Heading to Kota Kinabalu and looking for somewhere awesome to stay that’s also in a great location for exploring this city?
I have the perfect choice – Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu. This 5 star hotel is not just a comfortable and fun experience, but it’s also in a great spot for exploring and eating. My stomach may have had a say in booking this hotel as it’s very close to a great night market!
It also has a rooftop pool, multiple restaurants and bars and so much more. While it’s not the cheapest hotel in Kota Kinabalu, it’s incredibly great value with definitely one of the lowest prices I have paid for something so quality.
Wondering if it’s right for you? Find my full Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu review below with everything you want to know from the exact location, to the rooms and facilities as well as tons of photos to help you decide.
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Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu Review
I stayed in this hotel alone while exploring Kota Kinabalu.
Check-in was fantastic. From arrival at the hotel when someone was there to help with luggage to when I left, the staff were great. It was such a contrast to my last two hotels where I struggled to carry my suitcase upstairs without any help.
I was able to check-in a few hours early and was soon in my room.
Location
Address: Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, Jln Dua Puluh, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
This hotel is in a fantastic location near the waterfront and the night market. It’s also close to the Central Market and Centre Point shopping centre which has a great food court. It’s easy to stay here with everything you need nearby.
Rooms
There are a range of room types with most varying just by whether you want a king or twin beds and your view.
You can also choose to have Club Lounge Access as part of your room rate which gives you access to a beautiful lounge with floor to ceiling windows with great views. This lounge includes breakfast, afternoon drinks and an evening cocktail. It’s definitely worth the extra cost for a real treat if you can afford it.
All rooms are very comfortable and well presented with desk, a lounge chair, tea and coffee making facilities, great bathrooms with toiletries, flatscreen TV and everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel with the Le Méridien brand.
Of course, you can also upgrade your experience with a range of suites including one bedroom and two bedroom options and the grand presidential suites.
King Room, Sea View
Since I was staying here alone, the king room was perfect. I love a great view so I opted to pay extra for a sea view room. I’m glad I did.
On entry to my room, I found a spacious room ahead with my bathroom to the left. There was a basin, toilet and shower in the bathroom and plenty of toiletries. There was also a gown hanging in here.
It’s possible to have the same type of room with a bathtub. I was asked which I preferred on check-in.
Straight ahead was the rest of my room. I headed straight to the window to check out my view which I loved.
I also loved that the desk area and a fabulous sitting area with coffee table was at the window end of the room so I could appreciate the views as I typed this up at the desk 🙂
The sitting area was a decent sized curved couch which felt quite luxurious in a hotel room.
In the middle of the room was the king-sized bed with bedside tables at each end. A flatscreen TV was on the wall.
At the bathroom end of the room was the wardrobe and luggage area. Here was also some slippers, ironing gear and a safe.
Next to this was a minifridge and tea and coffee making facilities. There was bottled water both here and in the bathroom.
The whole room had a very modern, comfortable and luxury feel to it. There was no sound from outside which was great after two nights of staying at hotels where I could hear too much!
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Facilities
My favourite facility at the Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu was definitely the pool. It’s a good size, had great opening hours (6am to 9pm) and some nice seating areas as well as the cafe bar right next door.
There’s also a gym and spa located here.
The hotel can also book you local tours and give you advice on where to go. Wifi internet is included as well as complimentary parking. The internet was great.
Something I also liked was the long list of equipment available to families that was in my hotel room.
Dining
You won’t go hungry here. There is plenty of food in the surrounds (like the Night Market, which I highly recommend), but if you want to stay in, you won’t be disappointed.
You can eat just about any time at Latest Recipe, their all day dining restaurant (there’s a photo further up in the article). This is the place to eat when you want breakfast or any meal. They have an international menu with a range of options for all palates.
I was here during Ramadan, so they also had special meal times and options for people observing this.
From Wednesday to Sunday nights, you can eat at Favola, an upscale, Italian restaurant.
For drinks, there is Latitude 05 which is open daily from 10am to midnight. During the day, it’s all about coffee and then it branches into a place for a cocktail in the evening. It merges into the restaurant though, so I didn’t find it that special.
However, at sunset time, don’t miss the Rooftop Bar. Opening at 5pm, it has great views over the sea. I had a glass of wine here as I watched the sun set. It was the perfect way to end my trip in Sabah.
Even if you decide not to stay here, definitely pop by for a drink in the evening.
For pool-time chill, I loved eating at the Azure Pool Bar & Café right by the pool. They call it their “Asian street-food hub”, and I enjoyed the food here.
There is also room service in the evening.
Final Words
The Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu is the perfect place to stay for somewhere very comfortable and convenient while exploring Kota Kinabalu.
I loved my stay here from the relatively low price to the rooftop pool to my great room with a view and my sunset drinks.
I wouldn’t want to stay anywhere else in downtown Kota Kinabalu. It’s all just too perfect!
Click here for the latest prices.
Looking for other accommodation options in Kota Kinabalu? Find our full hotel guide here. You can also find our full guide to things to do in Kota Kinabalu here and all our guides to Kota Kinabalu here.
Planning a trip to Malaysia? Have any questions? Join our Malaysia Travel Planning Facebook group here now! It’s the perfect place to ask any questions and to be inspired!
