We booked the Asiana Hotel, located just 10 minutes away from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). We arrived around 3 am, and the plan was to book a Grab car to our hotel. If you plan to do the same, the Grab pick up point is at Pillar 5, near the Orange Convenience Store. From the Arrival Hall, exit near KFC, walk past the taxi stand and then go straight until you see the Orange Convenience Store.
We booked and waited. And waited some more. I noticed that the car on the Grab app wasn't moving. I messaged to let the driver know where we are waiting, but no reply (dedma/seen zoned/ghosted). So we decided to walk back to the taxi stand and get a cab instead. The driver charged us 45 MYR of what could've been a 10 MYR ride had Grab didn't ghost us.
10 minutes and a quick history lesson from the cab driver later, we arrived at the hotel. The door was closed and lights were out so we had to knock (this is after a few minutes of contemplating if we were indeed at the right hotel). One guy inside was sleeping in one of the chairs in front of the reception area and was kind enough to open the door. Low and behold, the receptionist was there all along, sleeping behind the counter. Reminded me of a hotel we booked when I was in Ho Chi Minh lol.
An important thing to note is that Kota Kinabalu charges a tourism tax of 10 MYR to be paid once you checked in to your hotel. This a mandatory charge that you need to pay for every stay (regardless of which hotel you are staying at). The charge is not per person, but per room - so since we booked two rooms, we had to pay 80 MYR upon check-in.
So what's the point of this article? Well, basically I'd like to list down what I liked and did not like about that hotel. For reference for the future me or anybody out there planning to book the same hotel.
Overall Rating
For those who are impatient to know, I am starting my overall rating first.
I was contemplating giving it 2 stars but with how cheap we got the room, I guess it's not fair to expect a high standard value when you pay for a cheap price. That's just how the world works, I guess. If you do not have plans on spending too much time inside your hotel room, this will be enough for you. However, if you plan to have some relaxation time inside your hotel, there are other hotels around the city you can choose from.
If you want to know about what made me end up with this rating, then scroll down for the deets.
What I LIKE
Accessibility
It's near the airport, so you don't have to rush or worry about rush hour traffic when catching your flight.
Friendly Staff
From the receptionist to their housekeeping, they are very helpful and all smiles. I had an incident about my room key card not working so they had to give me an actual key to use. They asked if I know how to use it, and said YES with all smiles. The ego in me was saying - "Uhm hello, of course, I know how to use a damn key! I'm an adult". Only to find out that it was more complicated than shooting the key into the hole and turning it to open. Good thing, one of the staff followed me and taught me how to use it - alright - it had a system.
Good Location
There are quite a few local restaurants nearby (one just right beside the hotel) if you want to try local food. There is a 711 convenience store at the back and also a nearby grocery store.
If you are feeling fancy or not into local food, you can go to the nearby Harbour City where you can pick from a few restaurants serving both local and western food.
Also, a block away is the Sabah State Mosque if that is part of your itinerary.
The nearest mall is the Imago Shopping Mall.
What I DO NOT LIKE
Quite a few issues I experience with the room we booked, so here's a rundown:
Poor Illumination
That is the only regular light I had near the bed area. There is a night light in between the beds but that's it. The other regular light was near the bathroom, but even if it was turned on, it did not help at all in terms of providing the proper illumination of a normal person with a 20/20 vision needed.
Limited Electrical Socket
So that is the only electrical socket I have in my room. Need I say more?
Note: Malaysia uses Type G power sockets, so don't forget to bring power plug adapters.
Bugs and Ants
I was not able to finish a bag of chips I bought from the nearby 711 store, so I wrapped it with the intention of eating the rest later. But a few hours past, I found ants eating my leftover chips already. I also found a dead (thank God) bug or cockroach on the floor on our second day.
During our stay, they only cleaned our room once. I don't know if its because we had an incident the first day about some item that went missing (it was a false alarm, it just got misplaced while the room was being cleaned) OR because I didn't put out the sign that I want my room to be cleaned.
Dirty Electric Kettle
As much as I appreciate hotel rooms that provide electric kettles, I expect that part of their housekeeping is to ensure that these amenities they provide are clean and ready for the next guest. Much like the glass, towels, cups, that comes with the room. The kettle still had water inside - which I don't know if it was old water - and some yellowish stain or crust in it. I know, I have an electric kettle at home too, and I understand that yellow stains can accumulate over time because water is not as pure as we sometimes hope. BUT, I KNOW that these can be prevented if you clean them on a regular basis. Which, obviously, they don't.
Limited Cable Channels
I know this ain't a 5-star hotel, but if you are one of those that can't live without a tv at hotel rooms - just a heads up if you are planning to book a room in this hotel. If I remember it right, I think they only had 5 channels and only 1 that shows English movies.
Weak A/C
Upon check-in, they give you the remote to the TV and the A/C. I find the temperature in my room not cold enough during our stay, but even if I set the remote to a lower temperature it doesn't seem to budge. They probably lock the temperature to save electricity. So, I wonder what's the remote for?
Strong Cigarette Odour
I don't know where the smell comes from since I don't have any window in my room. But I'm guessing the smell from a non-smoking room goes through the bathroom exhaust. It seems like they have a poor ventilation system in place.
These are just my personal opinion and experience. What I might have experience from this hotel might be different from others so, at the end of the day - it still goes down to your own (smart) choice.
Hotel Address:
Lot 1,8,9,10,,11, Grace Square, Jalan Pantai Sembulan, Grace Villa, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Book through Agoda and Booking.com
