Mount Kinabalu Climb 9-10 July 2022 - Our group of five climbers had a pleasant stay in a 6-bed bedroom at Laban Rata Reshouse. Overall the staff gave excellent service and they went the extra mile to... read more serve us.

We truly appreciated the service given to us, notably by Mr. Freddie Jude Julani, who we believe was exceptional in meeting our requests to dry our wet clothes and shoes, and provided a warm jacket to one of our climbers who was feeling cold due to heavy rain and strong winds.

We recommend climbers to book the Buttercup no. 3 room in Laban Rata Resthouse, to gain better access to amenities (ensuite toilet & bathroom) comfort and privacy of climbers.

Lastly, despite not able to climb to the adverse weather conditions, we had wonderful and pleasant stay at Laban Rata Resthouse. We hope the Authorities shall look into the need to upgrade the supply of electricity to Laban Rata and other nearby resthouses on Panalaban, Mount Kinabalu. Heating and hot water are urgently needed by climbers and those working on Mount Kinabalu. Thank you.

  Lodge is clean, comfortable and their staff are warm and friendly. Highly recommended! - Stayed at the lodge for 1 night after reaching Laban Rata. Treated to a wide selection of freshly cooked buffet meals on arrival! My room had a twin bed with... read more an ensuite bathroom. Sadly, the water heater wasn't working. The room is pretty basic with no heating but very clean and comfortable. Overall my experience staying at the lodge was pleasant and comfortable. Would definitely return back here in the future!

  We stayed here before climbing to the summit of Mt Kinabalu.

The six-bed dorm we were allocated was basic and the gap between top bunk / ceiling minimal. That... read more said, the group was buzzing ahead of the climb, so sleep was always going to be minimal.

A cold shower, although not always good, was very welcome in this instance. The bathroom area (separate toilet / shower rooms) was clean enough overall.

There was a buzz in the communal area before everyone grabbed an early night, whilst the outdoor balcony offered fantastic sunset views.

  October 2022 was my 7th time to climb Mt. Kinabalu (since 1995) and my 7th time to stay in Labanrata Resthouse. I'm finding with the now ridiculous prices that Sutera... read more Sanctuary Lodges (SSL) now charge it's really difficult to justify or recommend climbing Mt. K anymore. (RM4000+/2pax/1night!) SSL need to seriously think about repair work and maintenance to Labanrata as it has become badly dilapidated and rundown under their stewardship - while SSL are happy to grab as much tourists $money$ as they can. For goodness sake reinvest some money back into maintaining your building! During our recent stay the upstairs women's toilets were badly leaking brown 'water' (multiple leaks downstairs onto the dining tables below - YUCK! There were 4 buckets placed to catch this filth - and it seemed to just 'be the daily norm' - Seriously? On this trip we paid extra for a $private room$ (which was spacious, nice and clean) but our hot shower still did not work! I would gladly pay USD$10 extra for a 5min hot shower! (Note: Even in the remote Himalayas at 17,000ft and 9days walk in from anywhere - the most remote, basic lodges offer GAS hot showers for USD$5 or less) On a good note the food at Labanrata Resthouse was goodish (for its location and logistics) and food a plenty. The staff were generally friendly and attentive. I remember back in the 90s/early 2000s (multiple family trips ) to Labanrata/Mt.K - the bedrooms/dorms were all heated and there was a hot shower for guests back then - not anymore! Advice to SSL: Install some GAS hot water showers - guests would gladly pay optional extra for this little luxury and would provide extra income for the porters in carrying the gas up.

  What do you expect at 10,000 feet?! - After a challenging 6-hour climb from the park headquarters to Laban Rata in the cold and rain, it's nice to change into dry clothes and relax. We stayed in the... read more common rooms with eight bunk beds. The beds and linens are reasonably comfy, but the rooms are cramped and noisy (some people are unbelievably inconsiderate). No hot water for showers and electricity goes off around 9 pm. The food was not as good as I expected from other reviews, but OK considering that everything has to be lugged up the mountain by porters.