The 8 most popular Instagrammable hotels in Sabah

The following hotels are truly internet-famous and can make you never want to wake up! In fact, staying at different hotels is also a way of traveling. A stylish hotel can become an unforgettable memory~~

Gaya Island Resort, Kota Kinabalu

The most favorite hotel in Sabah, bar none! This hotel is a breath of fresh air in the entire Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, with a completely different style. Infinity pool, private beach snorkeling, forest spa, it fulfills all your various longings... The hotel offers high privacy, and non-guests are prohibited from entering. It is recommended to choose the Kinabalu Villa room type, which has a super large balcony facing the sea. It's very high, climbing up is tiring but the view is unbeatable!

Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu

This extremely popular hotel in Sabah offers an absolutely unmissable sunset view! At dusk, it attracts many visitors, but non-guests need to make a purchase to watch the sunset. The sky is filled with fiery clouds, rolling and moving like the sea, creating a spectacular, romantic, and beautiful scene. This hotel is also very suitable for family vacations. Children can play in the small pool, while the large pool is perfect for relaxing and taking beautiful photos. You can see the sea and garden just by opening the curtains in the room, and the scenery is truly dreamy!

Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu

The most beautiful resort hotel in Kota Kinabalu, have you stayed there? Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort is very large, with a natural reserve. There is a mountain behind the hotel, and the environment is great. The hotel has two wings, the Garden Wing and the Ocean Wing. The Ocean Wing is more expensive, with a better and quieter environment, suitable for vacations. The balcony has a round sofa and a double bathtub. There is a free cocktail bar on the first floor with unlimited drinks in the afternoon. The rooms also offer free Tiger beer, Heineken, and soft drinks. The hotel offers various types of baths, including petal baths, bubble baths, and milk baths, which can be booked in advance. The Garden Wing has several restaurants offering Japanese, Western, and Malaysian cuisine, all buffet-style. The Malaysian restaurant is highly recommended and very delicious.

Kota Kinabalu Sabah Beach Villas & Suites

A stunning sea view villa hotel in Sabah, Kota Kinabalu with over 700+ sea views. The entire hotel is yours, and the sea is just a few steps away! Spacious bedrooms, living room, and fully equipped kitchen facilities. You can take the hotel's free shuttle to the supermarket to buy groceries and cook for yourself, making it perfect for family stays. The hotel is close to the coast, beautiful and quiet, with a stunning sunset. There are activities like snorkeling, water park, sailing, private beach, etc. You can enjoy a whole day without getting bored. The cost performance is extremely high!

Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu

I must strongly recommend this highly cost-effective five-star hotel. It is one of the most famous hotels in Sabah, loved by many celebrities. It was the filming location for the TVB drama 'Born Rich'. The most attractive feature is the 6-kilometer-long private beach. Next to the beach is the Sunset Bar, where you can enjoy beautiful sunsets while listening to music. The hotel offers both sea view and garden view rooms, with the Ocean Premier Room offering panoramic views. The hotel boasts 3,335 acres of natural garden landscape, home to many reptiles like geckos and lizards. There is also a children's playground. In the morning, you might be woken up by the knocking of little squirrels looking for food. I gave them some small apples, and they were super satisfied. Haha, so cute! This hotel is especially suitable for family trips.

The Magellan Sutera Resort, Kota Kinabalu

This hotel has a strong resort feel! The entrance of the hotel is a longhouse-style lobby, a tribute to the indigenous Rungus people of the Sabah region. The manor-style layout of the buildings, spacious rooms furnished with Southeast Asian features, and beautiful garden views make for a delightful stay. The famous Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is just a few steps away from the hotel. The hotel's lobby bar, Tarik's, offers spectacular sea views and overlooks the hotel's pool, making it an ideal spot to enjoy a delicious cocktail while admiring the sunset and relaxing.

Hibiscus Resort Kota Kinabalu

The hotel's rooms are all standalone wooden cabins, featuring an infinity pool, gym, and SPA! The hotel's pristine natural environment is very distinctive, with vast beaches, exquisite wooden cabins behind trees, and sailboats out at sea, everything is so pleasant. The distribution of hotel rooms is based on the luxury level of the room types, from low to high, all rooms are standalone stilt villas with great privacy. We booked a suite, and at the end of the boardwalk is our living room, with a very comfortable 2.4-meter wide bed, and our favorite double washbasins. The entire resort is filled with a strong Sabah style, and it is very large, with seawater on one side and a primeval forest on the other. You can take your children through the jungle, go rafting... There is a shuttle bus to transport guests, and the fridge is stocked with free drinks and beer!

Kapalai Water Village

This is one of the popular hotels in Sabah. Kapalai does not have an island; it consists entirely of water villas. It is said that this is the reason why it has been fully booked in recent years. You can really gaze at the blue sea from day to night! Listening to the sound of the sea breeze, looking at the starry sky, and having your beloved partner by your side, it's wonderful! The hotel has 65 rooms with different orientations; some offer sunrise views, while others offer sunset views. The tranquil Kapalai is far from the hustle and bustle, beautiful and quiet, and can make your heart bloom. It's a carefree place where any corner you can think of faces the sea.