Beach Hotels in Sabah, Malaysia

This hotel… TBH, I was expecting more. I knew this hotel undergo a rebranding and refurbishment. So I was excited to try the HoJo brand. The room is clean, but not new. Partially you still see fittings from the previous decade. It’s a funny thing to see new and improved features alongside the classic furnitures and appliances. I like the new filtered water faucet. Very convenient. The shower is great too. Good pressure and temperature. Comes with a bathtub. Bed is nice. Room comes with ironing board. Basically everything I would expect from a hotel. Then comes the disappointment. The mini bar is so bulky, and so old. the air cond control… I don’t know what is it controlling. There’s only one dial for temperature. No control for the fan speed or anything. Then the TV, small and a very old model, fitted onto the wall with backlight design. That’s just so funny. And the toilet, the flush is barely working. And cigarette smoke from somewhere is coming in via the ventilators. All things said, it’s still a value stay. I just find it extremely weird. A half-baked refurbishment.

Always stay executive room but this time lounge access is closed due to some issue but at least hotel do provide voucher for my meal.

I expected a great hotel stay and they delivered. All the staff were lovely. Thank you for that. My only issue is the lack of room information regarding what is available in the hotel. Normally I would expect marketing information and menus for restarunt and bar in the room. The TV does give room service menu but was not required. Fortunately we found Ben, the Concierge in the lobby who very kindly explained what we asked, and provided a map for the area. Very welcome. Thank you very much.

Waiting for the boat at the pier, the staff member was really nice. He brought us chairs to sit on and even offered us water. Although I didn't catch his name, I really want to thank him! Upon arrival, the front desk was already there to greet us. Honestly, if your English isn't great, communication on the island can be a bit challenging, for instance, regarding the shower water, Wi-Fi, or power outages. They explained everything in great detail, and the next day, they even followed up to ask about the hot water – they truly care about guest satisfaction. Oh, and they upgraded us to a high-floor villa! We encountered two geckos and a small snake in the room, but the kids weren't scared at all because they knew they were harmless creatures. A super-sized cockroach crawled out of the drain in the bathroom, haha, my child watched it for ages. To be honest, considering it's in the mountains, maintaining it to this standard is quite impressive. It was a great experience, far from the city's hustle and bustle, allowing us to enjoy the charm of the ocean and the forest. We stayed in a high-floor villa and ordered room service for dinner. The delivery staff worked so hard, carrying the trays all the way to our room, and the food was still surprisingly hot, which really touched us. We gave them a small tip as a token of our appreciation for their efforts.

We had an excellent time at Magellan with our 7 year-old kid. 1. There were many facilities catered for children. There were 3 different pools to choose from, there was a small beach to snorkel and feed fish and also play some sand, there was a floatie prepared at the shallow pool and there was a bouncy castle slide for adults to enjoy as well. Snorkel and life jackets prepared for those wanting to try at the small beach. Perfect for those who are short on time to do island hopping. There were movie screenings every Fri-Sun. There's a playground. There's a kid's club with affordable prices and activities. There's bowling, pickleball, tennis and so much more for adults wanting to do some activities in the resort. 2. Service was excellent. We had a malfunction phone in our 1st room which became inconvenient. They manage to get us a room change with an upgrade! The manager on the case, Ms Mahera was very kind in handling our case. We changed our rooms the day after check-in and had accidentally left behind my kid's bag. And since we had the manager's number on hand, we contacted them and we got the item back safely within an hour of contacting them. Every encounter with a staff was met with a smile. We ordered room service twice since we got so tired and the food was delicious. 3. Location is great. We went island hopping via the Marina Jetty that was just next door, no need to commute to other locations. The hotel also had an amazing view of the sunset. There were multiple spots for photos and restaurants to enjoy the sunset. Also the location is a mere 15 mins away from the airport and city centre. Grab from hotel to city centre is less than RM15/ trip.

A very spacious place with a nice view of the city. A big, comfortable bed and a convenient shower.Only 10 minutes from the airport. There are a microwave, a refrigerator, and a hotplate. Highly recommended

Stayed at Borneo Beach Villa Karambunai and it was such a chill getaway. The sea view memang nice and the whole place felt super private — perfect to just relax and clear your head. Villa was spacious, nothing fancy but comfortable, and the kids had the best time at the private pool and beach. Overall, a fun and easy place for a laid-back family trip by the beach 🌊

This hotel is good, right by the beach. The room is large and spacious, with all the amenities. The slightly worn bathroom door isn't something I'd consider a drawback. There were no insects. I really think this is the place to stay, especially since it's close to the airport. I couldn't find anywhere to buy food nearby, though. You can take a taxi to the central market or the Filipino market. I also liked that they checked me in in the morning, despite my early arrival. In Kuala Lumpur, I had to wait around until 2 PM to check in.

The hotel's location is excellent, right on Gaya Street, making it super convenient for food, drinks, and exploring the Gaya Street Sunday night market. It's also close to the waterfront market, though we didn't visit the seafood market. Getting to Jesselton Point for island hopping is very easy from here. The only downside is that Tanjung Aru Beach is a bit far and traffic can be an issue when taking a taxi. I paid an extra 100 to book a sea-view room, and it was totally worth it – I could watch the sunrise and morning glow from bed. The room was also very spacious, the bed was comfortable, and overall, it offers great value for money!

We were lucky enough to get a room upgrade when checking in, offering a full ocean view. It was absolutely stunning and made me feel like we'd chosen the perfect hotel – a true beachside getaway is exactly what a vacation needs! The room itself was very spacious, and the bathroom was even bigger, cleaner, and brighter than it appeared in the online photos. We arrived late and caught the tail end of the sunset, and it only took a few minutes to walk down to the beach to see it. My friend and I aren't early risers, so we skipped Jesselton Point the next day and instead departed directly from the hotel's pier to Manukan Island. There were plenty of boat times available, and we took the 12:30 PM one. There's a dedicated boat for hotel guests, which also drops you back at the hotel – super convenient. If you want to visit The Magellan, the hotel also provides a shuttle bus. The Magellan is more family-friendly, but if you're looking for better value, The Pacific is definitely the way to go. However, I do have to mention that many of the hotel's facilities are quite old. The showerhead was leaking, and I hope they'll replace it soon.