Best area to stay in Kota Kinabalu, in plain terms

If you'll walk everywhere: the city centre

Gaya Street, the waterfront, the markets and the island jetty sit within about a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Nearly every hotel most people have heard of is here, from hostels to the Hyatts. This is the default and the right answer for a first visit. City-centre hotels.

If you have a car or want a pool for the price: Sembulan and Karamunsing

The southern edge of the centre, around Imago mall and Sutera Avenue. Newer buildings, free parking, pools at 3- and 4-star prices, and a five-minute Grab to Gaya Street. Ming Garden, Sabah Oriental, The LUMA and The Palace are the examples. Karamunsing is the same idea a little further south.

If you want a resort but still want the city: Sutera Harbour or Tanjung Aru

Sutera Harbour is a self-contained resort with golf, marina and pools between the airport and the centre; Tanjung Aru is the beach suburb by the airport, home to Shangri-La Tanjung Aru. Both are ten minutes from the airport and ten to fifteen from Gaya Street. You'll take Grabs into town for dinner, and that's fine.

If the beach is the holiday: the islands or the north coast

The island resorts are the best beaches, reached by boat. The Tuaran coast 45 minutes north has Rasa Ria and the new Hilton Garden Inn on a long sunset beach. Neither is a base for the city.

If it's a flight night: the airport side

Hotels near the airport, ranked by drive time. Pan Borneo if you want a pool, C'haya if you want to be closest, Eminent or Goldenhill if you want it cheapest with a shuttle.

Areas to skip unless you have a reason

1Borneo and Inanam in the north are far from both the centre and the airport; Kepayan and Putatan are suburbs that only make sense for the airport or the hospitals. All are listed here for completeness, and the pages say so.

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