Gayana Marine Resort

I stayed with my family in a Palm Villa (overwater with private pool) which was amazing. It was very spacious, had a complimentary minibar which got restocked every day and beautiful views. The breakfast is a combination of a la carte and buffet and was very good. Although you can get breakfast delivered by boat to your villa but this needs to be ordered the night before. The staff at both the jetty check in and island check in were very friendly and helpful. (If you choose to stay in these villas ask at check in for an internet router for your room for better internet and if the router gets slow just take it back to the office to get it refreshed) A small negative was that we missed the complimentary boat ride to the island due to our flight arrival time so we had to pay to be taken to the island. For the price we payed to stay here its a shame this couldn't be accommodated. We stayed for 3 nights which was a perfect amount of time as there isn't much to do other than sunbathing and swimming.

Andrea', Peter and the team were helpful and friendly from the time we stepped onto the island. Nothing was a trouble, villa fantastic. Order in boat breakfast great. Food great, good variety. Only 2 small things. The ladder into the water from ocean villa needs another rung. They could also do with an umberella or blind on the front as they get the arvo sun. Oh, also maybe in intro, inform people not to throw rubbish into the sea or feed the monkeys. Some people unfortunately need to be told the obvious!

I liked everything that was cute and nature friendly. There were many fish in the sea connected to the room and even "Nemo". Snorkels, life jackets, and kayaks were also available for free. The breakfast on the terrace was fantastic, and the food and service at the restaurants in the resort was pretty good. One disadvantage is, Check-in time was delayed and check-out time was early. The time spent here was so happy that I missed a minute and a second. The important thing is that if I go back to Kota Kinabalu I will definitely go back to this resort.

Expecting something really special; and it's really not. Checked in at the ferry point. That was swift and well-organised and the lady was pleasant and helpful. Once I arrived I was left at the lobby - until I asked why I was waiting. I didn't expect the room to be ready but I think if I hadn't asked I would have set there for two hours rather than taking myself off to the pool. The setting is glorious - of course it is. And the team are just lovely. There's a lot of charming if dated villas. Some with direct access to the sea. The rooms are enormous. The bathroom is fine. They have useful things like multi-pin plugs. The advertised wifi didn't work even with a dongle. In the public areas in afternoon it disappears to all intents and purposes. BUT, but but the public spaces are very disappointing. The pool is FAR too small for a resort this big - not least because it was full of children and their inflatables (actually their parents too). None of the many babies in the pool were wearing swim nappies - which is unpleasant and unhygienic. And a number of guests didn't respect the fact nobody else wants to listen to them shout or watch films on their phones without headphones. The pool quietened down once lots of people checked out and there was a blissful few hours before check-in, and the inflatables making an appearance for it all to ramp up again. There's really little help at the pool. No one to offer water or assist when umbrellas (which aren't weighted) blew out from their stands nearly hitting guests. It's also dirty as there are no bins and people dropped their water bottles and fag ends in the floor. I picked them up. And out of the pool. The pool could also do with a skim to get insect and fauna debris and scum from the surface. There's a lot of sand on the pool floor so it's either not being cleaned or the filtration system isn't working. Which worries me given the lack of nappy situation! No sanitary bins in the ladies cubicles which wasn't helpful. The Latitude Bar feels cheap. Alcohol quality and content improves immeasurably once you start paying for them. We went snorkeling. Visibility was poor and the fish lovely though they are are nothing if you have visited Maldives/Red Sea etc. I don't understand the previous rave reviews. The final straw was when the builders working on the roofs wolf-whistled at me when I was getting into the sea in my bikini. Really? Honestly you may love it - it should be amazing and I was expecting amazing. I really feel misled. We anticipated a quiet and peaceful resort to escape KL (I would have been off the charts cross if we had flown from the U.K.), but it felt just like the big family resort we try and avoid. Noisy and full. The management did come and speak to us as we checked out which we appreciated, and offered to upgrade us. But it was too late - we raised issues previously and then was the time to resolve it not when we were packed up and checked out. Gayana Eco Resort although staffed by lovely people in a lovely place is not close to being worth the money we were paid for it, or reflects what my experience of 5* is or should be. So much so we were willing to write off money just to say goodbye to it a day early and had a far more relaxing and fun time (really) in a cheap hotel in KK next to a main road, opposite a market and underneath a flight path.

My mother and i stayed here for 3 days after touring Borneo. Right from the beginning of our stay we were treated so well, untill our departure. My mother is 70 years old and she was taught how to snorkel. The staff are truly exceptional, happy and so helpful. We truly loved every moment. Thank you.