Hotels with Private Pool in Kota Kinabalu

"Large space and good view, the lobby is stylish, there is a small night market nearby"

"The room is large, full of space, and has a duplex design. The kitchen and living room are downstairs, and the bedroom is upstairs. There are basic kitchen utensils. The terrace has plenty of sunshine, which is very suitable for drying clothes. The overall feeling is very good. But the internal cleaning of the room needs to be strengthened, there are a lot of stains and dust in the room. Guests staying here are advised to bring their own shower gel and shampoo"

"First & foremost, biggest compliments to the housekeeping team! We arrived in our villa around 2pm, went out around 4, and only returned at night after dinner to find: a mosquito coiled lit outside our door, bed has been made, coffee cups washed, rubbish bin cleared, how thoughtful! The sight of the sea from the resort was superb, enhanced by the good weather. The welcome drink of calamansi juice with plum, aka Kitchai Ping as it’s known locally, was as good as my mom’s. We initially intended to have the weekend hi-tea, but apparently it had to be pre-booked at least a day before. Thanks to that we got to enjoy happy hour instead, before having the weekend BBQ dinner that we managed to book a slot upon arrival. Bartender gave us extra kicks in our cocktails, thank you for taking our relaxation up a notch! However we seemed to be unlucky with food serving. We booked for dinner at 6 but our happy hour session somehow made some miscommunications and delay. Food was good and a plenty, though we did notice satays were missing, but we were well fed. Breakfast order was also somewhat mixed up, kitchen must be overwhelmed with many guests, but we got what we wanted in the end. Overall we are happy with our stay. We didn’t manage to explore the trails, perhaps we may return for a day trip in the future, and have that weekend hi-tea we missed."

"Just got back home yesterday, and I'm determined to write a thorough review for this hotel. My kids also encouraged me to review it, because it truly deserves it. We booked four ocean villas for two nights, and I initially thought our chances of encountering issues would be higher with such a large booking. But we didn't run into any problems at all! In fact, I even regretted not booking more nights, mainly because I was put off by too many negative reviews on Ctrip. 1. **Service:** If you're comfortable communicating in English, the hotel service is absolutely fantastic. Most of the staff speak excellent English and were diligent in explaining activities, facilities, schedules, and programs. They showed us where everything was in the room and proactively informed us about the cost if we broke any of the toiletries bottles. The higher cost for broken bottles is because the contents are genuinely expensive – they're pure plant essential oil toiletries. As someone who regularly uses essential oils, I know they shouldn't be stored in plastic. Plus, these toiletries left our hair and skin feeling moisturized, not dry. I found them to be very effective. If you're worried about breaking them, just place them on the floor. 2. **Seawater:** The seawater is quite clear. While it's not a 'jelly blue,' the clarity is definitely good. We did experience a heavy downpour one day, and the water became a bit murky the next, but it was still perfectly acceptable. The photo of the large sea turtle looks a bit blurry because it was taken with a waterproof phone case, but the water itself was actually very clear. That was taken from under our water villa. The manta ray was photographed near the stairs of our water villa room. 3. **No Outside Food Policy:** They don't allow outside food in the rooms because it attracts ants and monkeys. The front desk has a dedicated area for storing snacks. We didn't bring any snacks into our room and always closed the door promptly, so we didn't have any bugs or insects. A crucial point: absolutely do not feed the monkeys! 4. **Meals:** We had all our meals at the hotel restaurant, and the food was truly delicious. A main meal costs around 90+ MYR per person (about 160 CNY). We felt the food was excellent, with a good variety of dishes and drinks beyond just the main courses. The kids' portions were a bit small; our four children ordered 7 kids' meals, and eventually, we just ordered them regular adult meals instead. 5. **Hot Water:** Regarding previous reviews mentioning no hot water, one of our rooms indeed had this issue. We called the front desk, and it turned out there's a 'water heater' button on the wall. Hot water was available within 15 minutes. So, don't hesitate to ask! Don't be shy; good service often requires you to speak up. 6. **Free Rentals:** Paddleboards, small boats, fins, and masks are all available for free rental. 7. **Marine Life:** In the ocean, we spotted baby sharks, baby manta rays, triggerfish, archerfish (the ones that shoot water), porcupinefish, and even a large sea turtle (which is rare, but we got lucky!). 8. **Welcome/Farewell:** We received a welcome ceremony and a welcome drink upon arrival. Upon departure, we sometimes had the whole staff waving goodbye to us. 9. **Guest Demographics:** There were a lot of European and American guests at the hotel, some Koreans, but not many Chinese guests. I wonder if this is due to the excessive negative reviews on Ctrip. 10. **Cleanliness:** The hygiene was excellent, and the rooms were very clean. Each room came with life vests, so you could go snorkeling anytime. That pretty much covers it. I believe if your English communication is good, feel free to chat with the front desk and restaurant staff; they are very engaging. At 8 AM, the hotel organizes a free jungle trek. It was a bit tiring, and we didn't see much – just hiking uphill. For reference, my experience this trip, and with these four rooms, was genuinely excellent. Having been to places like the Maldives, Bali, and Koh Lipe... I think this hotel offers great value for money, and I would definitely come back. Hotels at this price point on Koh Lipe before were significantly worse."

"It’s lovely super clean apartment! Everything is neat, bed sheets are spotless white, fast wifi, heater, water and coffee was a gift (thank you! 😘🙏🏻). We loved the view from the window, it is so inspiring. Location is the best in town, near the port, a lot of restaurants downstairs, laundry. In general apartment feels even better than expected from the pictures! The host is amazing! Highly recommend! 🌊 🏝️❤️"

"Should have a free parking lot for tenants or cheaper charges."

"Hotel was very clean with good amenities. View of the ocean nice pool. The biggest issue was no restraunt on site. Needed to walk about 2 km down the beach to nearest restraunt. Food was just okay."

"What’s a pity the seaside was under construction. But the whole place looks really great. Will visit again soon! Here some advices for better experience during stay: 1. Please do maintenance for “drain block up issue”regularly.🧐 2. Should notice the area under construction before customer checking in. 3. Set an intercom for better services."