Gayana Marine Resort
Malohom Bay, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Sabah, 88300
About This Property
Indulge yourself in the luxurious escape that is Gayana Marine Resort, where relaxation meets adventure on Gaya Island.
Ultimate Spa Experience
Recharge your body and soul at our exquisite spa, offering a range of treatments from soothing massages to revitalizing facials, ensuring your stay is as serene as it is rejuvenating.
Culinary Delights
Savor the tastes of Fusion cuisine at our renowned restaurant, Macac, or opt for the convenience of our 24-hour room service while enjoying a variety of snacks at the café. Mingle with fellow guests over complimentary receptions or unwind with a drink at our poolside bar.
Comfort and Convenience
Stay in one of our 52 elegantly designed rooms featuring private balconies, plush down comforters, and premium entertainment options. With thoughtful amenities including babysitting services and complimentary Wi-Fi, we prioritize your family's comfort.
Book your stay at Gayana Marine Resort today, and experience the perfect getaway!
Why guests recommend it
Facilities & Services (35)
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Guest reviews
Most recent
Living in the lap of luxury
This is one of the quieter places around Kota Kinabalu. Priced in the lower luxury segment, it offers beautiful water chalets, the cheaper ones facing the jungle, the more expensive ones facing the lagoon. Unlike other resorts, this is not all-inclusive; breakfast is included, but you have to pay for dinner and lunch. Food is exceptional. The huts are gorgeous, large, king size beds, firm mattresses, sat TV. There is internet, but intentionally only in the restaurant and the reception space. The resort has an office at the end of Jesselton pier, which will organise your trip across the bay. They have a few free boats, others you have to pay for. Pre-arrival communication was smooth and quick. Activities include jungle walks, diving, kayaking and a hands-on experience of their ocean research centre, focusing on coral rejuvenation and giant clam species. Watch out for the macaque monkeys, they can be aggressive. This is a plastic-free resort, so don't be surprised to be asked to leave any plastics behind. Depending on the tide, the water can be quite dirty though, despite the resort's best efforts, they cannot always hold back the plastic tide swilling over from Kota Kinabalu. There is a swimming pool, though, so you can use this instead.
👍 Liked
- • This is one of the quieter places around Kota Kinabalu. Priced in the lower luxury segment, it offers beautiful water chalets, the cheaper ones facing the jungle, the more expensive ones facing the lagoon. Unlike other resorts, this is not all-inclusive; breakfast is included, but you have to pay for dinner and lunch. Food is exceptional. The huts are gorgeous, large, king size beds, firm mattresses, sat TV. There is internet, but intentionally only in the restaurant and the reception space. The resort has an office at the end of Jesselton pier, which will organise your trip across the bay. They have a few free boats, others you have to pay for. Pre-arrival communication was smooth and quick. Activities include jungle walks, diving, kayaking and a hands-on experience of their ocean research centre, focusing on coral rejuvenation and giant clam species. Watch out for the macaque monkeys, they can be aggressive. This is a plastic-free resort, so don't be surprised to be asked to leave any plastics behind. Depending on the tide, the water can be quite dirty though, despite the resort's best efforts, they cannot always hold back the plastic tide swilling over from Kota Kinabalu. There is a swimming pool, though, so you can use this instead.
