Hostels in Sabah, Malaysia

"Pros: The location is very strategic as the residence is situated in the heart of Kota Kinabalu. It offers a nice city view and overlooks the airport runway, where you can watch flights take off and land. The swimming pool is shared with Ming Garden Hotel, which is convenient. Cons: The room was extremely dusty, and my husband had to sweep it himself. Dust on the furniture was visible to the naked eye and there was even hair on the floor. The paint on the wall was peeling, leaving the floor dirty. The whole floor felt a bit creepy and gave the impression of an old, poorly maintained building. A security deposit of RM200 is required and the refund took two days after check-out. Communication with the manager is only through WhatsApp, which sometimes results in delayed responses. Parking is not complimentary, and guests need to pay for it (RM4/entry, RM8 for overnight)."

"De omgeving is erg mooi, er zijn veel insecten en vogels die zingen. De badkamer en douche zijn geïntegreerd en relatief schoon. De honden en katten van het hotel zijn lief en vriendelijk. Het restaurant heeft geen uitgebreide menukaart en beperkte openingstijden. Het ligt heel dicht bij RDC, op slechts 10 minuten loopafstand. Het personeel bij de receptie van het hotel was ook erg vriendelijk. Het wifi-signaal is het beste bij de receptie, maar het is erg zwak en bijna onbestaand in de kamer. Zou het zeker weer boeken."

"Everything is good and tidy, common areas, pool table. Breakfast is simple."

"Spotless clean! The bed was so comfy I would not wanna leave, each one spacious and more sufficient than other capsule hotels/youth hostels. My stay was even better than I expected. Perfect location & peaceful vibe all around. Lots of food selections including a supermarket nearby. The owner and staffs are helpful & nice! It's a pity I only stayed for a night as it was my last night there. I recommend this budget friendly place and will definitely go back if I have a chance to visit KK again!🤞"

"Dit guesthouse in Kota Kinabalu biedt waarschijnlijk de beste prijs-kwaliteitverhouding. De faciliteiten en service zijn vergelijkbaar met hotels, en de locatie is uitstekend: direct naast de Filipijnse avondmarkt en het strand. Er zijn loungeruimtes in de woonkamer en eetkamer, en brood en koekjes zijn 24 uur per dag verkrijgbaar."

"Hotel location is good, right in front of the public jetty. Nearby have many seafood restaurants, pharmacy and supermarket, mamak stalls. Very convenient, all walking distance, don't really need a car to move around. Standard Room is ok, size -wise. However, the room is abit dirty as the floor is very sticky. Toilet is basic, quite run-down. You need to climb one flight of stairs, so make sure you nothing too heavy. Sometimes you'll have the smell / smoke from the seafood restaurant downstairs in the hallway. Very thin walls, can easily hear other guests' noise."

"Semporna is an interesting place to visit, with several islands surrounded by coral reefs for snorkeling and diving, more beautiful than many other snorkeling spots worldwide. Staying at this hostel instead of moving to an island resort is a good way to budget. And not only that, the fish market in Semporna is the most incredible one I have seen, seafood like lobsters, large shrimps, crabs so fresh, not even the one at Kota Kinabalu can be compared good as it was too. The DZ hostel lady staff was very helpful and can arrange for island trips at a reasonable price. The dorms are separated into boys and girls, something I truly appreciate. The bathrooms faced the afternoon sun, so they were dried easily and kept clean. Laundry by machine was offered free, a super plus for swimmers. The hostel also offered local Malay snack food for breakfast, and coffee or tea were always available. To be honest, it's a good budget place to stay while splurging on the island tours. It's a bit sad that no cooking is allowed here, even though there was a kitchen. Sad because the seafood mentioned above was so available. The facade of the building is nothing to boast about, and like many places, the external (streets, pavement, eyc) can be a mess. That should not deter visiting this part of the world mainly because the sea in this area is astoundingly replenished with marine life."

"Great location. Easy to walk to anywhere. I am a solo female traveller and feel safe here. Night time can be noisy, so recommend to bring earplugs for light sleeper. The owner was so kind. He helped send me to klinic at night due to food poisoning. They do provide hairdryers, towels, and bath amenities."

"De omgeving is prima, er wonen veel buitenlanders. De prijs-kwaliteitverhouding is erg hoog en er is een eenvoudig ontbijt in de ochtend om je maag te vullen. Het ligt midden in de stad, zeer geschikt om alleen te reizen, en eilandhoppen is erg handig."

"Great location just next to a shopping mall. Room is small with no tv. The windows in some rooms were fake. Good for overnight stay to go for a transit flight. But if you are travelling to KK perhaps choose other hotel with bigger room and amenities."