Howard Johnson by Wyndham Kota Kinabalu City Centre

We stayed here on the 6th of June 2026. Breakfast was good for a 3 star hotel in KK 3.5/5 . They have an egg station, soup station, local breakfast delights such as nasi lemak and porridge, a cereal section, bread and cake section and coffee station. Protein choices were somewhat limited with only eggs, no cheese, curry chicken and sausages. Overall it was good. Utensils were clean. Staff during breakfast were friendly. Chef was accommodating. 3/5 for the rooms. This hotel was previously called Shangri-la Hotel. Now, the rooms are renovated, it was clean. We stayed in room 206. All windows were sealed shut. Bed and pillows were comfortable. They do provide iron and hairdryer in the room. Which is good as some hotels do this on sharing basis. Air conditioning was cold and there was no remote to control the temperature. They use a wall controller for the a/c but didn't work. For me, the problem is the bathroom and the wardrobe. The wardrobe just won't shut properly. The bathroom was a bit small but it has a bathtub, so you can enjoy a quiet bath. The toilet however has a flushing problem, even after flushing for 4 times, it won't fully flush everything off. There were still leftovers from the previous guest when we checked it. Overall, it was a comfortable stay.

I had a very pleasant stay at this hotel. The room was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, making it easy to relax after a long day. The service was excellent — the staff were friendly, helpful, and always ready to assist with any requests. The location is also very convenient, with easy access to nearby attractions, restaurants, and essential amenities. Overall, everything met my expectations, and I would definitely recommend this hotel to others visiting Kota Kinabalu. Great value for money and a wonderful experience!

I read reviews of this hotel slamming it for road noise. That's easily fixed... request a room facing the forest side (i.e. away from the road). Problem solved... I can't imagine there's much of a view on the road side anyway. Anyhow, I found this to be a perfectly acceptable hotel. A little dated in the rooms perhaps, but perfectly in keeping with Malaysian hotels generally. Great location, decent size rooms, great breakfast (mix of Western and Asian), pretty quiet on the forest side), decent restaurants and laundromats nearby. My only complaints would be a) the beds are a little too firm, and b) the restaurant is perhaps a little small for how busy it gets at breakfast time.