Citadines Waterfront KK Review 2026: Family Rooms & Kitchenettes

When you're searching for accommodation in Kota Kinabalu,

you might find yourself wondering which area is best to book your hotel in.

During my family trip to Kota Kinabalu,

I actually stayed at two different accommodations for my family~

This time, I'll share all the details about Citadines Waterfront's location,

rooms with kitchenettes, and even tips for connecting rooms!

If you're looking for a Kota Kinabalu hotel with a fantastic location, I highly recommend this one!

(It's a value-for-money hotel, typically under ~$73,

and I'll also share how to book it with a discount 😄)

1. Recommended Hotel Location in Kota Kinabalu

The biggest reason I chose Citadines Waterfront

was its location.

📌 Citadines Waterfront Location

· Central Kota Kinabalu City

· Philippine Market, Central Market within a 5-minute walk

· Gaya Street, Suria Sabah accessible by foot

· Jesselton Point by Grab (ride-hailing) in about 5 minutes

· About 15 minutes by car from the airport

Kota Kinabalu city center is relatively compact,

and Grab (ride-hailing) fares are quite affordable, so you can easily get to most places using Grab.

We also used Grab for all our travels around the city.

Since Citadines is located right in the city center, the short travel time to any destination

was a huge advantage.

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The night market is also right nearby, so it was perfect for a quick stroll and some sightseeing after dinner.

It's also a great spot to pick up fruits like fresh mangoes!

📌 Check-in is at 3 PM

Check-out is at 12 PM

Malaysia has a tourism tax, which is a separate fee paid in addition to the hotel accommodation cost.

It's RM10 per room, which is about ~$3.

Card payment was also available.

Inside the Citadines hotel building, you'll find a Burger King,

beverage shops, and a souvenir store,

so you can conveniently get everything you need without even stepping outside!

If you don't have time to visit a large mall for souvenirs,

using the souvenir shop on the first floor is a great option.

They even had a discount event for guests when I was there!

Just keep in mind that the selection isn't incredibly diverse.

2. Citadines Waterfront: Rooms with Kitchenettes

Citadines isn't just a regular hotel;

it's a serviced residence.

That means all rooms come with their own kitchen facilities!

For our trip, my parents stayed in a Twin Room, and the other two families each booked

a Deluxe Room,

making a total of three rooms for our group.

📌 Room Kitchen Features

· Induction cooktop

· Microwave

· Toaster, electric kettle

· Sink (with dish soap and sponge provided)

· Large refrigerator

And all sorts of other cooking utensils are available!

What truly stood out was how incredibly spacious the refrigerator was!

It wasn't a mini-bar size; it was a full-sized, two-door household refrigerator,

meaning we could store all our groceries from the market with ease.

Plus, when you're traveling with young children,

you know there's a constant stream of dishes to wash –

cups, baby bottles, snack bowls, and the like.

Having dish soap and a sponge readily available at the sink meant we could clean things as we went along.

I truly believe this is the real advantage of staying in accommodation with kitchen facilities!

With the toaster, it was lovely to simply toast some bread

and enjoy a fresh coffee in the mornings.

The room size was comfortably spacious,

so it didn't feel particularly cramped for a deluxe room.

There's also a sofa and a table on one side,

and ample space to hang clothes.

The bathroom featured a shower separated by a glass partition.

Amenities like the dental kit, lotion, cotton swabs, and shower cap were provided as single-use items,

while the shampoo, hand wash, and shower gel were refillable.

(*Price for one night in November, before applying discount coupons)

You can get an even better deal if you grab the discount coupons below!

​	1-Night Price	Link
Agoda	~$69	🔗 Check Price
Yeogi Eottae	~$62	🔗 Check Price
Trip.com	~$68	🔗 Check Price

Currently, if you check the prices for one night, they're under ~$73,

and you can book a standard deluxe room for around ~$58! ✨️

Prices vary slightly depending on the dates,

so I highly recommend entering your travel dates and comparing them!

If you download the discount coupons,

you can book at an even more affordable price.

🔻🔻🔻

🔗 Download Yeogi Eottae Discount Coupon

3. Kota Kinabalu Family Trip: Connecting Rooms

If you're traveling with two families or more, many of you might be looking for hotels with connecting rooms,

and good news — Citadines Kota Kinabalu has them!

📌 Citadines Kota Kinabalu Connecting Room Structure

Room numbers have an alphabet suffix.

For example, you'll see something like 1506A, 1506B.

When you open the main door, there's another small door inside.

That door connects the two rooms!

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By the way, this hotel reportedly offers not only connecting rooms for two units

but also triple rooms that can connect up to three units!

If you're traveling with three families like us,

it would be great to inquire when booking.

❗ You need to request connecting rooms in advance!

We couldn't request it in advance, so only one of our three rooms

had an alphabet suffix 🥹.

Thanks to that, we did get to compare both room types,

but if two families want to use connected rooms,

it's best to inquire immediately after booking.

🍯 On the flip side, here's a useful tip:

Rooms with an alphabet suffix tend to be slightly smaller.

Some space is used up due to the connecting structure.

If you've booked a single room and are assigned one with an alphabet suffix,

try asking if you can switch to a different room!

4. Citadines Kota Kinabalu: Pool & Laundry Room

All the facilities are conveniently located on the 6th floor.

📌 6th Floor Facilities

· Swimming Pool

· Coin-Operated Laundry

· Lounge

· Gym & Yoga Room

· Banquet Hall, Prayer Room

Honestly, since it felt like a budget-friendly hotel, I didn't have high expectations for the pool,

but it was actually quite good!

There's a water play area right next to the pool, making it perfect for kids

to run back and forth and play. Plus, you can enjoy sea views from the pool!

For a city hotel, if the pool is this good,

I felt it truly offered great value for money.

📌 Coin-Operated Laundry

The laundry room is also on the 6th floor and available for a fee.

Doing a load of laundry halfway through your trip can significantly reduce the amount of luggage you need to pack,

so it's a pretty useful facility if you're traveling long-term with kids.

There are both washers and dryers, and each use requires

1 coin, where 1 coin equals 10 Malaysian Ringgit.

📌 Breakfast

Operating hours are from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM.

It's a buffet mainly featuring simple Western-style dishes.

From what I've seen in reviews, many people say it's quite decent.

You can expect bread, cereal, egg dishes, hot food,

dessert fruits, and coffee.

It's structured to provide a light and satisfying meal.

Since we only stayed for 0.5 nights, we didn't use the breakfast service.

However, the cost for breakfast-inclusive options isn't too expensive,

so if you're looking for a relaxed trip, the breakfast-inclusive option is definitely a good choice!

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✔ Those who want to stay in Kota Kinabalu city center

✔ Those planning an itinerary focused on shopping, great restaurants, and day tours

✔ Those traveling with children who need cooking facilities

✔ Those looking for connecting rooms for two or more families

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This Kota Kinabalu accommodation is highly recommended for the travelers above!

If your focus is relaxation, The Magellan Sutera is perfect; if it's city activities,

consider splitting your stay with Citadines! 😄

Mixing a few days at a resort and a few days in the city, like we did,

is also a fantastic approach!

🔻🔻🔻

Check out Citadines Waterfront Kota Kinabalu on Trip.com

🔻🔻🔻

Check out Citadines Waterfront Kota Kinabalu on Yeogi Eottae

🔗 My Honest Review of Kota Kinabalu Island Hopping Tour (Paid for by Myself)

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