A beautiful resort, but our experience fell far short of “luxury”
We stayed at Gayana Marine Resort in September for my husband’s 30th birthday. Unfortunately, our weekend happened to fall during an unexpected period of extreme rainfall, which caused flooding around the region and clearly exposed some serious issues at the resort. We originally booked the Palm Villa, the most premium and expensive option, expecting a relaxing and memorable stay. However, within just two hours of arriving, our villa began leaking heavily, and the bathroom started flooding due to rainwater pouring in through the windows. For the price we paid, this was extremely disappointing. After three hours of repeatedly chasing staff and management, we were downgraded to an Ocean Villa with the promise that we would be moved back once maintenance fixed the issue. The next morning, after breakfast and with a rare window of sunshine, we asked for an update. Despite the good weather in the morning, we weren’t moved until 2pm, meaning we spent less than 24 hours in the villa which we had paid for two nights. By the time we finally moved back, the weather had turned again, and we had missed the only opportunity to enjoy the private pool and deck we’d specifically chosen the Palm Villa for. We requested a refund for the first night as we had been downgraded, which is something no guest should reasonably expect at this price point. Instead, we were offered a 30-minute spa treatment and one free meal. While appreciated, this compensation didn’t come close to the value of the villa or the experience we had lost. We also asked for a late checkout to make up some of the time we missed, but were told it wasn’t possible as the resort was fully booked. Despite this, we weren’t required to check out until 12:30pm (instead of 11am), and we were told we could take the staff boat back to the mainland at 5:45pm, the only free option. The regular guest boat schedule wouldn’t allow us to leave earlier unless we paid an additional £50 fee. We didn’t want to stay on the island all day after an already disappointing stay, but we also didn’t feel comfortable paying even more money. This left us stuck waiting around for hours, adding further frustration to what was supposed to be a special birthday trip. Another frustration was transportation. Despite the high cost of staying here, guests cannot leave the island outside of limited boat schedules without paying extra. Even when the boat returned empty to the mainland, guests were still not allowed to travel unless it matched their check-in/checkout window. For a luxury resort, this felt unnecessarily restrictive. Overall, I’ve given Gayana Marine Resort 3 stars. The setting is beautiful, and the staff were polite, but the management’s response, villa maintenance issues, restrictive transport policies, and lack of proactive care made our experience far less enjoyable than it should have been – especially considering we paid nearly £500 per night. Whilst we appreciate the resort cannot be held accountable for the weather, a property charging this price point should absolutely be equipped to handle adverse conditions without major leaks, flooding, or significant disruption to guests’ stays. A resort of this level should offer better flexibility, support, and service when things go wrong.
👍 Liked
- • We stayed at Gayana Marine Resort in September for my husband’s 30th birthday. Unfortunately, our weekend happened to fall during an unexpected period of extreme rainfall, which caused flooding around the region and clearly exposed some serious issues at the resort. We originally booked the Palm Villa, the most premium and expensive option, expecting a relaxing and memorable stay. However, within just two hours of arriving, our villa began leaking heavily, and the bathroom started flooding due to rainwater pouring in through the windows. For the price we paid, this was extremely disappointing. After three hours of repeatedly chasing staff and management, we were downgraded to an Ocean Villa with the promise that we would be moved back once maintenance fixed the issue. The next morning, after breakfast and with a rare window of sunshine, we asked for an update. Despite the good weather in the morning, we weren’t moved until 2pm, meaning we spent less than 24 hours in the villa which we had paid for two nights. By the time we finally moved back, the weather had turned again, and we had missed the only opportunity to enjoy the private pool and deck we’d specifically chosen the Palm Villa for. We requested a refund for the first night as we had been downgraded, which is something no guest should reasonably expect at this price point. Instead, we were offered a 30-minute spa treatment and one free meal. While appreciated, this compensation didn’t come close to the value of the villa or the experience we had lost. We also asked for a late checkout to make up some of the time we missed, but were told it wasn’t possible as the resort was fully booked. Despite this, we weren’t required to check out until 12:30pm (instead of 11am), and we were told we could take the staff boat back to the mainland at 5:45pm, the only free option. The regular guest boat schedule wouldn’t allow us to leave earlier unless we paid an additional £50 fee. We didn’t want to stay on the island all day after an already disappointing stay, but we also didn’t feel comfortable paying even more money. This left us stuck waiting around for hours, adding further frustration to what was supposed to be a special birthday trip. Another frustration was transportation. Despite the high cost of staying here, guests cannot leave the island outside of limited boat schedules without paying extra. Even when the boat returned empty to the mainland, guests were still not allowed to travel unless it matched their check-in/checkout window. For a luxury resort, this felt unnecessarily restrictive. Overall, I’ve given Gayana Marine Resort 3 stars. The setting is beautiful, and the staff were polite, but the management’s response, villa maintenance issues, restrictive transport policies, and lack of proactive care made our experience far less enjoyable than it should have been – especially considering we paid nearly £500 per night. Whilst we appreciate the resort cannot be held accountable for the weather, a property charging this price point should absolutely be equipped to handle adverse conditions without major leaks, flooding, or significant disruption to guests’ stays. A resort of this level should offer better flexibility, support, and service when things go wrong.
Nice relaxing place
Very relaxing place to spend some days sunbathing, snorkeling and kayaking. Beautiful very spacious and well thought through villas, we had the Ocean villa, with direct access to the reef. Staff is exceptionally nice and made us feel very welcome. One restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner with some nice food and drink options. I loved the healthy drinks. But, Hotel is nearly 20 years old, and there are signs of missing maintenance, which could be fixed. Restaurant is nice, but prices for Malaysia too high and more vegetarian, vegan or gluten free options would be great.
