Gayana Marine Resort

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

This is a second stay after the honey moon with my wife as 2 guests 12 years ago. We returned back as a family with kids and everything was still excellent. The resort had been changed from Gayana Eco Resort to Gayana Marine Resort, while there was no more Alu Alu Chinese Restaurant and remained Macac Restaurant and Latitude Bar.Different from staying Ocean Villa previously, we stayed in Palm Villa for 2 days this time as we targeted for direct access to water with bigger room. Palm Villa was very comfortable and spacious with individual small swimming pool and non-framed ocean view. We loved the room so much. But the water level of my room was much deeper than Ocean Villa which could not stand. However this was particular good for taking a rest if we played kayaking for long time. Some guests were playing kayaking passing the room when we were sunbathing. This was interesting.The sea was clear and transparent to the rocks, but occasionally saw plastic bag and small rubbish. But overall it was still good for kayaking and snorkeling during my stays.What made us memorable included the quality of food and drink too. We had meal in all 3 periods from breakfast to dinner for 2 days, the general standard was very high that we experienced from Malay, Western to Chinese dishes. Ragu Pappardelle, Pizza, Chinese fried noodle, Malay Satay, breakfast set were superb. Thumb up for their wide selections of squeezed juice that blended freshly at bar without adding water, I especially loved the rare green apple juice and my kids watermelon. Semi-buffet breakfast also offered self-served orange juicer complimentarily so we could see 3-4 fresh oranges to 1 glass of juice. This was not common during my past experience.A special highlight was given to staff courteous and patience. All staff crossing or serving us would greet and smile, it contributed a lot to my memorable stay.

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.

Our stay at Gayana Marine Resort was an absolute nightmare from start to finish. The place is completely isolated, leaving you trapped on the island with nothing to do and a constant feeling of being scammed. We paid 2300 MYR for two nights, and on top of that, were hit with a shocking 500 MYR charge for a flimsy extra bed for our 13-year-old son — something every other hotel includes during booking. Everything is outrageously overpriced — from the poor-quality meals to the few available spa treatments (only three options, all ridiculously expensive). The facilities are old, neglected, and poorly maintained. The so-called beach doesn’t exist — just a tiny patch of salty sand visible only at low tide. The water is muddy, with floating debris everywhere, and there’s no gym, no Wi-Fi in the rooms, and cockroaches in the bathroom. Monkeys appear only in the morning, but they can still be intimidating when trying to enjoy breakfast outdoors. There are only a few activities available — kayaking, snorkeling, and chargeable diving — all confined to a tiny, dirty area, with nothing else to keep guests entertained. The staff is overly obsequious yet intrusive, creating an awkward, forced atmosphere instead of genuine hospitality. There is only one restaurant, despite the website claiming three. The menu is very limited, and prices are outrageously high — most dishes cost around 60 MYR, and even a Coca-Cola is 15 MYR. Everything requires an extra charge, and there’s no way to leave the island without paying hefty transfer fees. Adding to the discomfort, the resort plays endless elevator-style background music all day long — extremely irritating and completely unnecessary, making it impossible to relax in peace. There is very low occupancy, no evening entertainment, and nothing else to do. At night, you can only go to bed early and wait for your ordeal to be over. To make matters worse, on the morning of our checkout, the staff left clean bed sheets outside our door at 9 a.m., as if to remind us it was time to leave — giving us the unpleasant impression that we were being rushed out so they could prepare the room for the next guests. Checkout is strictly at 10:30 a.m., even if your flight is later in the day — meaning you end up stranded at the port with your luggage for hours. It’s hard to believe this place markets itself as a luxury resort — it feels more like being held captive in a rundown compound. Terrible value for money, false advertising, filthy environment, irritating atmosphere, and absolutely nothing to do. Probably the worst hotel experience of my life — and I’m a very experienced traveler.

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.

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.

Definitely not a 5 star experience. 3 star at best. Facilities are dated. Rooms ok but beds were short sheeted. Pool table was so badly maintained the balls just roll into pockets. Food good. Staff great but clearly they must know the resort is decaying. They charge you to go back to the mainland on a boat that goes there anyway. For a resort that is $650 a night you would have thought this would be free.

We spent two nights at this resort to celebrate my daughter’s two year old birthday. It was a beautiful place. The staff were amazing, especially Affendy, Eleanora at the restaurant and Lydia at the front desk.  We wished there was a private beach besides the one located in front of the restaurant so our family could enjoy the sand in a more private manner. The gift shop could also sell toiletries and over the counter meds as these are necessary items and there are no place to buy them.