This is clearly not a cookie-cutter belonging to a big hotel chain. Though it is part of Marriott Bonvoy, this property truly justifies (and deserves) its membership in the elite DESIGN HOTELs club! As the title of the review states, it has been very obviously designed, architected, and built by folks who love style and class! The design-inspired owners have tastefully converted a former office building into a fresh, vibrant space that highlights natural elements. The lobby smells like a wonderful spa and almost makes you feel like you are in a jungle paradise, thanks to the infused patches of greenery. To add to it, the spiral staircase made from local Sabahan wood stands in the lobby like a great tree.

The owners have not cut corners or spared any expenses when it comes to the decor. Things like the Jewel-toned sofa and the lovely collection of local art make the common areas a delightful place to hang out. And the Rooms are no different either - everything from the golden sanitary ware in the green-tiled bathroom to the artfully crafted wooden fittings ooze charm and character!

The hotel has taken a unique approach of outsourcing the facilities/amenities(Cafe, Gym, etc.) to other partners. This kind of works well as allowing partners who are experts in running these does up the bar and quality levels. But at the same time, it Has some downside as you have to pay for all these separately and cannot earn or redeem Bonvoy points for these! Something I was OK with, but others might not be.

LOCATION: Though not in the main waterfront drag, it is just a few minutes walk to the center.

DINE + DRINK: Though not too fancy, the hotel’s F & B outlets are good enough for you to chill indoors without having to step out. There’s JOJO Gastrobar for modern Asian cuisine and creative cocktails, FLOW Coffee by leading local coffee roaster Crack Inc., HONDE for traditional Japanese, and FISH MARKET for casual Chinese hotpot.

ROOM: We stayed in Room 810, so this review is based on that; SIZE: This was one of the very few pain points we faced, especially as we were on a longer stay for a week. There was not enough space to STORE stuff in the room. It lacks closets, cupboards, or even simple drawers to store your items! Might be ok for a solo traveler with just a carry-on baggage. Not enough at all for other types of travelers! Something the management should think about. At least put a simple cupboard!; VIEW: Sweet view of the greenery and cityscape, and the colorful Airplanes constantly flying over them and landing in the nearby airport!; AIR-CON: Perfectly functioning cooler that helped in setting the perfect room temperature; BED: Comfortable bed that played the expected part of putting us to sleep; BATHROOM: Good sized bathroom with a Stand-in shower, and a secondary BATHTUB seemed interesting given how much crammed for space they were!; TOILETRIES: Lovely Spa quality Toiletries

FACILITIES: They don't have a Swimming pool like most other properties in this area do. But the awesome Fitness center more than makes up for it. Though run by an external partner, the ABSOLUTE Boutique gym attached to the hotel brings the ‘boutique’ concept to a fitness center and is as stylish and sexy as the rest of the hotel. Great for a full-on workout as it comes loaded with state-of-the-art machines, and a good range of free weights/kettle bells by the HOIST brand.

SERVICE: Friendly staff that took care of all our needs with a smile and made us feel pampered and well taken care of. Special Shout-out to the General Manager MICHELLE MA for enhancing our stay and spending a lot of time with us to collect detailed feedback on how to evolve and improve it more to take it to the next level! Kudos to her!

HOW WIRED YOU WILL BE: Free Medium Speed Wi-Fi(~ 40 Mbps) that works well all over the property, and the speed is good! The PHILIPS brand Television in the room was a kind of oddity as it was quite old school and didn't match the rest of the digitally advanced and funky elements of the room. Something they can certainly look into upgrading to maintain the upscale vibe and feel!