Le Meridien, Kota Kinabalu
I was going to another area of Borneo that counts on the Century Travelers Club list of locations to complete for the world title, and it was the western Malaysian section of the island which seemed to be more populated with locations to stay than the eastern section was.Seeing a Le Meridien was there, and having had a lot of really good experiences with them in Asia, I booked it!
Arrival
When I landed, I had to go through customs again even though I was flying from Kuala Lumpur, also in Malaysia. Strange politics in this region.I had the hotel arrange a car for me ahead of time, because I wasn't going to mess around with busses, taxis or anything else. It's a rather solid tip I'm giving you here.
The Room
Now, I typically pride myself on knowing what is going on in any given time wherever I am at, but man, did I fail this time. It was May Day, workers vacation day in China, and many thousands decided to vacation in Kota Kinabalu. The hotel was booked solid. I got a high floor, with an ocean view, which is the best they could give me, because there was literally nothing else left!Lesson learned on that front!
3D interactive room tour, use your mouse or fingers to move around and see other rooms.
Dining and Drinking
Resort level dining and drinking, and it was very welcome to me. There is Latest Recipe (which seems a standardized global cuisine place through Asia now), Favola, the Italian and steak/wine place. The Rooftop Bar (you MUST go here at night, the view is outstanding), Azure Poolside Bar & Cafe and Latitude 05,Club Lounge
Given the location and type of hotel being basically a resort, I was a bit surprised it also had an executive lounge, but it most certainly does and it's a super nice one, all day long service, and many people purchased upgrades to this experience.Hotel Amenities
A full-on 2nd floor set of hotel amenities, such as a gym, pool and a spa.
Well, yes, it's the smaller sized room but still decent sized thankfully
Lovely gifts from the manager
Malin & Goetz stuff is pretty nice
I was still working remote these days, room service was delish
We start at Latest Recipe, for the breakfast buffet
All halal, so just get used to it, bacon is overrated anyway (send hatemail to Rob@travelingwithrob.com)
Roti, a spicy way to start your day
Man, that matcha bread, I so over green tea
Choco cereal, and yes, I did
Too much salad, and from the patrons' sizes, not used
Carb and fruit day!
Latitude 5, on the 5th latitude
Pastries and ice cream during the day
Drinks at night
The centerpiece restaurant, Favola
A bit pricey compared to the rest of Malaysia
So it was pretty empty, which bad for revenue, fine for my dining
Lots of actually great wine
Yes the Menu at Favola
Favola steak menu portion
Wine by the glass prices are pretty reasonable
Full Favola dinner service
Mushroom soup that was smooth perfection
And the ribeye, with wine, and yes I needed to work that night but I don't work there anymore!
The stairs to the Rooftop
Indoors with AC and outdoors (it frequently rains)
A lovely fruit based drink out of my comfort zone that was tasty
Live music on the weekends
Man, just look at that sunset from the Rooftop
A very large and bright lounge"
These window seats fill up fast, advice get to dinner before dinner and grab one"
Why yes, another breakfast buffet!
Sorry, still Halal
Pleasant way to greet the day
Dinner service, ravaged by the guests
Sweets for afterwards
Or the sweets Rob likes, custom cocktails
You can also make your own drinks
From some, the wine is good enough
Very inviting to cool off in the Borneo heat
Lounge away the equatorial afternoon
Pool bar being shown by the pool. Strangely not used a lot when I was there"
Finally, a gym heavy on the free weight side!
Views of the South China Sea from the pool deck
Summary
Very high-end hotel. Hits the luxury marks in many places. Very popular, and near the daytime fish markets. The lounge is one of those you want to experience, and should.Search for local holidays, and avoid those if you want a decent upgrade option (for those with status), or cheaper rates.