The perfect weekend getaway to Kota Kinabalu

A short 12-minute drive from the airport gets you to Hilton Kota Kinabalu, located in the heart of the central business district. It’s the perfect base for adventure-seekers who want to explore all the city has to offer, with major attractions like the waterfront, local markets, and a large shopping mall just a stone’s throw away. The hotel has all the amenities you need to enjoy moments of respite in between action-packed days. 

From the moment you enter the doors, you’ll be greeted with warm smiles, cold towels, and a refreshing welcome drink – your first taste of true Bornean hospitality. Choose from over 15 room types to suit your needs. Each modern and stylish room is equipped with a smart TV, a rain shower, and touchscreen functions. Executive Rooms come with additional thoughtful amenities, like a coffee maker and capsules from Crack Coffee, a local Sabah coffee brand. 

Guests staying in Executive Rooms also have access to the Executive Lounge with free-flow complimentary drinks and snacks, and daily continental breakfasts. The hotel also boasts a rooftop pool, a gym with a sauna and steam room, and four F&B destinations, including a rooftop grill restaurant and a swanky cocktail lounge.

Start your day with a relaxing morning swim, and spend languid afternoons hanging out by the hotel’s rooftop pool. Or, visit the hotel’s gym and state-of-the-art sauna and steam rooms to work up a sweat. 

There are also plenty of things to do in the vicinity. During the day, stop by a Filipino handicraft market just four minutes away, to browse through stores selling local souvenirs and handcrafted trinkets. Or pop by the adjacent food market which offers a range of dried foodstuffs and seasonal Bornean fruits. 

Later in the day, the Anjung Kinabalu or KK Night Market comes alive. It operates daily, and you can pick out the freshest seafood catches of the day and have them grilled on the spot. Or, head on over to the waterfront area nearby, where a stretch of stops line the boardwalk. Live music fills the air in the evening, and you’ll see plenty of locals stopping by to capture magnificent views of the sunset. 

Keen to venture a little further out? The Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal just a 10-minute drive away is your gateway to the neighbouring islands of Kota Kinabalu if island-hopping is on your itinerary. Else, a day trip from the city will take you to destinations like Kiulu or Kadamaian for thrilling activities like white water rafting. And if climbing a mountain is on your bucket list, start your hike up Mount Kinabalu at Timpohon Gate, which is a two-hour journey from the hotel.

Before you embark on a day of activities, have a big breakfast at Urban Kitchen, the hotel’s all-day dining outlet stocked with local and international dishes. The highlight here is the live cooking stations where you can enjoy roti canai, noodles, and omelettes prepared to order, as well as an elaborate teh tarik show where the drink is prepared right in front of your eyes. Other things to look forward to include a DIY nasi lemak corner with ayam panggang and all your favourite ingredients, a station with fresh local fruits, a charcuterie table, and even a kids’ station with colourful doughnuts and pastries to please the little ones. The hotel also houses Drip café in its lobby, which offers light bites like cakes, sandwiches, pastries, and coffee to fuel you up for the rest of the day.

The Rooftop Bar & Grill is located right by the swimming pool, and features an open kitchen where chefs grill up impressive platters of meat and seafood. The meat platter sees a bevy of items, including steaks, kebabs, hearty sausages and more for you to feast on; while the seafood platter comes with an assortment of fresh squid, huge river prawns, clams, mussels, scallops, and even a whole fish. 

Finally, the best way to end your evening is at The Club, the hotel’s glamorous, gentlemen’s-club-inspired lounge with live music and entertainment. Sip on expertly crafted cocktails like a flaming negroni, a smoked Old Fashioned, or a calamansi twist on the classic Cosmopolitan, topped off with beer foam and a savoury plum garnish.

Book your stay at Hilton Kota Kinabalu now.