Shangri-La Rasa Ria

“Lovely hotel, but unhappy that we’re notified so late before our stay that we were being moved due to a large event.”

We had booked Ocean Wing and paid extra to do so. Day before we flew, we were informed that they had a booking taking over Ocean Wing and we were to stay in Garden Wing with a 2hr discovery centre walk and a free massage!!!! We refused this and all that day our travel agent was negotiating on our b… more

We had booked Ocean Wing and paid extra to do so. Day before we flew, we were informed that they had a booking taking over Ocean Wing and we were to stay in Garden Wing with a 2hr discovery centre walk and a free massage!!!! We refused this and all that day our travel agent was negotiating on our behalf. In end we were given a monetary refund and partial use of Ocean wing before the Malaysian Airlines event took place, with all of our 4 night stay meals included at no charge. The hotel is lovely and the beach out of this world, however the difference between Ocean and Garden wings is apparent, so we were disappointed that we had to stay in the Garden wings. Also unhappy that a major event being held by Malaysian Airlines was only notified to us the day before we travelled, whereas they must have know sooner and the initial offer of compensation was insufficient, seeing as we had paid extra to stay at Ocean wing. The hotel and gardens are beautiful and the beach views divine, but it is a long way from Koto Kinabulu and whilst easy to get a Grab taxi, there was nothing bar the hotel in immediate vicinity. All in all a good stay, which would have been superb had we been able to use the Ocean wing for all of our stay.

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“Disappointing”

This resort is in exceptional location and has great potential. We did have a good stay, but this was because of the child activities rather than the hotel itself. We stayed in a suite in the garden wing. It was very dated and we felt we had to prompt for extra amenities (towels, water etc). The … more

This resort is in exceptional location and has great potential. We did have a good stay, but this was because of the child activities rather than the hotel itself. We stayed in a suite in the garden wing. It was very dated and we felt we had to prompt for extra amenities (towels, water etc). The breakfast in the morning was utter chaos. Lengthy queues to get in, coffee machines not working, running out of plates etc. We used to give ourselves 90min for breakfast because we expected delays. The pool was fun. It’s good for young kids. However, there is a lots of debris from the surrounding foliage and visible dirt on the pool edge. Never saw the pool cleaned during our stay. Furniture around pool and in restaurants generally stained/dirty. Not exactly 5 star…. Food and drinks are extortionate. In the evenings we used grab delivery and ate in the room. The kids club was fantastic. My child did lots of different jungle activities and absolutely loved it. The staff were very warm and good with young children. Fortunately someone warned us that the night walk is tricky for young kids and we booked him on a kids jungle night walk instead It’s a shame as this hotel has real potential to be exceptional. It just needs investment. Not the 5 star Shangri la luxury experience we expected

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“Resort tired and not 5 star”

We had a two week stay at Shangri la Rasa Ria. We arrived just after midnight and tired after an exhausting journey. Reception staff and concierge staff warm and welcoming. We were offered an upgrade for approximately £100 per night which we declined. Our room was located on the 3rd floor of the g… more

We had a two week stay at Shangri la Rasa Ria. We arrived just after midnight and tired after an exhausting journey. Reception staff and concierge staff warm and welcoming. We were offered an upgrade for approximately £100 per night which we declined. Our room was located on the 3rd floor of the garden wing. Once in our room and after having a look around the room, I felt quite disappointed as the sofa area was heavily stained. The rooms are of good size, bed and pillows comfortable. On our way to breakfast and looking around the resort, we felt the garden wing needs some renovations. The area is tired and worn. The lifts do not have sensors and hurt when the doors hit. Breakfast is pleasant. However, the coffee machines are very temperamental . During our first week, there was no clean cups and the water machine did not work. We found the dinner buffet poor, food was cold - so always had à la carte menu option. Dining table chairs are covered in bird poo. This was observed at all outdoor dining areas of the resort. Personally, this is not acceptable in any hotel let alone a five star resort. On several occasions we asked the staff to change our chairs or clean them. Obviously, birds are wild. But I would expect keeping these clean at all times. Very off putting. Rooms are cleaned daily. However, one evening we had room service and our dirty plates remained in our room for 2 days. Room tea and coffee was not always replenished, but after calling house keeping replenishments was bought to the room. We had an issue with our room after a week. This was raised with management, who were very efficient in rectifying. We were moved to a room on the 6th floor and by way of compensation, was allowed to eat breakfast à la carte in Ocean wing and utilise that pool. The Ocean wing is far superior. However, both swimming pools are in need of daily cleaning. I was at both pools very early and never saw them being cleaned. We ate at the Teppanyaki and Asian restaurants, food was good and made adjustments for dietary requirements. The hotel is approximately an hour away from Kota Kinabalu, Grab is easily available. The staff are very friendly. Hotel has some evening entertainment. But not every night. It is a very quiet hotel and the bar closes at 11pm. There is definitely room for improvement and not 5 star resort.

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