I have finally made it over here after years of speaking about this. I have never really found a good chance to visit Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah and the main city in East Malaysia. I am excited to be here. I finally see this place for the first time. Naturally, I will be staying over at the Hilton Kota Kinabalu. The Hilton opened back in 2016 and was last renovated in 2019. It sits in a rather central location over here, after all, the city ain’t huge. It does lack a sea view, which might be a key one to have over here in KK. You will be able to get around easily with Grab in around 15 minutes or so to most places. This property will be excellent as a stop before and after your hike, as well as to explore the city.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I will be staying here for 3 nights and got the base-level room for 3 pax. I got some information from the hotel ahead of my stay. Elite treatment and recognition are excellent as they very kindly extended me with lounge access for 3 pax. The executive team also reached out via email to get my preferences ahead of the stay. They certainly exceeded my expectations as a Hilton. A couple of days out from my stay, I can see that I have been upgraded to a one-bedroom suite. This upgrade would have cost around. Later on, they also contacted me via WhatsApp to get my arrival time and also to check for my preferences. Hilton Kota Kinabalu features 304 guest rooms and suites across 10 categories. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | No | No |
| Deluxe | No | No |
| Premium | No | No |
| Executive | Yes | No |
| Executive Premium | Yes | No |
| Family | No | No |
| Family Connecting | No | No |
| One Bedroom Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Executive Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes |
Checking In
I landed at Kota Kinabalu airport at about 7pm also. We cleared immigration in no time and hopped on a grab to the hotel. It was very affordable. Upon arrival, the bellboy came over to help us with our bags and to usher us over to the check-in reception straight ahead. I love the grand lobby look with the huge chandelier. It is on the darker side over here.
It took some time before I was helped with check-in since they were busy. I was warmly welcomed by the staff, who proceeded to reconfirm all the information for my stay. I was reconfirmed to be upgraded to a suite, and they have also very kindly extended a late check-out to 1pm. My bags were sent to the suite directly.
One Bedroom Suite
I was assigned a one-bedroom suite located on the 9th floor. I got 903 to be exact. I had already pre-selected this suite during online check-in. The footprint is huge here with a huge number of rooms per floor. Right upon entering, you have a rather spacious entrance way with a side table to the right. This is handy for some loose and small items. I did wish that they had an ottoman here, which would allow you to actually have a little sitting area while wearing your footwear.
On the left, you can find the powder room or the half bath. Given that this is a full one-bedroom suite, the extra toilet will come in handy for guests and gatherings.
Heading straight in, you enter the dining space. The spot comes with a full set of dining table with seating available for four. You could definitely squeeze in 5 to 6 seats if necessary. It comes with a good view of the surroundings. The sheers and blinds over here are individually controlled.
On the side over here, you can also find the minibar chest. It is very luxurious, and you can find all sorts of glassware with a kettle and a proper Nespresso coffee machine. You can also find some packaged tea and coffee capsules. They also provide plenty of water bottles. I am glad to see that they are generous with it. Below is a mini fridge that is left empty for your use.
The living space comes with a sofa set that is good for 3 to 4 people, alongside armchairs. Given that there were three of us, the team had already turned the sofa into a sofa bed. There is a coffee table in the standard set-up, too. The high-quality smart screen television is mounted on the wall and comes with casting capabilities. They have a good number of apps on it, too. I did feel that the television was slightly on the small side.
On one side, you have a working desk that comes with an armchair. It provides decent back support for a short period of working. There are power outlets located within reach, and the Wi-Fi also works very well in the room. They even have a stationary set.
On both sides of the television, you can find the entrances to the bedroom area with sliding doors. This provides a proper partition with the living space. Heading into the bedroom area, which is as spacious as the living space. It comes with a plush king-size bed. This is very comfortable and top-notch, with comfortable sheets. I got some harder contour pillows, which offer excellent neck support. Flanking both sides of the beds are nightstands with controls for the lighting and power outlets.
