MB Hotel

For the price, it was generally okay and the service was okay too. It’s in the middle of town, so food and other services are easy to find within walking distance.

The staff were generally friendly and helpful, and the rooms are spacious and clean, though some furnishings look dated. I had a room with sea views. There are 122 rooms across 10 floors, with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and basic minibars. Breakfast is basic, so I’d skip it. Plenty of restaurants nearby serve better breakfast. On Jalan Masjid, MB Hotel is handy for local attractions, eateries and markets, whether you’re here for business or leisure. It’s good value for money for a short stay, with a strategic location and essential amenities for travelers who want comfort without luxury.

Front desk staff and cleaners are a guest’s first point of contact in hospitality, not the CEO or management team. I was in Tawau from 26th to 28th May 2025 and was introduced to a hotel said to be the second-best in town. I didn’t object, since it had been a long time since my last visit and I had left the service industry. My family and I were tired from the journey when we were given a seventh-floor room labelled an “executive room.” The air conditioning didn’t work properly, and my child became increasingly uncomfortable and overheated, even with the thermostat set to 17 degrees Celsius. I tried to complain, but the room phone didn’t work either. There was no room service for food orders. We asked for rubber slippers for the bathroom and got thin paper sandals instead. The mini refrigerator smelled foul, and the room had only one small waste bin. I went to the front desk during the night shift because we couldn’t tolerate the situation any longer. The afternoon shift staff had welcomed us without even a smile, while the night shift staff were friendly and consistently courteous. They moved us to the adjacent room, which was noticeably more comfortable: the air conditioning and phone worked. But, as in the first room, the bathroom glass looked as though it hadn’t been replaced for a very long time. The 32-inch television worked in our first room, though the channel selection was severely limited. In the new room the TV didn’t work at all. I reported it to the front desk after breakfast, around 8:30 a.m. 27, but nobody came to fix it before we checked out. Unless no other hotel in town meets my family’s preferences, or the owner upgrades the facility, I won’t ever return. It was a rare, unpleasant experience that I have no wish to remember.

We stayed in 8014 for 2 nights, and the poor soundproofing meant we couldn’t sleep because the guests in 8016 were so noisy. Even after we called reception, they kept making noise with their kids banging doors, walls and furniture after midnight. We could hear water piping from their room too. The room needs better upkeep, judging from the pictures uploaded: the bedframe and vanity chair were really dirty, and the air conditioning wasn’t cold. Our 3nd nights here were noisy as well, with guests banging their doors all night. We don’t recommend staying here again.