The Magellan Sutera Resort Kota Kinabalu Review 2026: Family Fun & Sea Views

When you're searching for family-friendly accommodations in Kota Kinabalu,

Shangri-La and The Magellan Sutera always come up as top choices, right?

For my trip, which included my children, my sibling's family,

and even my parents – three generations traveling together –

I really thought hard before choosing our resort.

Today, I'll be sharing all about The Magellan Sutera Resort,

including a review of its Deluxe Sea View room, swimming pools, breakfast,

and even the kids' club!

​

(I'll also let you in on how to book it at a better price

by getting a discount coupon!)

1. Kota Kinabalu Resort Location & Early Morning Check-in

The Magellan Sutera Resort is nestled within Sutera Harbour.

It's only about a 15-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu Airport,

and it's similarly close to the city center.

We arrived on an early morning flight, and check-in went smoothly without any issues.

We also paid the tourism tax during check-in.

Malaysia charges a tourism tax for foreign guests, which is 10 Malaysian Ringgit per room.

When I researched the tourism tax, I read that only cash payment was possible, so I waited in a loooong line at the airport ATM to withdraw cash.

But good news: card payment was actually possible, so keep that in mind!

​

​

(I think we were the last check-in guests, because they mentioned my name when we arrived!)

📌 Magellan Sutera Check-in/Check-out

- Check-in: 3:00 PM

- Check-out: 12:00 PM

By the way, there was also a shuttle service running from the resort to the city's shopping malls.

We had kids with us, so it seemed a bit tricky to always match the shuttle schedule, so we opted to use Grab instead.

2. Magellan Sutera Deluxe Sea View Room

​

​

Rooms are generally divided into Garden View and Sea View, and we went for the Deluxe Sea View.

Please forgive the somewhat dark photos of the room – we checked in very early on our first morning! (I sadly didn't get another chance to photograph the room later ^_ㅠ)

All our rooms were Deluxe Sea View,

and from the room I booked, I could see the playground in front and the sea further in the distance.

From my sibling's family room, the view was of the sea beyond the yachts in the marina.

Since we all booked ocean-view rooms, the sunset view, in particular, was absolutely stunning!

The room was quite spacious, around 44㎡, and with a king-sized bed, it was comfortable enough for two kids to sleep together.

All rooms come with a balcony and a clothesline for drying laundry, which we found incredibly useful after our swims.

My parents had a twin room, and we booked a room with a king-sized bed and requested an extra bed.

Perhaps because we were traveling with children, we were able to request an extra bed without an additional charge! However, availability is limited, so you might not get one if they run out. If you absolutely need one, it's best to inquire in advance. (Please note that prices might change, so this is just for reference.)

On a side note, a baby cot could also be requested separately.

The bathroom features a separate bathtub and shower stall. For amenities, we had shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. They were disposable, and since 'sutera' was written on them, they seemed to be custom-made products for the resort.

Having the toilet, bathtub, and shower stall all separated was incredibly convenient when traveling with kids.

The shower filter was easy to

replace by twisting it.

(It's sometimes hard to find places these days where the shower filter can be replaced.)

There was also a safe and an ironing board in the closet,

and plenty of water was provided.

Since three families were traveling together, the accommodation cost could have been a burden if it was too expensive, but we were able to book it for around ~$146 per night.

If you apply discount coupons, credit card payment discounts, etc.,

you can even book it for around ~$139.

If you get a hotel discount coupon from Yeogi Eottae now,

you can book it even cheaper than the prices in the table below, so if you're planning a trip, grab a coupon first!

🔗 Download Yeogi Eottae 10% Hotel Discount Coupon

📌 The Magellan Sutera Room Prices

(Per night, including breakfast, based on Deluxe Garden View)

Agoda	~$148	🔗 Check Price
Yeogi Eottae	~$148	🔗 Check Price
Trip.com	~$164	🔗 Check Price

3. Sutera Harbour Pools

Sutera Harbour boasts five swimming pools!

1) Main Pool

The largest pool with an artificial waterfall, 1.4m deep.

2) Lane Pool

An Olympic-sized pool with lanes, 1.2m deep.

3) Lagoon Pool

A shallow pool surrounded by rocks and landscaping.

4) Children's Pool and 5) Pacific Side Pool

With three kids in tow,

we really prioritized water fun

when choosing our hotel!

The Main Pool and Lane Pool

are right in front of The Magellan Sutera Resort,

making them super convenient!

You can also use the Main Pool from The Pacific,

but you'd have to walk or take a shuttle.

