5 Star Borneo Holidays

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.

Ullrich Kastner

Really pretty hotel nit far away from KK. Rooms are excellent and big. Many restaurants with great choices. Some parts around the pool are getting of age but no problem in my eyes. We enjoyed our stay for 2 nights a lot

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.

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.

K DG

Gaya island resort was incredible! Stunning views from our luxurious room, friendly staff, lots of varied free activities on offer (yoga, private beach trips, nature walks), and great sea-life right out the front of the resort (we brought our own goggles and enjoyed exploring the coral reef). Pool was great too, especially for our toddler. Fantastic buffets on offer with so much variety (you pay a premium but it’s worth it!). Love, love, love this place!

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.

Amelia

Friendliest and most helpful staff I've ever met in a hotel before! We have dietary requirements and the chefs kept trialling new dishes for us and giving them to us on the house! Made a cake for my birthday and bought us a round of birthday drinks! Really made the time special. They also upgraded us to the ocean view wing when an Aircon leak soaked all our clothes which more than made up for the problem Also lots of activities and entertainment, would recommend.

Steven Cavanagh

Great staff, great room, great environment, great food. We booked this resort to relax after a very busy land tour of Sabah. And it was relaxing. Everything you needed was provided, often at a reasonable cost. The resort is a little out of the way so, unless you have transport you are a little stuck. Grab taxis are available but it's a good drive to KK. Would definitely recommend a few nights here.

Nadine Elhawli

We had an incredible honeymoon here. From the start, the customer service was exceptional, and every detail was taken care of. The resort is perfect for both relaxation and adventure, with plenty of activities to choose from. A special shoutout to Soppy, who was incredibly helpful throughout our stay. He truly went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. The rest of the staff was also fantastic, making our experience unforgettable. Highly recommend this resort!

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.

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!

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.

Ngoc My Nguyen

Our stay at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru was truly exceptional. We stayed for 10 nights. Service throughout the hotel was outstanding – always quick, responsive, and attentive. Even after a minor incident, staff immediately checked in to ensure everything was fine, and requests via the app were handled seamlessly within 5–15 minutes. A special mention goes to Norman at the Horizon Lounge, who went above and beyond for us. Even with two lively toddlers we always felt welcome and well looked after. The lounge itself was extremely comfortable – the perfect place to enjoy breakfast away from the crowd – and we were even able to use a private room for a quiet conference call. The rooms are a little dated, but with some modernization this place would be absolutely perfect. Overall, truly excellent hospitality that made our stay unforgettable.

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.