Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabalu

I definitely wouldn’t come back. To me, this felt more like an old motel than a 4-star hotel, and in Europe it would be a 1-star place. The shower had no warm water for many days. I reported it twice, but nobody fixed it. The rooms also need deep cleaning. I changed rooms once and the new one was better, but still needed a lot more cleaning and renovation. Reception was extremely slow. I suspect their IT system is very old-fashioned, because check-in took so long. Breakfast was so-so. You can eat much better outside; it had a school-cafeteria feel, tasted mass-produced, and was mostly Chinese food.

The room itself was okay, and the hotel was clean, probably renovated recently. But getting the room cleaned took a really long time. On the first day, we left at 9am for a tour of Gaya island and got back at 2:30pm to find it still hadn’t been made up, so we only had the towels replenished. The next day we left at 9:30am, went for a massage and lunch, and spent some time at Imago mall. When we returned at 1:30pm, the room was still as we’d left it, and we had to call reception again to request cleaning. This isn’t a cheap guesthouse, it’s a 4-star hotel. They should give guests a better experience.

We made the most of our early arrival: the desk team took care of our bags when we got there around 9 a.m., so we could head straight to the Sunday Gaya Street market. They were friendly and professional, and later check-in was quick and easy. Our Superior Room faced the sea, though a corner side room blocked much of the view. We could still see roughly a quarter of it, and the natural light was nice. The room was clean, comfortable, and well kept, with a cozy setup and a good bed. Room service was prompt and attentive, too. We started each morning at Promenade Café beside the lobby. There was a nice range of food and a relaxed feel. For our three-day, two-night stay for two, the welcoming service and convenient location made for a comfortable visit.

The check-in experience was disappointing from the moment I drove in. I wasn't offered a parking space, even though I could see two empty spots out front. I wasn't asking for free parking, and I've stayed here before, so being told parking is chargeable didn't answer my question. Sometimes no one is there to move the pole, and I understand that, but I felt unwelcome. Maybe my car looked dirty to them, I don't know. I'd booked a Seaview Suite, but was given a corner room looking at a construction building, the bataras building, and other hotel rooms. We could even see people kissing through a window. When I called reception about the booking, I was told it was a partial seaview room, then my calls kept being transferred around without anyone helping. The duty manager asked, “Oh, you need a full seaview?” That felt like a ridiculous question when I'd booked a Seaview Suite. Was I paying for a cheap room or asking for it free? Why give me the LAST CHOICE ROOM? I didn't like the room as a whole. The staff came across as unprofessional and lacking common sense and empathy. I know this isn't a 5 star hotel, but I still expected hospitality. I paid for my stay, and left disappointed.