Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu Hotel Review is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Getting There: Do not take a taxi from the Hyatt KK. The taxis have a minimum 10 ringgit charge. Uber is 3 ringgit. From the airport, go with Uber as well.
What’s a vacation without switching hotels every day? Looking to requalify for Hyatt Diamond, I switched to Le Meridien for one night and am glad that I did.
The Location
You can walk from the Hyatt to Le Meridien with the former being closer to the port and the latter being closer to KK nightlife. Both are in great locations. If you want to get a head start on selfie stick island hopping, stay at the Hyatt.
Winner: Even
The Hotel Itself
This might be a slight exaggeration, but from the outside, Le Meridien looks like it belongs on South Beach. The inside is massive and was nicely decorated for Christmas. The Hyatt looks a bit dated from the exterior.
Winner: Le Meridien
The Room
Le Meridien’s room was nice but the Hyatt was newer and more Park Hyatt-esque.
Winner: Hyatt Regency
The View
I was given a sea view room at Le Meridien but was not high enough to appreciate the view. The first night at Hyatt I had a city view. On my second stay, I had a sea view room but it was rainy that day. The winner in this category is based on the view from the lounge. The panoramic view from Le Meridien gives its the edge. See for yourself:
Winner: Le Meridien
The Pool
Rooftop pool or ground level pool? Le Meridien’s pool was not on the roof but it was a few floors up which made for a great place to catch the sunset.
Winner: Le Meridien
The Lounge
I only went to Le Meridien’s lounge to do some work so I cannot compare the happy hour. With great soup, drinks, and service, the Hyatt wins by default.
Winner: Hyatt
The Breakfast
Le Meridien gave me the option of having breakfast in the lounge or in the main restaurant. Obviously, I chose the latter and am glad that I did. The selection was incredible as were the donuts.
Winner: Le Meridien
The Price
I paid $140 for Le Meridien because it made no sense to use 7,000 points. At Hyatt, I used 2500 points and paid $40 for a room that costs $175.
Winner: Hyatt
The Service
As a Hyatt diamond, I checked in on the club floor. As I wrote in the Hyatt review the staff was great and remembered my name when I returned for my second stay. They were nice at Le Meridien but not in the same way as Hyatt.
Winner: Hyatt
Overall
You can’t go wrong by staying at either hotel. If you love breakfast, stay at Le Meridien. If you want personal service, stay at Hyatt.
Winner: A Mike Wilbon, push. Sorry Tony.
Lol. I love the descriptions like “bathroom”. Always good for those who can’t figure that out for themselves.
Lol. I struggle with this all the time. No comments vs comments. Obvious vs descriptive.