Five-star Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu
Shangri-La Tanjung Aru
Twenty-five acres on the Tanjung Aru shore, with a private marina, a Sunset Bar facing the South China Sea and the airport ten minutes down the road.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Rooms
- 498 rooms and suites in two wings
- Grounds
- 25 acres, with a private marina
- Works
- Kinabalu Wing closed until 2027
- From the airport
- About 10 minutes by road
The hotel
Two wings on the Tanjung Aru shore.
The resort has stood on this stretch of shore for more than forty years, on twenty-five acres of gardens south-west of the city. It is split between two wings: Tanjung, looking out to the South China Sea, and Kinabalu, which also faces Mount Kinabalu. A private marina sits at the water's edge, and the coral islands offshore are about ten minutes away.
Shangri-La is now remaking the resort in two phases, which began in October 2025 and run until late 2027. Since May 2026 every room in the Kinabalu Wing has been closed. A new lobby and pool for the Tanjung Wing are due in December 2026, and a grill restaurant called Linara in February 2027. Horizon Lounge has been closed since September 2026, the pools follow in January 2027, and Shang Palace is refurbished from March 2027.
- Sunset Bar The bar the resort points to for the evening, with the sun going down over the South China Sea.
- The marina A private marina on the grounds of the resort, with the coral islands of the bay about ten minutes away.
- For children Water slides and pools, the Cool Zone kids' club, themed rooms and babysitting.
Rooms & suites
Sea views from the Tanjung Wing.
While the Kinabalu Wing is closed, guests stay in the Tanjung Wing, with rooms looking over the sea or the pool.
- Rooms Tanjung Wing Seaview Room 47 square metres facing the South China Sea; the Sea View Terrace Room adds a terrace and reaches 53 square metres.
- Suite Tanjung Wing Executive Seaview Suite 108 square metres, facing the sea.
- The largest Tanjung Wing Presidential Seaview Suite 239 square metres overlooking the sea.
Dining
From the café to the Sunset Bar.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the resort. Some are closed in phases during the works; check before you travel.
- Cafe TATU All-day dining Live cooking stations
- Shang Palace Chinese Refurbished from March 2027
- Coco Joe's Bar & Grill Grill By the beach
- Sunset Bar Drinks Facing the sunset
- Borneo Lounge & Bar Lounge Closed until November 2026
- Cool Box Ice Cream Bar Ice cream In the resort
Good to know
Before you go.
- Works The Kinabalu Wing is closed until 2027, and the pools, health club and kids' facilities are refurbished in turn between January and mid-2027. The resort says the dates may still change.
- Children The Cool Zone kids' club, babysitting and themed rooms.
- Access Wheelchair-accessible rooms and lifts to every floor.
Getting there
Flying to Kota Kinabalu.
Kota Kinabalu International is about ten minutes away by road, and its runway takes any business jet, with private aircraft handled on the old Terminal 2 apron. The city centre is also about ten minutes from the resort.
- Manila 1 h 45
- Singapore 2 h 15
- Kuala Lumpur 2 h 30
- Hong Kong 2 h 45
- Seoul 5 h 10
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Is Shangri-La Tanjung Aru open during the renovation?
- Yes. The Tanjung Wing stays open while the Kinabalu Wing is closed, from May 2026 until its completion in 2027. Some pools and restaurants close in turn.
- How far is Shangri-La Tanjung Aru from the airport?
- About ten minutes by road from Kota Kinabalu International, according to the resort.
- Does Shangri-La Tanjung Aru have a MICHELIN Key?
- No. No hotel in Kota Kinabalu holds a MICHELIN Key in the current selection.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Kota Kinabalu?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Kota Kinabalu, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Kota Kinabalu
Other hotels worth the trip.
- The Magellan Sutera Resort A lobby built in the manner of a Rungus longhouse, and a 27-hole course by Graham Marsh on the same estate.
- The Pacific Sutera Hotel Five hundred rooms beside the Sutera Harbour marina, about ten minutes from the airport.
- Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Two hundred and eighty-eight rooms in the town centre, looking over the water or the city.
Staying at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Kota Kinabalu, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.