I’ve heard the opinion from other travellers that your choice of hotel isn’t important because you will spend so little time there anyway. Rubbish, I say. Having a clean, spacious, comfortable room to return to and rest up for your next excursion is a must . . . being in a dingy dirty hovel is not restful, and the few bucks you might save isn’t worth the bad frame of mind you’ll start your day off with thanks to the crappy accommodations you spent the night in.

Of course selecting a hotel in a place you’ve never visited (unless you opt for the $150+ 4 and 5 star hotels) can be iffy. Occasionally you luck out as I did in my choice of residences in Kota Kinabalu. I’d looked over the possible choices and decided to try the Hotel Shangri-La, partially for the name and partially for its location close to the main shopping malls and markets. At about $60 a night, it seemed a good choice for the three days I’d be there.

The room was clean, beautifully decorated, and spacious . . . even had a separate seating area by the window with views over looking the city and harbor. As I sat at the window sipping coffee (provided in-room) the night sky lit up with fireworks displaying their vivid colors that reflected off the harbor’s waters (it was the first night of the national City Day holiday . . . whatever that celebration is).

The head of the shower was mounted on an adjustable arm, providing me with a steady stream of water to cascade over my head in the morning (a treat in Asia where most shower heads are mounted at a height suitable for people five feet tall). And the bed . . . I still dream of that bed! Luscious goose down pillows stacked to the ceiling, an equally luxurious mattress that you could sink into, and sheets that felt as though they’d been spun of silk.

Waking from a night cradled in luxury, I was as happy as a poodle whose ass had just been licked by a big, handsome great dane. I really have no reason to ever visit Kota Kinabalu again. But that bed at the Shangri-La still calls to me . . . .

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