By Expedia Team, on December 16, 2013

Not a Resort Family? Think Again.

‘I am not a resort person’ … at least that’s what I thought before we went on a family holiday to Sabah, Borneo. Our family of five had never stayed in a resort before, but during our recent trip to Kota Kinabalu we had the opportunity to stay at three:

The Magellan Sutera Resort is a five star resort situated in the beautiful Sutera Harbour, just 10 minutes drive from the heart of Kota Kinabalu. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort  is also only 10 minutes from town and boasts a spectacular sunset vantage point from the Sunset Bar. The Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort is 40 minutes from the International Airport and sits between lush rainforest and a long white sandy beach.

I have officially been converted to LOVING resorts, especially with young children in tow. The two words that best describe the reasons behind my new love affair are EASY and FUN!

Kids Clubs

All the resorts we visited had Kids Clubs and our kids loved the different toys and activities on offer. Our children are aged 5, 2 and 1 year. Kids aged 4+ can be left at most kids clubs without a parent, which means you can have some alone time on your holiday. Younger children can use the Kids Clubs when accompanied by a parent or babysitter.

We also discovered the kids clubs are the perfect place to make a dash to during tropical downpour – who wants to be stuck in your room when you could be playing musical statues instead?

Food

Resorts make family dining easy, offering a range of cafes and restaurants all on site. Whether it be buffet breakfast overlooking the water, five star dining once kids have gone to bed or a poolside cocktail with your meal, you can do it all at the resort.

My kids loved the buffet breakfasts and there was always a special kids section set up where they could choose their own meals. A great mix of western and local food on offer ensured everyone had plenty to eat and even tried a few new things.