Shangri-La Tanjung Aru

Built across two distinct wings on 25 acres of garden facing the South China Sea, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru has grown into one of Kota Kinabalu's established beach resorts, a 10-minute drive from the airport and the city centre. The Tanjung Wing carries a Borneo accent through its rooms, with tropical wood and blue-green tones on the walls and floor-to-ceiling glass giving onto the coral islands offshore. Rooms run from 47 m2 to the 239 m2 Presidential Seaview Suite, which adds a private wraparound balcony and a whirlpool bath. Ground-floor Sea View Terrace Rooms open onto their own patios and the garden beyond. The resort holds a private marina, a spa, a water play area, and six restaurants and bars, among them the Sunset Bar, cited as one of the world's top seven places to watch the sun go down. It is a working stretch of coastline, not a quiet corner: guests can watch boats leave for the coral islands from the terrace before breakfast. Check-in and check-out follow standard resort hours. The gardens alone make for a slow walk between the two wings, past the pool and toward the water.