Top Boutique Hotels in Kota Kinabalu (2026)

Featuring 4-star accommodations, The Cara Boutique Hotel is located in Kota Kinabalu, 1.5 miles from Tanjung Aru Beach and 3.4 miles from Filipino Market Sabah. The property is around a 6-minute walk from North Borneo Railway, 2.5 miles from Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village and 5.8 miles from International Technology & Commercial Center Penampang - ITCC. The hotel features a hot tub, an ATM and free WiFi. At the hotel, the rooms include a desk. Complete with a private bathroom equipped with a bidet and free toiletries, all guest rooms at The Cara Boutique Hotel have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and selected rooms here will provide you with a seating area. At the accommodation all rooms come with bed linen and towels. Likas City Mosque is 6.8 miles from The Cara Boutique Hotel, while Sabah State Mosque is 1.1 miles away. The nearest airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport, 0.6 miles from the hotel.

- "The shore room for two beds are spacious and perfect for a family! The hotel is well located in Aeropod, recent popular place for food experience with a Ramadan Bazaar right in front of the hotel. It is well appointed with amazing amenities like a coffee machine and a projector with Netflix movies. The staff are readily at hand to assist in checking in and provide immediate professional housekeeping services." - "Atmosphere" - "Comfortable, clean and safe environment"

Boasting an outdoor pool and 4 dining options, Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu is set in the heart of Kota Kinabalu. The property offers spacious guest rooms with city or sea views. It is also 328 feet from the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront and Night Food Market. Elegantly decorated, every room is air conditioned and equipped with a flat-screen satellite TV. A mini-bar and ironing facilities are included. The private bathroom comes with a walk-in shower and free toiletries. For your comfort, a hairdryer and bathrobes are provided. You can relax in the poolside cabana or enjoy a pampering massage at the spa. Staff at the 24-hour reception are happy to assist you with airport shuttle and laundry services at an additional charge. Activities can be arranged at the tour desk on site. Buffet breakfast is served daily at Latest Recipe, along with a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Favola Italian Restaurant specializes in Italian cuisines and drinks are on offer at Azure Pool Bar & Café as well as Latitude 05. Guests can also enjoy sunset at the Rooftop @ Le Meridien bar. Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal is 1.1 mi from Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, while Tanjung Aru Beach is 3.4 mi away. The nearest airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport, 5.6 mi from the property.

- "Wonderful service staff Very helpful Fantastic location with great view" - "Strategic Location" - "The beds were really comfortable, breakfast spread was very good. Sea view from the room was something we really enjoyed and the fact that the hotel was in such a central location was a big plus" - "Last minute booking after first hotel was a sham. They were amazing, we signed up for bonvoy rewards and they upgraded us! So comfortable and the sunset, drinks and food from club room was amazing. We didn't go out on the second night because of a big cycling day and it was perfect"

The Atelier Boutique Hotel is located in Kota Kinabalu, within 1.6 miles of Tanjung Aru Beach and 3.5 miles of Filipino Market Sabah. Featuring a shared lounge, the 3-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi. The property provides an ATM and a concierge service for guests. At the hotel, rooms include a desk. Every room includes a flat-screen TV, and certain units at The Atelier Boutique Hotel have a city view. At the accommodation every room is equipped with bed linen and towels. North Borneo Railway is a 4-minute walk from The Atelier Boutique Hotel, while Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village is 2.6 miles away. The nearest airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport, 0.6 miles from the hotel.

Providing free WiFi, Harper Boutique Hotel at Sutera Avenue is located in Kota Kinabalu, 1.4 miles from Filipino Market Sabah and 1.1 miles from Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village. The property is around 2.2 miles from North Borneo Railway, 4.8 miles from Likas City Mosque and 5.7 miles from International Technology & Commercial Center Penampang - ITCC. The hotel features family rooms. At the hotel, rooms are equipped with a closet. Complete with a private bathroom equipped with a bidet and free toiletries, all guest rooms at Harper Boutique Hotel at Sutera Avenue have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and selected rooms will provide you with a seating area. At the accommodation all rooms come with bed linen and towels. Speaking English, Malay and Chinese, staff will be happy to provide guests with practical information on the area at the 24-hour front desk. Sabah State Mosque is a 16-minute walk from Harper Boutique Hotel at Sutera Avenue, while KK Esplanade is 1.7 miles away. The nearest airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport, 1.2 miles from the hotel.

Sutera Sanctuary Lodges at Manukan Island features a private beach overlooking the South China Sea. It features an outdoor pool, spacious villas and suites. Offering direct access to the beach, every unit is air-conditioned and comes with a flat-screen TV. Guests enjoy beach view from the private terraces. A dining area and a kitchen are provided in some units. The private bathroom comes with free toiletries and a shower. Breakfast is served daily at Prahu Restaurant, which also opens for all-day dining. Guests can also order room service. Guests can relax by the poolside or take a leisurely walk along the beach. Staff at the reception can help you arrange outdoor activities such as diving and snorkeling at an additional charge. Other facilities onsite include daily housekeeping and retail shops. Sutera Sanctuary Lodges at Manukan Island is a 15-minute boat ride from Sutera Harbor. The nearest airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport, 4.2 mi from Sutera Harbor.

- "Excellent Staff, rooms very comfortable. Good restaurant. Good attempt at making sure Day trippers do not disturb hotel guests. Lots of Hotel Guest only areas. Staff did an excellent job of constantly picking up rubbush thrown around by day tourists dispite there being a lot of bins present." - "It’s a beautiful location! The Hillside Villa was absolutely fabulous. The bed soooo comfortable and the pillows great. We slept in heaven 🥰 The private beach of the hotel was close to our Villa. And we had a lovely view over the waterfront. The food in the restaurant was really good. We loved the live music aswell. We enjoyed to watch the Monitor lizards passing by the Villa. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The transfer was really well organised aswell as everything else from the hotel. All in all we had an amazing stay and would have loved to stay longer! Thank you!"

Boasting 3 outdoor pools, 8 dining options and a golf course, Nexus Resort & Spa offers relaxing stays in Karambunai, 19 mi from Kota Kinabalu. Free internet is available throughout and free parking is provided for guests who drive. The spacious room is tastefully decorated and air-conditioned. It features a flat-screen satellite TV and a private balcony overlooking the sea, the garden or the golf course. The private bathroom comes with a hairdryer and a bathub. Daily buffet breakfast is served at Penyu Restaurant, which also offers all-day dining alongside Kingfisher Restaurant. Light meals and drinks can be enjoyed at the poolside bar Splashes as well as the semi-outdoor Sunset Bar & Grill. You can relax with a soothing massage at Borneo Spa or play a friendly game at the 18-hole golf course. The little ones can also play at the kids' club and the kids' pool. Staff at the 24/7 reception can assist you with outdoor activities such as cycling and horse riding. Lagoon Park is 2.6 mi away and free hourly shuttle is available. Nexus Resort & Spa Karambunai is 22 mi from Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

- "The territory is nice, we enjoyed the beach and the pools" - "Great hospitality & facilities. Awesome staffs. Will come back again in the future" - "Everything is amazing and stunning, 5* and thee most stunning Spa with the best treatments and very skilled therapists, I did a treatment each day." - "Excellent service, warm welcome, beautiful scenery, excellent staff, nice facilities, especially for its sports center's staffs! absolutely perfect! Wanna come again! Missing here already!"