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The Jesselton Hotel welcomes business and leisure travelers alike with a central location in the heart of the city and an array of selection for places to visit; encapsulating the full lifestyle of a city life within a tropical haven. Located on 69 Gaya Street, the hotel doors open to a Sunday Market which has become the place to go on for some retail therapy. Another great place to experience the culture and the livelihood of the Sabahan families on a Sunday outing. The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the Sabah Tourism Corporation office, KK Heritage Walk and Night Market, Shopping Malls and about a 20 minutes’ drive from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). The prime location also provides an easy access to a whole range of dining options including Italian, French, Western, Asian and fusion cuisines, which are all available within walking distance to the hotel. Experience for yourself this wonderfully inspiring one of a kind colonial jewel in KK!
We only had one night here but wished we could have stayed longer. It was a gracious old hotel built in 1954 in an old style. Our room was big and clean. The bathroom was big with a large counter for toiletries. The only complaint was that the shower curtain was long enough and water got on the floor. There is a bar and restaurant next door, attached to the hotel. we ate breakfast there - French toast, fruit and tea. The location is good and we could walk to where we needed to go. The next day we took a taxi to the airport. I realized that I had left my camera battery charging in the room. I borrowed a phone and called the Jesselton. The receptionist understood my problem, found my battery and charger, gave it to a taxi driver who brought it to the airport, just in…
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Date of stay: July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The air-con was not working. It was warm and I was not able to sleep. Worst experience ever. I complained to the reception desk and they sent housekeeping to look at it. No difference and problem not resolved.
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Date of stay: January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Jesselton_Hotel, General Manager at The Jesselton Hotel
Responded 10 Jan 2019
Dear rob_faris, I am sorry to hear of your disappointing experience with us on your 1st night stay. Thank you for reviewing us while you are still staying with us. Our housekeeper checked the air-con and noticed that the temperature shown on the remote controller has been adjusted to a warmer level, hence he adjusted the temperature to a lower level and thought that was the problem. It was an oversight from our team to not have followed up with you on this issue when you returned to your room, please accept our sincere apologies for the inconveniences caused. We shall increase our training efforts in order to improve our quality of service and experience of our valued guests. I understand from our front office manager that we have immediately offered you another room for your 2nd night stay after you spoke to our receptionist on the next morning. We hope you have had an enjoyable stay with us on your 2nd night and we are truly sorry for the inconvenience caused. My team and I look forward to the opportunity of being at your service and welcoming you back in the near future! Warmest Regards, Michelle
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
1. toilet flush is not working very well. 2. shower curtain is dirty. 3. lights are not enough in the room. no lights on top of mirror 4. since lights are not sufficient, hard to see how dirty the carpet is. There are unlimited lice on the carpet and bit me seriously while staying overnight. It took more than ten days to recover. The lice rashes are with blisters and desperately itchy!!! It was a terrible experience. 5. wifi is always unstable. overall it is a dirty hotel despite the outlook is nice. felt disappointed to this hotel!!!!!!!
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Date of stay: December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Jesselton_Hotel, General Manager at The Jesselton Hotel
Responded 9 Jan 2019
Dear Claumann2000, Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear about your experience. As we strive to provide the highest quality environment and service for our visitors, it is with sincere regret that we did not have the chance to address some of your issues whilst you were with us. I was most concerned to learn of your feedback regarding the carpet, hence we have immediately called in the specialist to conduct a full inspection on both the mattress and carpet. We are unsure what is the cause of your rashes as no lice nor bugs were found in the room. Again, my apologies for letting you down. I have shared your comments with our team to ensure this remains an isolated occurrence. Thank you for your review and thank you for highlighting some areas that we are able to review and reconfirm as consistent. Should you wish to discuss your stay with me personally, I would be grateful for this opportunity, and can be reached any time directly at the Hotel. We hope that you will stay with us again should your travels bring you back to Kota Kinabalu. Warmest Regards, Michelle
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We spent one night here, on our way through KK. We requested a non smoking quiet room., but were given a room that smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke over the main street. So we moved room. The pros: comfortable, clean bed; quiet room, hot water and good facilities. The cons: staff not very friendly; mouldy shower and complicated light switches! It's functional, central hotel.
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Date of stay: December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The oldest hotel in KK is wonderfully situated. A quick walk to the beach to see the sunset. And tons of wonderful places to eat down the street in Chinatown. I would suggest not even opting to pay extra for breakfast at the hotel there are such great options within minutes. We got upgraded to a premium room and it was great, with big windows and a view of the street in front. The room was very nice and compact, nice-sized bathroom. I would go back. Also recommend taking the free walking tour of KK which starts just about a block away from the hotel.
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Date of stay: October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Jesselton has exceeded my expectations! The room is big n very clean! Reception was helpful n polite! Housekeeping young man was very good! At par or better than most of the 4 star hotels! Stayed in 2nd floor hardly hear any street noises! All the popular food places are along this street! You Kee Bak Kut Teh is just directly opposite, Famous Curry Laksa Yee Fung at end of the street, famous Polo Bun at diagonal opposite, in fact most of the famous eateries are a stone throw away from the hotel! Coin laundry is one road behind the hotel! Sunday market is right in front of the hotel doorstep! Esplanade is 10 min walk away,great for sunset watching and BBQ seafood!
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Date of stay: November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was a solo traveler and felt very comfortable staying here. The staff were exceptional organizing tours and transport for me. Funny old lift. My room was very comfortable apart from the shower being over the bath and the bath was high so it was a bit of a step up. Some traffic noise - car park opposite. Great location and lots of places to walk to. Nice surprise to have newspaper at my door in the morning.
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Date of stay: August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brilliant stay for 5 nights, lovely rooms, quiet air-conditioning, within walking distance to most attractions. We booked a twin room which was spacious and face the street, free newspaper everyday. Say hi to Liddya in the restaurant she's a star.
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Date of stay: October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the Jesselton on 2x occasions during our recent Borneo trip and would definitely come again if we were in town again in the future. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, nothing seemed too much trouble. The rooms were very large and good for those who prefer a more vintage style hotel. Great location, close to shops, waterfront and restaurants. Thanks Jesselton!
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Date of stay: September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for two nights, love the location, it has everything near by even a nice foot massage place and near the backpackers place, so eateries around were relatively cheap and good. Service was welcoming, room was big and clean.
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Date of stay: August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.