Friendly Homestay — Hotel in Borneo

The place is a bit run down, you can tell that it's barely maintained.

The family room is quite spacious for 3 adults. Our veranda is overlooking other rooms so there are no privacy if you're out chilling outside.

Expect a muddy smell since it's a mangrove area. You can even smell it in the bathroom.

The bathroom is small, and the frosted glass door does not help at all. People still can see your bare a$$.

Air conditioner's swing was broken, we had to do some trick to prevent the air from freezing our head when we sleep.

Woken up by loud party noises from our neighbouring room at around 12 midnight and 4am. When we complain to the front desk the morning after, they told us that we should tell the front desk and the staff will knock on the door and warn them. But why didn't they do it without needing a complaint first? They put out a sign do not make noise after 9pm but when people do, they just wait it out until someone else comes and make a complaint?

But the real deal breaker was when we saw the towels being laid on the lobby seats, and the blankets on the railing to be air dried. One of the blanket even touched a flower pot. The contamination that comes from the seats and soils in the flower pot.... Imagine the horror! We didn't pay for the rooms all to get a contaminated towel and blanket! Does this means they can't afford laundry and drier?

The staffs are all unbothered. They don't mind guests seeing these horrors.

To be honest, I wouldn't recommend the place, unless you're in a dire need of a place to stay the night and there are no other possible options.

On the brighter side, the food are nice. We orderd 1kg dry butter prawn and it was a reasonable price of RM65 with a good amount , and the taste is good and prawn seems fresh. You can still come with family and have a good seafood dinner, but...

In June 2024 there is a promotion where all room types are RM99 per night. We booked the "Seaview Twin Room" for a one-night stay. Our room is 113.

The door is a bit tight, and the room is simple but spacious. Two beds, one wardrobe, a desk, a chair, a bin, and a bedside table. Cleanliness is acceptable, though most of the furnishings have seen better days. The best thing about the room is the balcony and the view of the mangrove swamp and a hill right in front.

The worst thing about the room would have to be the bathroom. It is small, but that's not the main issue. The linoleum flooring has cracks, so water tends to seep underneath and it's just not very pleasant. Another problem is the water collects in the corners and around the toilet bowl after a shower as it does not flow well into the drain. The water heater works, but even the lowest setting is too hot, so if you wish to take warm shower, will need to keep toggling between turning on and off the heater knob.

Other areas to improve include the bedroom flooring, as well as curtains which need to either be cleaned or replaced. The bedsheets are nice, the pillow is too flat for me (but that's just a personal preference), the towels provided are of good quality too. We can recommend this room type just for the view alone, though the quality of the room itself needs some improvement.

During check-out I mentioned about the bathroom, and the operators said they are renovating the bathrooms one room at a time, so hopefully in due time the issues with the bathroom can be resolved and more people can enjoy this place comfortably.

Recommended for the views, if the condition of the bathroom can be improved, we can highly...

Friendly Homestay – True to Its Name, Warm & Welcoming! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Our stay at Friendly Homestay was absolutely wonderful. From the moment we arrived, the host greeted us with a smile and made us feel right at home. Their hospitality and helpful tips about the area really added to our experience.

Clean & Comfortable Rooms 🛏️ The room was spotless, spacious, and well-maintained. The bed was comfortable with fresh linens, and the air-conditioning kept the room cool throughout our stay. The bathroom was clean and equipped with all the basic amenities we needed.

Convenient Location 📍 Friendly Homestay is located in a safe and quiet neighborhood, yet it’s close to shops, restaurants, and local attractions. Many places are within walking distance, and parking is also available for guests with cars.

Food & Nearby Choices 🍜☕ There are plenty of local eateries and coffee shops nearby where you can enjoy authentic food at affordable prices. The host also gave great recommendations for hidden gems we wouldn’t have found on our own.

Hospitality & Safety 🛡️ The host truly lives up to the name “Friendly” — always ready to help but also giving us enough privacy to feel comfortable. The property felt safe and secure, which made our stay even more relaxing.

Overall, Friendly Homestay is a great choice for travelers who value cleanliness, comfort, and warm hospitality at a reasonable price. We will definitely come back and recommend it to friends...