We stayed at the Shangri La Tanjung Aru from 8th - 14th October 2007 and from the moment we arrived we were well looked after. We were on our belated honeymoon and hotel spoilt us with gifts. We were upgraded to a Tanjung deluxe room, which was spacious, very well appointed and comfortable. Like other reviewers the toiletries were of good quality and plentiful. We had fresh fruit daily in our room which was a lovely touch. All the staff at the hotel were very pleasant and friendly and soon knew and remembered our breakfast requirements and the drinks we preferred at the bar. What service. All took time out to speak with us, which was lovely, as these are the people who make our holidays - the local personalities. We learnt alot from them about KK, Sabah and Hari Raya. We too went on an early morning trip and were delighted to be able to have breakfast delivered to our room at no additional cost to us. At 5:30 in the morning it was delivered with a smile, and everything we requested was there, beautifully presented. They even delivered a toaster so we could toast our own bread, most impressive. We found the food in cafe TaTu to be of a very high standard, we especially enjoyed the choices for breakfast and the buffet dinner was something else, for a foodie like myself it was delightful. We do have to recommend the fish and chips off the a la carte menu, reasonably priced and plentiful. A downsider to the TaTu cafe was we found too many children being allowed to run around, a lack of parental control in my opinion. It would be a good idea to have an adults only section both inside and out. We were always able to get a lounger by the pool, however I would comment that the mattresses were thin and had seen better days. Having just come from another 5 star hotel I expected the mattresses to be thicker. Also we had experienced more poolside service, free iced water, cool towels and sunscreen all supplied, I suppose I expected the same here, but it wasn't to be, Whilst you are in KK, go to the waterfront, there are some lovely restaurants and bars there, costing a fraction of the price of the hotel. Also, treat yourself to a massage at the EuroCafe, Jaidin and Saini give an excellent foot scrub and reflexology treatment at a very reasonable price - after a hard day around the shops we felt we could run a marathon! Overall I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hotel, It is ideally situated for both beach and town which is only a short RM15 taxi ride to KK city centre.

As part of a bigger trip to Malysia and Borneo, we had two seperate 4 night stays here. I won't say anything about Borneo other than that its a beautiful place and we'll definately go back. The good news is that the same can be said for the Tanjung Aru resort. In our first stint we stayed in a deluxe room in the Tanjung wing (room only). I was impressed with the quality (especially as this is the older wing), the room was a good size, pretty well equipped and had a great view of the pitch and putt and ocean beyond. We were then off to Sandakan for a few days and the Tanjung were happy to hold on to our luggage for us. On our return (room only again) we were given a free upgrade to a Kinabalu wing room and the Kinabalu Club benefits. Whilst the room was more modern, I'm not sure its really mush of an upgrade. The Club benefits are probably worth it but could go further - breakfast in the club lounge, afternoon tea, free drinks in early evening and free interenet access. Amazed there is no wi-fi in the rooms though. We had breakfast either in the room or the club lounge so can't comment on the other options. We tried the restaurants in the evennig and were pleased with them all. Would still reccommend heading out of the resort though. Overall, the hotel was great. The pool is great to lie around, very clean and has plenty of shade. The restaurants and bars are good and fairly reasonably priced for a hotel (but obviously far more expensive than outside of the resort). The service we had from all staff was second to none. Each and every one couldn't have been more helpful and eager to please. To be fair though, that was pretty much the story all over Borneo. Some summary points: Pros: - Excelent service - High quality rooms and resort - Great pool area - Child friendly ( so it appeard anyway) - Good food Cons - Also a conference venue so could alter the atmosphere - There's no excuse for charging three times the going rate for a beer. - Beach not as inviting as the pool, and no shade Would definately go back, and thats a good sign as far as I'm concerened.

Where do I begin? The whole Shangri-La experience was unbelievable from start to finish, and not in a good way!! It began with a clear instruction that we were to be picked up at the airport, 4 people with luggage. The transportation only had room for 2 people with luggage and therefore a second car had to be sent for. Once checked into the Kinabalu wing with club access we retired to our rooms, after waiting for over an hour for the cleaning to be finished, well we would have if the door card system actually worked! Therefore both couples had to return to the club check-in to have the room cards reprogrammed. This continued everyday for the complete 12 day stay. Once finally within our rooms, which were functional and adequate, if not slightly small and sparsely decorated we had to then call room service for water which housekeeping neglected to replenish, again this was to be a standard feature of our whole stay. Housekeeping continually failed to replenish any item used during our stay, this included; napkins, coasters, toiletries, flowers (we even had an empty vase with water in it for over 4 days) and other sundries used. In fact it seemed a policy that anything that was used was not replenished to stop you using it again. We made enquiries with regards to trips and golf courses at the club lounge concierge and again were continually let down with their promises to come back to us and we constantly had to chase all our requests. We eventually took a trip to the pool area to read and relax……..oh my god!! The pool area had two pools side by side and a children’s pool next to one of the larger pools. I can only assume this area doubled as a crèche, as the noise was deafening and whilst the resort professes 25 lush acres, it seemed all amenities were crammed into a 200 square metre area. Pool service was nonexistent and on one occasion we sat 7 hours without any offer of service and eventually used the hotel shop to get any drinks. You could not escape the noise and construction work was also going on at the new Spa, even though we were assured there was no work in progress. Coupled with the fact a conference was held during our stay and construction and dismantling continued past midnight. Service was invisible and lackluster and on occasion the staff would actually enter into an argument if anything was questioned. We ceased to attend one bar after two nights of disagreements with staff. Having travelled extensively and willing to pay for a 5* experience, this was one of the shoddiest and most mismanaged resorts it has been our unfortunate experience to encounter. We ventured to Rasa Ria for a golfing experience at the Dalit golf course, playing in 30C+ temperatures with high humidity we were given two bottles of warm water with no cooler for the 18 holes, with no water stops en route nor any amenities to refresh. Within the Rasa Ria resort the service was even worse and we were charged for a breakfast even though it was a sister resort and we took no breakfast at the Tanjung Aru due to an early start. In an attempt to show some positives, the food was good. Peppino’s and the Shang Palace were excellent as was Coco Joe’s. The Tatu buffet for breakfast and dinner were totally forgettable. The Orangutan sanctuary at Rasa Ria is a must and worth every ringgit spent. I can only recommend this resort for people with children who do not mind competing with a large East Asian clientele who certainly like to make lots of noise. Even in the club lounge where children were not encouraged between 5-7pm for drinks this rule was not enforced and again represented a crèche on occasions with children roaming free. In conclusion, this is certainly NOT a 5* resort and actually misrepresents itself on its web site where it purports to be a haven of peace and serenity. I have no issues with a resort that represents itself clearly and allows you to make an informed decision on the information given. We always research our bookings carefully and like the hundreds of hotels we have visited and were satisfied with, this was the most misleading and the biggest disappointment due to the name of the owner and the information given.

