Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

We arrived at the hotel after 30 hours of travelling and a missing suitcase. The lady on reception could not have been nicer she immediately took us upstairs to the Executive Lounge for check in as we had paid slightly more to be upgraded to the Kinabalu Club. We actually used this lounge on most days for breakfast and the staff could not have been more courteous. The property is very large, and as such it does lose some of the atmosphere, plus it is obviously set up for people with children and although there was a separate pool area for adults this made it rather noisy, it was not a particularly peaceful experience by the pool. That said you couldn't complain. We arranged through the concierge to visit the orangutan rehabilitation sanctuary and this was a very smooth procedure and journey. The hotels location is good as it is only about 10 minutes drive from the airport, which we considered a bonus as we were only there for a week and were also needing to make an internal flight. The Bedrooms were good if somewhat lacking in atmosphere, and the beds and shower were great, with a huge range of toiletries which proved a godsend while my suitcase was missing. There is not really a lot of entertainment the same band/ group were playing in the bar in the evening as in the Sunset bar at sunset, and it was all a bit ' samey', but nethertheless it was pleasant. There were several restaurants and we had breakfast one day in the main restaurant it did seem to be more geared up for Asian Tastes, Curry and noodles for breakfast is not really my thing would have loved more fresh fruit and porridge. However overall the hotel does what it says on the packet. A little bit too corporate and lacking in atmosphere for my taste. Room Tip: Upgrade to Kota Kinabalu Club Room