean! The restaurant service can sometimes be slow and tends to prioritize Caucasian guests, but if you report issues promptly, the hotel management is very responsive! The evening sunsets and weekend activities are beautiful!

Due to a last-minute change in plans, I ended up in Kota Kinabalu. Many popular hotels were fully booked, so I had no choice but to stay at Shangri-La Rasa Ria, which is quite far from the city center. However, it turned out to be a really worthwhile stay. First off, the hotel provides a shuttle service. The bus stop is right next to Ba Wang Cha Ji at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, and the shuttle was always on time. The hotel itself is expansive, featuring a large golf course. Upon arrival at the reception, the staff were very welcoming and even rang a gong, which I assume was a welcome gesture. After checking in, a buggy was waiting to take us around. There are two pools: one at the Garden Wing and one at the Ocean Wing. The Garden Wing pool has a waterslide, which the kids loved. The room was quite spacious, and the balcony even had a large plunge pool with stunning views, especially at sunset when the 'burning clouds' created a spectacular scene. The staff primarily spoke English, so communication was in English. Breakfast was excellent, especially the rice vermicelli, and you could also request custom-made fried eggs. One day, my little one wasn't in the mood to go down for breakfast, and the staff kindly packed a portion for us to take away. Nearby restaurants are about a kilometer away, so we relied on Grab every day to get around, setting our location to the Ocean Wing. The hotel offers many activities, but we didn't participate in any of them. In summary: The location is a bit secluded, but the price is reasonable. The hotel has its own beach, and the service is warm and attentive. They also have a mini-program for communicating with staff. There are seafood restaurants nearby, and a shuttle service to the airport and city center, running three times a day, so be sure to note the schedule. With plenty of activities, it's an excellent choice for a family leisure trip with children.

Facilities: Perfect (ideal for families with children, it's like being at an international school). It's great for couples and families who just want a relaxing vacation. You don't need a filter for the sunsets here, they're all breathtaking. We're already planning our next visit!

The room was clean, comfortable, bright, and tidy. The facilities were excellent and well-equipped. The service attitude was fantastic, and the hotel's dining options were very extensive. It was a wonderful experience overall!

Service: The staff in every department were very helpful. When we mentioned it was our honeymoon, they even helped decorate the room. Room & Facilities: Our outdoor area directly faced the garden and the sea, offering a fantastic view. However, the indoor space was quite cramped, and the facilities were indeed outdated. There were also a lot of mosquitoes. The pool was nice, though. Food: The breakfast and dinner buffets were very crowded on weekends, and if you went later, some dishes were already gone. The weekday breakfast and dinner experience was much better, and the food actually tasted quite good.

This was the first hotel we stayed at in Kota Kinabalu, and we absolutely loved it! There were so many activities, and the hotel facilities were excellent. Our kids had a blast. The staff were very welcoming, and we didn't experience any of the discrimination issues some online reviews mentioned. The only downside is that it's a bit far from the city center, but otherwise, no complaints. We'd definitely stay here again next time we visit!