👍 Liked
- • Very relaxing place to spend some days sunbathing, snorkeling and kayaking. Beautiful very spacious and well thought through villas, we had the Ocean villa, with direct access to the reef. Staff is exceptionally nice and made us feel very welcome. One restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner with some nice food and drink options. I loved the healthy drinks. But, Hotel is nearly 20 years old, and there are signs of missing maintenance, which could be fixed. Restaurant is nice, but prices for Malaysia too high and more vegetarian, vegan or gluten free options would be great.
Absolutely Perfect
This was an absolutely incredible experience!!! Small, quiet resort. The staff was amazing, every staff member was polite, helpful, ensuring that all of my needs and requests were met. Every staff member went above and beyond every time. Previous reviews mentioned garbage in the water; there was none of that. Stunning swimming area around the ocean rooms, no garbage in sight. Having stayed in similar resorts from the Maldives to Africa, this is hands down one of the best. Recommend 10/10
👍 Liked
- • This was an absolutely incredible experience!!! Small, quiet resort. The staff was amazing, every staff member was polite, helpful, ensuring that all of my needs and requests were met. Every staff member went above and beyond every time. Previous reviews mentioned garbage in the water; there was none of that. Stunning swimming area around the ocean rooms, no garbage in sight. Having stayed in similar resorts from the Maldives to Africa, this is hands down one of the best. Recommend 10/10
Very enjoyable stay in September
We stayed at Palm villa for four nights in September and loved it! The villa is well maintained and all amenities are as you would expect from this level of accommodation. (Bear in mind this is provincial Malaysia and not Maldives who specialise on luxury). The view from the villa is amazing. If you are lucky to get villa No 87 you will have a fantastic view of Mount Kinabalu.The staff are extremely friendly and try really hard to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. The food at the restaurant was top notch and the singanure massage was excellent.
👍 Liked
- • We stayed at Palm villa for four nights in September and loved it! The villa is well maintained and all amenities are as you would expect from this level of accommodation. (Bear in mind this is provincial Malaysia and not Maldives who specialise on luxury). The view from the villa is amazing. If you are lucky to get villa No 87 you will have a fantastic view of Mount Kinabalu.The staff are extremely friendly and try really hard to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. The food at the restaurant was top notch and the singanure massage was excellent.
Hotel by the ocean
We had To Come To this hotel,because Bungaraya hotel was suddenly closed due To bad,rainy weather caused some problem with waterpump. The staff In this hotel is the friendliest we have ever met anywhere,they are super!! Food is also tasty. Room itself is big,clean and nice. BUT the view from our room was a big disappointment: balcony was towards the forest. I see no sense To build a room towards forest In a place like this. In the pictures on booking com website there is no real pictures of the view. Second disappoinment was the beach In front of the main building: It is terrible. We got a free dinner for our unhappiness, which we appreciate,but anyway I believe we would have been happier In Bungaraya hotel
👍 Liked
- • We had To Come To this hotel,because Bungaraya hotel was suddenly closed due To bad,rainy weather caused some problem with waterpump. The staff In this hotel is the friendliest we have ever met anywhere,they are super!! Food is also tasty. Room itself is big,clean and nice. BUT the view from our room was a big disappointment: balcony was towards the forest. I see no sense To build a room towards forest In a place like this. In the pictures on booking com website there is no real pictures of the view. Second disappoinment was the beach In front of the main building: It is terrible. We got a free dinner for our unhappiness, which we appreciate,but anyway I believe we would have been happier In Bungaraya hotel
3 to 4 Star resort with poor value for money
Staff here are very friendly. That’s it when it comes to 5 star. This is a 3 to 4 star place at best. I’ve stayed at many 5 star resorts and this is not like them. Frustratingly, there’s a few boats that they have that go to Kota Kinabalu during the day and they will charge you to go on them. When you’re paying $600+ a daY to stay here and there’s not a lot to do, you would think they would encourage this. But I assume they want you to spend your money at the resort. Everything there is way overpriced. A small 375ml bottle of champagne in the mini bar was over $130 AUD. A massage was over $100AUD (1hr) and so on. If you do go here, it’s not worth more than 1 or 2 nights just to do nothing and relax.
