On arrival, the reception staff escorted us to our room and handed us our room key in a folder which says "Here's what we believe is the key to a perfect stay". I'm always interested in the slogans that companies use. Are they just cute written garnish dreamt up by some distant marketing dept, or do the staff on the ground really believe this is their mission statement & job to deliver on that promise. Let's find out. The suite we have been given looks magnificent, all dark wood & soft furnishings but at the same time full of modern comforts. The team have recognised that it's Linda's birthday & present her with a cake, fruit & chocolates, which is so very much appreciated. As a Golden Circle member they have all my details, so just a signature completes check in. A welcome card from the General Manager adds to the feeling we are valued guests. So the meet & greet aspect gets a tick plus a bonus point. The room is equipped with almost everything you could need for a brief stay in the area. A comfortable lounge with sofa & chairs, fridge & tea & coffee making facilities, plus large screen TV & access to a small balcony. The bedroom has a large comfortable king sized bed, desk, safe, hair dryer, plus linen robes & slippers. An iron & board would have been nice. Patio doors led to the main balcony, which was big enough for about 20 people, with striking views over the city, particularly at night. The bathroom was spacious, as was the whole suite, with a great shower, heavier towelling robes for going to & from the pool & spa, plus all the toiletries you could think of. We needn't have brought any of our own. Small design flaw here in that you couldn't reach the toilet roll from your seat (looks good but functionally deficient). Air con was good & a powder room, together with many little touches & additions such as a bedside clock finished off the facilities en suite. Most of all it was restful & quiet & we slept very well. So that's another tick then. Through the door to the corridor/balcony gave you view of the little tropical garden that sat at the base of the central atrium. The trickling sound of water & the lighting made it feel tranquil & a great chill out space. Double doors led to the outdoor infinity pool, which also gave way to views over the city. On this level is also a lounge area where they serve cocktails so that you can take advantage of panoramic views of the city as the sun sets. They should get a waiter to periodically visit this area at other times as it's a great place to just sit & have a quiet drink but seemed deserted most of the time. It's been brilliantly decorated with lights that just gave us the impression of a flock of birds sweeping across the sky. We ate our breakfast & dinner in the 1st floor restaurant & found the staff attentive, a good selection of tasty well prepared & presented dishes. It has a modern open feeling to it & is light & airy. Local dishes & international dishes are available, we tried the local menu & it was great. The ticks just keep coming. The staff make all the difference & here they are exceptional. Every member of staff greeted you with a smile, addressed you respectfully, was helpful when asked for assistance, or more often than not offered it. Hard to pick one member out but Celine was particularly attentive & checked on us a couple of times just to make sure everything was OK & to check if there was anything was needed. There was a well equipped gym (didn't use it) and good speed WiFi available throughout the hotel. So was it a perfect stay or just rhetoric? It's hard to be perfect as individual tastes will always dictate some aspect that wasn't just so. Having said that, this is as close to perfect as we've encountered anywhere in the world. So our thanks & congratulations to the staff here for a "perfect stay". One of Shangri-La's hotels won awards in the Sabah Tourism Awards last month & if this is the standard I can quite see why. Other hotels take note, this is what you need to aspire to.