We stayed at the STAR from 14 Oct for 6 nights. I decided on this location rather than the Rasa Ria for its proximity to town. A decision I was glad I made. The lobby and grounds and restaurants are all beautiful. Our rooms which were the Tanjung Deluxe room had the promised seaview but were quite a hike from the facilities. We were never offered the Club upgrade and after a lengthy check-in I forgot to ask for it. We arrived 3 hours after we were due and our rooms were not ready. This was a little disappointing as check in time was supposed to be 2pm. My main issue with this hotel was the price of food and drinks in relation to the restaurants in town. I understand that you pay a premium but the service and quality of food and drinks (impossible to get a cold beer, always served in warm glasses so they go flat immediately) was not worth the huge price difference. The service at Coco Joes was non existent. The service in Cafe Tatu for breakfast was exceptional and the choice was great. Did not eat in the other restaurants as could not justify the price. Room Service although we did not have it seemed pretty reasonable. We went to the Rasa Ria for the day to view the Orang Utans and that was well worth the expense. Again the Grounds were lovely. Food was very average for the price but the service at their Poolside was a step up on Coco Joes. Overall I would say the hotel ok but definately not 5 star but with some service issues addressed it is not far away. Get a room rate that includes breakfast and then eat your other meals at the great restaurants at the Waterfront or at Tanjung Aru First Beach for 1/5 the price.

We spent six wonderful nights at th Tanjung Aru from the 7th to the 13th of October. Our stay was perfect. We had booked 2 Tanjung Deluxe rooms overlooking the Thai Chi garden, and requested interconnecting if possible . ( our 2 children are 13 and 16 ). All these requests were fulfilled. The rooms are beautiful and spacious with lovely balconies. They were left well cleaned everyday and toiletries always restocked. Very generous amounts of bottled water were always supplied. All staff were so friendly and helpful, from the people ordering you taxis and unloading/loading luggage on arrival /departure, to the reception staff who always greeted you with a smile, and the great staff working poolside for food and drinks. We chose to upgrade both our rooms to provide Kinabulu Club access. We did this on arrival at a cost of 150 MR per room per day ( or approx AUD$50 per room/day ). This meant we had wonderful peaceful breakfasts in the club. The food was great as was the variety. Afternoon tea was available in the afternoons, and evening drinks and canapes were served from 5-7pm. Tea /cofee and softdrinks are available all day and 2 computers are available with free broadband. What made this club experience so special was the delightful staff working there. Johnny, Brian and Lynda make you feel so welcome, and nothing is too much trouble. The service in the evenings is very generous and such a lovely setting to take in the views and wind down after a big day. These people had a huge influence on how much we enjoyed our holiday, because we felt so well looked after and spoilt. Coco Joes by the pool was great for lunches and drinks, and we had an evening meal there also. Something for everyone on the menu. We dined one evening at the Tatu buffet. Food was good but quite pricey at 140 MR each + drinks + tax (15% ). We also had lunch in the Borneo Bar which was tasty and well priced. We also dined in our room on several occasions. The room service menu is extensive, with timely delivery, great presentation, and it was delicious, and quite well priced. We ventured to Tanjung first beach 1 night and dined at the seafood restaraunt which was good. The pools are great, with plenty of loungers, and shade. Our breakfast was included in our package, and 1 morning we were being picked up at 6am to fly to Sandakan for the day. We had the option of taking packed breakfast boxes with us or room service breakfast at no charge. We opted for the roomservice and it was great. Laundry isn't cheap, but there is a Special of 20 items for 120MR, ( about AUD$40 ). We travelled on the shuttle 1 day to the Rasa Ria, as my husband and son had booked for the ATV Safari. Shuttle takes 45mins-1 hour and costs 35mr return per person. The ATV Safari was FANTASTIC. It goes for 1 1/2 hours and travels through jungle, small rivers and the beach, and includes a stop for coffee and cake in a local village. You do get VERY dirty, but it is great fun. Book in advance 220Mr each. Staff at Tanjung Aru can book it for you. We enjoyed using the pools and lunch at the Rasa Ria that day. Borneo Beach Bums at the resort marina are great. We did Parasailing ( 180MR per double ) and also went to Manutik Island 1 day to snorkel . ( 200MR for 4 people for return transfers to island + 40Mr for masks and snorkels ). This was great, but remember to take extra cash to pay the Marine Park entrance fee on arrival to island . Overall, we had a superb holiday, and we will definately return to Sabah and the Tanjung Aru. The beautiful people there made our stay so wonderful. I am happy to answer any questions.