Over here in the bedroom area, there is another seating area with a sofa for 3 pax or so. The amount of seating area in this suite is endless.
The wardrobe and luggage area is in a separate room by itself. It is a very spacious area with multiple drawers and an open concept. Here, there is a portable luggage rack and a space for medium-sized luggage. Plenty of hangers are provided. There are also bathrobes, bath slippers, a safe and an ironing kit.
The main bathroom comes with a his and her sink with plenty of counter space. You can find a full set of amenities and toiletries provided, including mouthwash. As usual, amenities here are from Crabtree and Evelyn in large pump size bottles. The bathroom also comes with a separate bathtub.
The standing shower comes with both a rain shower and a handheld shower head. I did feel that the water pressure could be improved.
I love the suite and how spacious it is. I definitely felt comfortable here despite it being a little dated! It lacks some of the attractive sea views of Kota Kinabalu. This might be a concern. Turndown service is provided upon request.
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is located on level 3. It is a very nice modern space that comes with natural light and a view of the surrounding street. This is open 24 hours a day. You can easily access it with your key cards. It comes with a good selection of equipment for your use. Towels and water are provided too.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool is located on the rooftop on the 11th floor. It is open from 6am to 11pm. The place is very welcoming and just beside their rooftop restaurant. The regular size of the pool allows for laps to be done and to soak up the amazing Sabah sun. There are plenty of sunbeds and cabanas by the side of the pool area, too. This place vibes are pretty good.
Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge is located on the 9th floor. It’s a huge and grand space with high ceilings. You can also find a staircase that connects to the 10th floor. The style does remind me of the lounge over at Hilton Kuala Lumpur. The lounge is open from 6.30am to 10pm daily, with breakfast offered till 10am and evening cocktails from 5pm to 7pm. The place feels homely and cosy. Service is excellent over here with plenty of seating spots for you to get some work done if you want a change of scenery.
I love the various differentiated types of furniture categorised into different seating areas, which makes it feel a little bit more private and exclusive over here. They also have an outdoor terrace area where you can smoke if this is something that you are keen on.
The lounge offers two services a day, with breakfast as well as evening cocktails. During the day, you have some coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks and some snacks. The evening cocktail timing is separated into a family-friendly hour and a business hour. This isn’t really enforced, and I don’t see a difference between the two either. It stays pretty quiet throughout the evening. You can find some cheese, cold cuts, salads, fruits, some mains and a fried item hot dish that changes from day to day. They had some fried taro and fried batter the other night. This is not a dinner replacement.
Drinks-wise consist of a red and white wine, some spirits with simple cocktails and mixers. They only serve Anchor Beer, which is rather underwhelming.
Breakfast is also served at the lounge in the morning, which definitely offers a much more exclusive environment and polished service. The surroundings are pretty scenic and quaint compared to the restaurant. The selection here is smaller but slightly better in quality. You also have an egg station, so if you are not looking for many options, this might be a better spot as compared to the restaurant itself.
Breakfast at Urban Kitchen Restaurant
Breakfast is offered from 6.30am to 10.30am daily at the restaurant on the ground floor. Complimentary breakfast is extended to elite members. The restaurant is bright and welcoming with tons of natural light. There was no difficulty in getting a table despite the crowd, given how huge the place is. Breakfast is served buffet style. Let me just attach some pictures of the buffet.
Some of the more memorable items are the noodle station, which goes so well with the sambal that they have. I also enjoyed a freshly made prata or roti canai. You can pop by if you have access to it. If not, lovely local food is abundant out here in Kota Kinabalu.
Conclusion
This is, after all, the flagship property of Hilton over here in East Malaysia. I do feel the quality is a little lacking for a Hilton; it is perhaps closer to a DoubleTree instead. Breakfast can definitely be polished. I did appreciate their excellent elite recognition and the hotel’s central location. Kudos to the staff for taking good care of us during our stay. I was constantly asked about and greeted in the lounge. After having affordable transportation fares. Do remember to check out the famous fried chicken and seafood restaurant right behind the hotel.
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