Hotel O Lutana

I paid RM50 for one night, and it was actually very good for that price. There’s a lot of parking around if you have a car, but watch out for all the kids in this area, which is populated with villagers. I got a lot of scratches on my car’s hood overnight. At least it gave me motivation to get the car detailed, hahahaha.

The location is remote, and sometimes it’s impossible to find a Grab or taxi. Sandakan has better hotels, so I’d stay away from this one. Cockroaches and power cuts seem common. With no electricity, there’s no light, air conditioning or way to charge your phone, just bugs for company. The water pressure is very low, and the water is cold. Reception staff were unfriendly and unhelpful. Booking.com didn’t help when I reported the problems either. This isn’t worth even 10 bucks a night.

It’s about a 30-minute walk to the centre, and there’s a good night market 15 minutes away on foot. The owner also offered to keep our big bags while we went on the Kinabatangan river cruise. Staff were friendly, and someone should be around at all times. For the price, my room was a good size, not too small, and clean. The shower just wasn’t very hot. A decent budget stay.

The staff were super duper friendly, and the place felt like home to me. I loved the decoration, and the hotel is in a location that’s not too busy. The receptionist said it was more than 30 years old. My room was tidy, clean and nicely decorated, but the carpet smelled musty, maybe because it hadn’t been changed in ages. It needs replacing. Apart from that smell, the room was fine and comfortable. It’s a moderate budget hotel.