👍 Liked
- • Staff here are very friendly. That’s it when it comes to 5 star. This is a 3 to 4 star place at best. I’ve stayed at many 5 star resorts and this is not like them. Frustratingly, there’s a few boats that they have that go to Kota Kinabalu during the day and they will charge you to go on them. When you’re paying $600+ a daY to stay here and there’s not a lot to do, you would think they would encourage this. But I assume they want you to spend your money at the resort. Everything there is way overpriced. A small 375ml bottle of champagne in the mini bar was over $130 AUD. A massage was over $100AUD (1hr) and so on. If you do go here, it’s not worth more than 1 or 2 nights just to do nothing and relax.
A Retreat That Fails to Deliver
The location is undeniably beautiful, and the idea of a secluded retreat sounded promising. Unfortunately, the execution fell short in several key areas. Maintenance & Comfort The villas appear charming at first glance, but closer inspection reveals serious neglect. Roofs are deteriorated to the point where the underlying structure is visible, and many buildings have shifted, leaving gaps under doors. Paint is peeling, and basic comfort was lacking: the shower provided only brief bursts of warm water and was mostly cold — a frustrating experience in a resort of this supposed caliber. Facilities & Availability Although the resort markets itself as a PADI dive center, diving was not available during our stay. Weekdays were quiet, but on Saturday we saw a large influx of tourists arriving by ferry. This raises concerns about the availability of facilities like kayaks and paddleboards during peak times. Restaurant & Food Safety The restaurant offers a limited menu, but the food served is generally well-prepared and nicely presented. However, the menu includes health warnings about potentially undercooked food — and unfortunately, these were not unfounded. Two of us fell ill, likely due to food poisoning. Upon arrival, we were also asked to sign an extensive waiver, including a clause releasing the resort from liability — hardly reassuring. Staff & Housekeeping Staff were friendly, polite, and professional — consistent with what you’d expect from a resort at this level. Housekeeping, however, was subpar. We had to call them back multiple times due to missing toilet paper and towels. When towels were provided, they were simply stacked rather than properly arranged in the bathroom. Cleaning was superficial: mold in the bathroom and only a quick sweep of the floors. Value for Money Prices are exorbitant by local standards. Given the high occupancy rate, the resort’s revenue must be substantial. One would expect a state-of-the-art experience — but that’s far from reality. The quality offered does not justify the cost. Misleading Presentation Photos on Tripadvisor and other platforms appear carefully staged and do not reflect the true condition of the resort. The reality is far less polished. Conclusion The natural surroundings offer peace and beauty, and the resort has all the ingredients to be a top destination. But due to serious maintenance issues, limited facilities, poor hygiene, questionable food safety, legal disclaimers, and a price point that wildly exceeds the actual quality, that potential remains unrealized. A missed opportunity for what could have been a luxurious escape into serenity.
👍 Liked
- • The location is undeniably beautiful, and the idea of a secluded retreat sounded promising. Unfortunately, the execution fell short in several key areas. Maintenance & Comfort The villas appear charming at first glance, but closer inspection reveals serious neglect. Roofs are deteriorated to the point where the underlying structure is visible, and many buildings have shifted, leaving gaps under doors. Paint is peeling, and basic comfort was lacking: the shower provided only brief bursts of warm water and was mostly cold — a frustrating experience in a resort of this supposed caliber. Facilities & Availability Although the resort markets itself as a PADI dive center, diving was not available during our stay. Weekdays were quiet, but on Saturday we saw a large influx of tourists arriving by ferry. This raises concerns about the availability of facilities like kayaks and paddleboards during peak times. Restaurant & Food Safety The restaurant offers a limited menu, but the food served is generally well-prepared and nicely presented. However, the menu includes health warnings about potentially undercooked food — and unfortunately, these were not unfounded. Two of us fell ill, likely due to food poisoning. Upon arrival, we were also asked to sign an extensive waiver, including a clause releasing the resort from liability — hardly reassuring. Staff & Housekeeping Staff were friendly, polite, and professional — consistent with what you’d expect from a resort at this level. Housekeeping, however, was subpar. We had to call them back multiple times due to missing toilet paper and towels. When towels were provided, they were simply stacked rather than properly arranged in the bathroom. Cleaning was superficial: mold in the bathroom and only a quick sweep of the floors. Value for Money Prices are exorbitant by local standards. Given the high occupancy rate, the resort’s revenue must be substantial. One would expect a state-of-the-art experience — but that’s far from reality. The quality offered does not justify the cost. Misleading Presentation Photos on Tripadvisor and other platforms appear carefully staged and do not reflect the true condition of the resort. The reality is far less polished. Conclusion The natural surroundings offer peace and beauty, and the resort has all the ingredients to be a top destination. But due to serious maintenance issues, limited facilities, poor hygiene, questionable food safety, legal disclaimers, and a price point that wildly exceeds the actual quality, that potential remains unrealized. A missed opportunity for what could have been a luxurious escape into serenity.
