Mulu Marriott Resort

Being able to stay in such comfort in a small patch of Borneo rainforest is a rare perk, and Mulu Marriott's location, 100 km into the jungle, puts its shortcomings in context. The food can be hit or miss, and service is too, but getting supplies there must be difficult, and the hotel employs Penan people. Given the effort and cost of operating there, they could charge twice as much just for being there. We got a Platinum upgrade to a suite. The spot near the main public area made the extra cost worthwhile and was much more convenient than the farther rooms.

The room was well beyond five-star quality, and the river-side setting was lovely. Anna, Ronaldo, Danny, and the other staff whose names I didn't catch gave fantastic service. I booked through Brighton Travel & Tour Sdn Bhd. Henry was my guide in Mulu, and Amy was my house guide in Miri.

The team really made the stay. Everyone we met was friendly, polite, and ready to help without hovering. Louisanna and Cassandra especially went out of their way for us. The restaurant was a nice surprise, with delicious food and plenty of good vegan and vegetarian choices. Our room was spacious, spotless, and had a great balcony view, and the pool stayed quiet and clean. After long walks, it was a lovely place to come back to. The hotel is beautiful, right by the river, with the rainforest all around. The free shuttle to the park entrance made getting there easy and stress-free. I'd recommend the Mulu Marriott without hesitation.

We enjoyed both the breakfast and evening buffets, with a decent range of food. The beef rendang stood out on the night we ate there. The rooms were very comfortable, and the air conditioning worked well in the heat and humidity. It rained heavily during the couple of days we were there, so we spent less time outdoors. The hotel sits beside the Melinau River at the edge of Gunung Mulu National Park. There's a shuttle to the airport and park; the park is about 10 minutes away and an easy walk too. Wi-Fi isn't available in the rooms, but you can get online in the main building. My main complaint was the lack of porters, or at least very few available, to move our luggage. Our room was at least 100 metres from the main building and up two flights of stairs. A young woman in traditional dress showed us to the room, but no one helped with the bags. Guests who are less able may struggle with the wooden walkways and stairs. I'm sure help would be offered in those cases, though it would be good to have that service available more widely.