Since I thought it would be troublesome with kids,

we booked at The Magellan Sutera instead.

Having the pool directly below us was definitely a plus,

and we had no trouble getting around with the kids.

The Main Pool is quite large,

so even when there were a few people, we never felt crowded – that was the best part!

There was even a small waterfall, which added a unique touch.

Right next to the Main Pool, there's also an infant and toddler pool,

and its size was quite impressive, which we loved.

And right in front of it is the Little Magellan Kids' Club!

❗️I later discovered that there's a mini-train that circles Sutera Harbour,

called the Little Sutera Express!

I'm sure the kids would have absolutely loved it,

but I only found out about it the day before checkout, so we didn't have time to ride it.

Hotel guests get one free ride,

so if you're interested, be sure to check the schedule in advance!

The sunbeds and parasols by the pool were quite plentiful,

and there's also a small private beach.

The waves here were quite good, making it fun for snorkeling!

It was a slight shame that there weren't any water slides,

but there was a huge inflatable bounce house on the lawn next to the pool!

As expected from a resort renowned for its pools,

the variety of pools was impressive,

It was so satisfying to have a lap pool,

allowing adults to truly enjoy swimming!

4. The Magellan Sutera Breakfast & Kids Club

​

📌 The Magellan Sutera Breakfast Hours

6:00 AM ~ 10:30 AM

Breakfast at The Magellan is served at Five Sails,

while at The Pacific, it's at Café Boleh.

Although the locations differ, the offerings were quite similar.

Seating is divided into outdoor and indoor areas,

so you can tell them where you'd like to sit and be assigned a table.

There was a wide variety of food,

so even three generations had no trouble finding something they liked.

The **Korean food corner** had Napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi),

and mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad),

which I think made it a bit more convenient for my parents to enjoy their meal.

There were also rice noodles and various porridges,

as well as live cooking stations for things like omelets!

The kids mostly enjoyed dim sum, croissants,

and omelets.

The wide variety of breads made it easy

to pick and choose for them.

The **Kids Club is right in front of the toddler pool**;

the indoor play facilities are quite well-equipped,

making it great to use on rainy days or during the hottest part of the afternoon.

There was a **wide variety of activities** like snorkeling, paper art, sand art,

cookie making, face painting, bubble play,

underwater treasure hunts, fish feeding, and sandcastle building.

The activity board lists various programs for each day,

so be sure to join the ones you're interested in!

Also, note that a foam party is held every afternoon at The Pacific Sutera Garden!

Since The Magellan Sutera and The Pacific Sutera are both located within Sutera Harbour,

you might be wondering which hotel to choose.

The **Pacific Sutera** has

a more modern and clean interior.

And if you choose a high-floor room with a marina view,

the vista is truly spectacular!

**The Magellan Sutera** feels

a bit older, but it has the main pool and toddler pool right there,

making pool access incredibly convenient.

**The pools are accessible to guests of both hotels**, so if you're staying at The Pacific,

you can either walk over or

take the resort's internal shuttle.

Personally, if room condition is important to you, I'd recommend The Pacific;

if easy access to water play is key, then The Magellan might be a better fit.

Our main goal was to use the pools,

which is why we booked The Magellan Sutera, and we were very satisfied!

Typically, room rates at The Pacific Sutera are

slightly more affordable, allowing you to book for **around ~$73 to ~$109**.

You can apply Yeogieottae discount coupons to both hotels,

so grab a coupon, enter your travel dates, and compare!

🔗 Download Yeogieottae 10% Accommodation Discount Coupon

​

---

✔ For those traveling to Kota Kinabalu with kids

✔ For those who want to arrange island hopping right from the resort

✔ For those looking for great value accommodation in Kota Kinabalu

This is the resort I highly recommend!

Having the main pool, lap pool, and kids' pool right in front,

among the five swimming pools, is The Magellan Sutera's biggest advantage.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment~

🔻🔻🔻

Agoda - Check prices for The Magellan Sutra

🔻🔻🔻

Yeogi Eottae - Check prices for The Magellan Sutra

🔽 Kota Kinabalu eSIM/USIM Review 🔽

#TheMagellanSuteraResort #TheMagellanSuteraResort #SuteraHarbourResort #PacificSutera #KotaKinabaluResort #KotaKinabaluResortRecommendation #KotaKinabaluAccommodation #KotaKinabaluAccommodationRecommendation #KotaKinabaluHotel #KotaKinabaluWithKids #OverseasTravel #FamilyTrip