With a stay at Sanbay Hotel in Sandakan, you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Saint Michael's and All Angels Church and St Michael's & All Angels Church. .This hotel is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Sandakan Heritage Trail and 1.6 mi (2.6 km) from Sandakan Harbour Mall.
What's nearby
St Michael's & All Angels Church - 2 min drive - 1.3 miles
Saint Michael's and All Angels Church - 3 min drive - 1.6 miles
Sandakan Harbour Mall - 3 min drive - 1.5 miles
Sandakan Heritage Trail - 3 min drive - 1.6 miles
Rainforest Discovery Centre - 30 min drive - 17.9 miles
Getting around
Sandakan (SDK) - 21 min drive
Restaurants
Equatorial Seafood Restaurant - 4 min walk
Chui Wah Food Centre - 2 min walk
南财肉骨茶 Nam Chai Restaurant Bah Kut Teh - 19 min walk
Champs Cafe - 3 min walk
Good Taste Bak Kut Teh (好味肉骨茶) - 18 min walk
About this property
Sanbay Hotel
Sanbay Hotel offers 58 air-conditioned accommodations with safes. Televisions come with satellite channels. Bathrooms include showers.
Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Housekeeping is offered daily and hair dryers can be requested.
Make yourself at home in one of the 58 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and wedding services.
Featured amenities include a business center, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference space and meeting rooms.
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
No onsite parking available
Conveniences
24-hour front desk
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Housekeeping (daily)
Wedding services
Business services
Business center
Conference space
Meeting rooms
Outdoors
Garden
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Elevator
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
More
Designated smoking areas
Reception hall
Room amenities
Bathroom
Hair dryer (on request)
Shower
Towels provided
Entertainment
TV with cable/satellite channels
Food and drink
Electric kettle
More
Air conditioning
Desk
Phone
Safe
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: noon
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before noon
Contactless check-out available
Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
At check-in, guests must provide a record of full COVID-19 vaccination
Guests providing vaccine records must have received complete COVID-19 vaccination at least 1 days prior to check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
No pets or service animals allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Property payment types
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
We should mention
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
Property is also known as
Hotel Sanbay
Sanbay
Sanbay Hotel
Sanbay Hotel Sandakan
Sanbay Sandakan
Sanbay Hotel Hotel
Sanbay Hotel Sandakan
Sanbay Hotel Hotel Sandakan
Sanbay Hotel Reviews
Reviews
7.6
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Rating 10 - Excellent. 9 out of 37 reviews
10 - Excellent
9
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 37 reviews
8 - Good
18
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 37 reviews
6 - Okay
6
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 37 reviews
4 - Poor
1
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 37 reviews
2 - Terrible
3
8.6/10
Cleanliness
8.0/10
Staff & service
6.0/10
Amenities
7.8/10
Property conditions & facilities
Reviews
8/10 Good
Mark
Jan 23, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
The hotel is very dated and could do with a spruce up. However, the room was a good space, with a comfortable bed, kettle and fridge. There was a large supermarket behind and it was 20 minutes walk into Sandakan shops.
Mark
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2026
6/10 Okay
KENJI
Traveled with partner
Jun 25, 2025
Disliked: Amenities
This is an old hotel, it used to be one of the best hotels in Sandakan before.
Now I saw the building itself is outstanding there but I also realized that the quality of their service and maintenance are not perfect anymore because of recession by the pandemic.
One of the reasons why I decided this hotel for staying, the review mentions a " nice breakfast". But they don't have it now.
Regarding amenities like a shampoo and toilet rolls, it requires payment if you get extra. I stayed 2nights 3days, so I was wondering If I should buy some.
These are the things uncomfortable part staying this hote.
However, this hotel fee is cheap and stuffs are friendly. I have no complaints.
Good bang for your buck if you just need a quick night stay! Clean and easy check in process with nice helpful staff.
Kristy
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
2/10 Terrible
Boniq, Kota Kinabalu
Business traveler
Feb 3, 2021
Disliked: Staff & service
Sampai hotel security suruh tunggu next shift staff untuk sampai kerja. Pekerja shift sebelum sudah balik atas sebab transport balik waktu malam tidak ada. Terpaksa tggu hampir 3 jam lobby untuk staff kasih check-in ke bilik yang sudah dibayar.
Location was not central but not too far. 2km from center. Room was clean and hotel was quiet. Wifi was decent and able to reach room.
Jamie
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
6/10 Okay
Sutapa
Sep 24, 2018
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stay at Sanbay hotel, Sandakan
No restaurant, furniture old and chipped, very few food options outside the hotel, no WiFi in the room at all . We had to stand in the middle of the corridor or go to the reception area to connect to the WiFi
Sutapa
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
6/10 Okay
F
Aug 20, 2018
Budget hotel - ok for a night
Clean rooms with huge bathrooms, very quiet — this is the plus
Lingering smoking smell and no food is the minus. We got dinner in the local open air curry house a few minutes walk away. It is a local food place - really good but ‘very local’
All very nice, car parking very easy. Only disappointment for us was hotel evening meals (except Fri and Saturday) were very ordinary. But in saying that there is lots of food places around if you have the time. Breakfast was included in hotel price. It was basic with no fruit.
Had to change rooms 3 times before got one where room safe worked.
There were only 2 cafes nearby , one a malay curry house ,the 2nd we opted for a Chinese cafe in a Malay housing area which was a bit dodgy to get to at night (ghetto)
On plus side the staff were wonderful and tried hard
The room is nice with executive feeling-alike. Amenities is complete with fridge and basic amenities you can find in a hotel. With value prices, this a perfect place to stay in Sandakan. Since it is nearby the town, there are a lot of eateries to find. If you bring in car, the hotel will even give a free car wash. Recommended for all travellers