We liked the Japanese style design of the public areas and rooms. We stayed at a Kinabalu villa which was large and very nice. Room was very clean (apart from some marks on the headboard. Lovely bathroom with 2 sinks, large shower and bath. Large walk-in wardrobe with enough bench space for 2 suitcases. From our balcony really nice sea view of the island bay, Kota Kinabalu outskirts and Mount Kinabalu when it's clear. There were about 50 steps up to our villa, not much fun in the midday heat but manageable for us. The pool was nice and long, good for swimming proper lengths, and not too busy. Lots of available sun loungers (I think hotel was about half full) by the pool and "beach" strip near the water. The sun loungers were every comfortable. The beach area was cleaned regularly and I didn't see any plastic waste near the hotel. Wi-fi worked very well in room and public areas. Buffet breakfast and dinner had lots of choices and the food was mostly good quality and tasty. We were impressed with the food choices, which were different on all 3 evenings we were there. We had lunch at the pool bar and loved the BBQ satay chicken sticks. The staff were very hardworking and friendly, the enthusiastic chef at the egg station was always happy to chat. The only activity we did was the Coral Garden snorkeling tour, which was good even if the water visibility wasn't perfect. You could also see a good variety fish near around the boat pier. We really enjoyed our stay, it's only a short boat ride from busy Kota Kinabalu, but it feels remote and relaxing.

Separate charge for boat transfer (RM 346 for 2 people return). Small beach. Room Aircon not cool enough. The balcony was unusable most of the day as there was only a fixed bench in direct sunlight. It's a shame as there was a lot of shady space, but no chairs. Food and drink were the most expensive we've had in Malaysia after 3 weeks in various locations, comparable to UK restaurant prices. Service charges and tax were added to the prices on the menu. The buffet dinner was about RM 160-190 Ringgits per person.

The staff were exceptional. They could not do enough to be helpful attentive and kind. I would like particularly thank Joe and Hani in reception . Sean in the restaurant and Juan and Charles at the snorkelling centre. The suites are wonderful spacious and well equipped and whenever we were short of anything in the room it arrived swiftly.

The air conditioning on the common areas is poor the main restaurant is too hot with just fans and the same applies to the reception areas and some toilets. High levels of humidity mean a better system needs to be put in place.

Nice villas surrounded by jungle and sea. Large pool perfect for swimming. Private beach at Tavajun Bay. Expertly guided activities that are either included or good value. Generally an interesting resort for naturalists. The people at their marine conservation and wildlife centers are doing an excellent job.

If you charge premium prices, expectations are high and you also have to get the details and minor things right. That's were they fall short a bit. - Restaurant and service staff are very friendly and polite but not at all up to 5 star standard. - The main restaurant has a very limited menu and quality is only average. - Some items and installations in the rooms and general areas are in need of maintenance. - A fee of MYR 160 for the short boat transfer from KK is almost ridiculous. - Lots of hidden fees, such as a 10% service charge on the total bill. They should be more transparent on that.

Beautiful place and incredible staff and friendly service.thriughout our stay.

Rooms need some minor upgrades just to keep them at 5 star levet although overall still beautiful, non- modern design. Everything costs alot at the resort and don't think food and drink need to be so expensive considering the menu and country its in.. Plus considering its 5 star and amount you pay per night some complementary items would be nice - 4 pieces of fruit complementary on the 1st night couldc have been replaced for the rest of our nights there for example. Also tax snd service charge are not included In any items but then added eveytime, so beware although this is infact found on their menus in fine print. Not sure why the forced service charge on everything.

Location was great- loved the view from our top floor Kinabalu Villa. Our villa was huge and very comfortable. The staff were incredibly polite and well trained. Minor issues were addressed very quickly (for example the WiFi was reconnected before we had walked back to our villa). The breakfast, which was included in our room rate, was fantastic. The free visit to the hotel’s turtle rescue centre was excellent. A variety of other paid activities available.

The cost of our stay was a fair bit higher than we had expected. The hotel’s charging system is not very transparent and the following information should be given before booking. Everything (speed boat ride to and from the resort, room rate, food, drinks, chargeable activities) has 6% tax and 10% service added when you get your final bill. You also have to pay 10RM per room per night tourist tax and a conservation fee of 35RM per person for the first night plus 25RM per person for any subsequent nights. We paid this in cash otherwise I think they may have added taxes to these prices. The food prices were twice as high as the most expensive resort elsewhere on our two week trip. We had a lovely time whilst we were at the resort, but left feeling a bit disappointed over the bill.

Amazing Eco Resort at gaya island, the beach and the hotel is so beautiful. We liked it from the beginning. The whole time you have summer and relaxing feeling. The stuff is attentive, friendly and super helpful. We felt always welcome. Also the breakfast and dinner and lunch were super tasty and the buffet suprised us every evening with new stuff. The resort offers guides and walkes to learn more about the island and the nature. This educational side was extremely interesting and was great to share the island with macaque monkeys, water monitor lizards and the occasional snake or unique bird :) They using besides the natural resources there very careful. This eco tourism is the furure for us. We enjoyed every evening the views and athmosphere, it was stunning. After 6 nights we had to leave, we would recommend minimum 3-4 nights there.

The prices for food and drinks are slightly to expensive. You can not swim mostly, the water was super dirty from trash. The stuff tried to clean it daily. The pool was often overcrowed.

Pool and beach area lovely, nice rooms, Japanese restaurant was amazing. Spa facilities also great.

rooms too far from reception and up huge hills with no transport to help you. Also food by the pool and in the main buffet restaurant was expensive and sub par.

Lovely rooms and hotel

Contact with the hotel before getting there could have been better. We had no way of ringing them with our eSims so we would email them, our flight was delayed and it was very difficult to get in touch with the hotel to advise of the situation.

The location was amazing and the views were lovely. The food at the bar and in the restaurants was exceptional. All the staff were so friendly and accommodating.

The journey to the pool area from the room was very long, lots of hills. I would only stay here again if I had a villa next to the pool area. Perhaps the resort could invest in some eco friendly buggies to take guests back to their villas if they stay at the top?

Hotel staff and wildlife guides were really very nice and worked incredibly hard to make guests happy. Food was varied and good. Range of activities for older kids to do, enough to occupy 3 or 4 days. Rooms were clean and well looked after. All the facilities worked. It's a good choice for a couple of days toward the end of your holiday in Borneo, as it is a nice resort close to KK airport.

I would say if a predominantly wildlife spotting holiday is important to you then this wouldn't be a number one choice on Borneo. Proximity of the resort to the major city of KK, and the level of human influence on the island has been quite high so you should calibrate your expectations based on that. If scuba/snorkelling is important to you there is still a lot to see underwater, but do note that the coral around the national park is currently extensively bleached and recovering.