A Perfect stay in Sabah
An excellent resort in Sabah with floating villa. Staffs are all helpful and very nice. The water quality is excellent that there is no more plastic rubbish in the sea as mentioned in some previous comment. There is also an research centre in the resort to introduce the marine life and protection. Kids learn a lot. We stayed in Palm villa for one night. My kids were surprised and enjoyed a lot in the villa. Recommend to everyone, no regret.
👍 Liked
- • An excellent resort in Sabah with floating villa. Staffs are all helpful and very nice. The water quality is excellent that there is no more plastic rubbish in the sea as mentioned in some previous comment. There is also an research centre in the resort to introduce the marine life and protection. Kids learn a lot. We stayed in Palm villa for one night. My kids were surprised and enjoyed a lot in the villa. Recommend to everyone, no regret.
A Super Chilled 5+
An idyllic location at Gaya Island off Kota Kinabalu. Arrive by ferry from "KK" and from then, if relaxing far from the maddening crowd is for you...then this IS the place. Clusters of overwater bungalows set the scene. We were in a "Palm Villa" right at the end of the pier in deeper water. The villa was split level - oversized - with a sitting room (TV) living room with glass flooring to view the sea life below (amazing), steps up to a king size bed, separate bathroom including a two person shower and spa bath. The highlight however is outside, a private deck for lounging, table and chairs for dining, plunge pool and jetty steps straight into the water. There is only one dining /restaurant, but it caters to all food and special needs - Eduardo is exceptional, service, manner and willingness to please while Spencer the head chef took on my food allergies as a challenge and won out spectacularly. Some memorable eating to be sure! There is also an upstairs bars and a relaxing spa catering to all needs. Water activities are the main attraction - no fishing, it is a marine protected area and has a dedicated information center to explain about regeneration. Snorkeling, diving (equipment available) paddle boarding and kayaking. Bush walking is optional also. This tranquil resort is hard to beat if you want a chilled, relaxing holiday in a beautiful location with super attentive staff (shout out to Narmioah as well) who really only want to please and ensure you have everything you need, such a boating up breakfast to the villa's rear deck ! No rubbish in the water which is pristine, although we were advised that seasonally mainly in monsoon times, seaweed and flotsam can was in to the bay from the ocean - we saw none.
👍 Liked
- • An idyllic location at Gaya Island off Kota Kinabalu. Arrive by ferry from "KK" and from then, if relaxing far from the maddening crowd is for you...then this IS the place. Clusters of overwater bungalows set the scene. We were in a "Palm Villa" right at the end of the pier in deeper water. The villa was split level - oversized - with a sitting room (TV) living room with glass flooring to view the sea life below (amazing), steps up to a king size bed, separate bathroom including a two person shower and spa bath. The highlight however is outside, a private deck for lounging, table and chairs for dining, plunge pool and jetty steps straight into the water. There is only one dining /restaurant, but it caters to all food and special needs - Eduardo is exceptional, service, manner and willingness to please while Spencer the head chef took on my food allergies as a challenge and won out spectacularly. Some memorable eating to be sure! There is also an upstairs bars and a relaxing spa catering to all needs. Water activities are the main attraction - no fishing, it is a marine protected area and has a dedicated information center to explain about regeneration. Snorkeling, diving (equipment available) paddle boarding and kayaking. Bush walking is optional also. This tranquil resort is hard to beat if you want a chilled, relaxing holiday in a beautiful location with super attentive staff (shout out to Narmioah as well) who really only want to please and ensure you have everything you need, such a boating up breakfast to the villa's rear deck ! No rubbish in the water which is pristine, although we were advised that seasonally mainly in monsoon times, seaweed and flotsam can was in to the bay from the ocean - we saw none.
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