Hilton Garden Inn Kota Kinabalu Tuaran

Dinner was a buffet for Rm80, but there were only seven dishes. Check-in was another mess: it started at 3.pm, and the long queue meant we waited 1 hours 20 minutes before reaching our room. Then the shower's hot water didn't work. I called reception to get it fixed and waited an hour, but nobody came. This was a hellish experience. I would never return.

The air conditioner in Borneo Hall wasn't working, and it was very hot throughout our three-day event. The worst experience!

The staff were friendly, which was the one good thing about the resort. I'd suggest coming back in 3-5 years, once renovations are complete and there are more facilities. It's really isolated. I spent 30 minutes trying to book a Grab, and when I asked for help, they wanted rm40 one way just to Turan, while Grab was rm14. There is just one restaurant and a bar. Coconut trees block the bar's view, and the cocktail list has only two choices. Dinner is mostly buffet, with no a la carte ordering. If you have allergies or are vegetarian, you can only get takeaway or try making a request, and they do try to help. The room was mostly clean, though there was a spider web and dead flies on the floor. The water had a strong chemical smell. The sunset was nice, but there were lots of mosquitoes and sandflies. I booked a seaview room, but couldn't see the sea because the room was surrounded by the construction site. It's at the far end of the resort, while the beach you can walk along is on the other side. I'd skip the seaview room. I'd rather stay in Kota Kinabalu city and watch the sunset from a hotel there. For me, there's nothing here to make the long trip worthwhile.