Family-friendly hotels & staycations in Malaysia
School holidays are creeping up faster than an on-the-loose toddler with a crayon, and dinner time suddenly turns into a holiday planning committee. Planning for holiday trips can be as or even more overwhelming than work itself, especially for families with young kiddos.
Whether you’re looking for a short staycation in the city or seeking a resort in another state, we’ve compiled a list of 8 family-friendly hotels and staycations, so you can choose your next family vacation, just in time to enjoy the school holidays or any time of the year.
Table of Contents
- Family-friendly hotels & staycations in Malaysia
- Price breakdown of family-friendly hotels
- 1. M Resort & Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
- 2. Holiday Inn Melaka
- 3. Villea Rompin Resort & Golf, Pahang
- 4. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Sabah
- 5. The Bayview Beach Resort, Penang
- 6. Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Perak
- 7. Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort, Pahang
- 8. The Dusun, Negeri Sembilan
Price breakdown of family-friendly hotels
| Area | Hotel | Best feature | Rates per night |
| Jalan Damansara | M Resort And Hotel | Golf-course views and kids play area | From RM400 |
| Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz | Holiday Inn Melaka | Near to tourist attractions | From RM360 |
| Kuala Rompin | Villea Rompin Resort & Golf | Direct beach and golf course access | From RM250 |
| Tanjung Aru | Shangri-La Tanjung Aru | All kinds of amenities on hotel grounds | From RM760 |
| Batu Ferringhi | The Bayview Beach Resort | Direct beach access and picturesque beach views | From RM270 |
| Bukit Merah | Bukit Merah Laketown Resort | Waterpark and plenty of outdoor activities | From RM160 |
| Janda Baik | Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort | Kampung-style accomodation | From RM180 |
| Seremban | The Dusun | Panoramic views of the forest | From RM370 |
1. M Resort & Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Budget staycation in Malaysia’s capital city
Image credit: M Resort & Hotel
M Resort & Hotel is a good option for families looking for a quick escape from Kuala Lumpur. The 5-star hotel boasts a resort-style staycation with a ton of kid-friendly amenities for the kiddos to enjoy without burning a hole in your wallet.
The hotel overlooks Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam, boasting views of the tranquil golf-course that make you feel like you’ve escaped the city.
Image credit: M Resort & Hotel
M Hotel & Resort also has several amenities that will make your stay more relaxed for parents and fun-filled for children. The hotel’s beach-like pool gives off coastal vibes and has slides in the kids’ section of the pool.
Image adapted from: M Resort & Hotel
In the hotel’s Kids’ Club, kids can play and participate in interactive activities; one half is filled with tables for arts and crafts, while the other has a slide, a ball pit, and miniature wall-climbing fixtures.
Price per night: From RM400
Address: Jalan Damansara, Bukit Kiara, 60000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-7932 6582 | M Resort & Hotel website
2. Holiday Inn Melaka
A hassle-free accommodation in the heart of Melaka
Image credit: Holiday Inn Melaka
Consider Holiday Inn Melaka if you’re seeking a fuss-free place to stay in the historic city of Melaka. If your children aren’t fans of sharing a bed, this hotel has a Kids’ Suite with a queen-sized bed, double-decker bunk beds, and designated play areas to keep the kids occupied.
Image credit: Holiday Inn Melaka
Located in the heart of the city centre of Melaka, the hotel’s location makes it easy for families to plan around tourist attraction visits like the Taming Sari Tower and The Maritime Museum of Melaka. Eateries and convenience stores are also located near the hotel so you don’t need to stress about deciding where to makan.
Price per night: From RM360
Address: Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz, 75000, Melaka
Contact: 06-285 9000 | 1-800-801-881 | Holiday Inn Melaka website
3. Villea Rompin Resort & Golf, Pahang
A quiet golf resort next to a beach
Image credit: Villea Rompin Golf & Resort
A clear morning at Villea Rompin Resort & Golf will have you waking up to views of the verdant teeing grounds of the golf course on one side and cerulean ocean waves of the seaside on the other.
Image credit: Villea Rompin Golf & Resort
Nestled on the coast of Kuala Rompin and facing the South China Sea, Villea Rompin Resort & Golf is an idyllic getaway for families looking to relax during the school holidays. This quiet golf resort is equipped with modern rooms and suites offering poolside or seaside views for that picturesque family vacation.
Image credit: Villea Rompin Golf & Resort
As for activities, the golf-obsessed parent can enjoy a few rounds of holes in one and the little ones can splash around in the resort’s wading pools. With the resort’s direct beach access, families are able to have a leisurely stroll along the sandy shores.
Price per night: From RM250
Address: Kampung Lanjut, 26800 Kuala Rompin, Pahang
Contact: 09-415 8888 | Villea Rompin Resort & Golf website
4. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Sabah
Luxury and convenience in one place
Image credit: Shangri-La Tanjung Aru
If you’re hunting for a scenic resort that is perfect for idling, family-friendly fun, hassle-free convenience, and just the right touch of luxury in one place, it’s tough to beat Shangri-La Tanjung Aru.
The resort grounds are vast, as they house two separate accommodation wings, the Tanjung Wing and Kinabalu Wing, that offer rooms that can comfortably accommodate a family of four. These wings provide breathtaking vistas of the sea and mountains.
Image credit: Shangri-La Tanjung Aru
Families can enjoy many on-site activities without leaving the resort at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru. Some of their amenities include an indoor kids’ play area and many pools for youngsters to splash around in. The water play areas even have water battle stations where guests can launch water balloons for some friendly water fights.
Located only 15-minutes away from Kota Kinabalu Airport by car, the resort is accessible and convenient for families looking to kick their feet up and enjoy the school holidays.
Price per night: From RM760
Address: No. 20, Jalan Aru, Tanjung Aru, 88100, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Contact: 088-327 888 | Shangri-La Tanjung Aru website
5. The Bayview Beach Resort, Penang
Seaside views overlooking Batu Ferringhi beach
Image credit: Bayview Beach Resort
Rooms at the Bayview Beach Resort stay true to their name, offering landscape views of the Andaman Sea and the sandy stretches of Batu Ferringhi beach–suitable for families who are looking for a beach-centric accommodation in Penang island.
Image adapted from: Bayview Beach Resort
Amenities-wise, the Bayview Beach Resort features a shallow kids’ pool with slides, tipping water buckets, and sprinklers for children to cool down in Penang’s heat.
For families with children between the ages of 3 and 7, the hotel even has a designated indoor children’s play area with a large gym play area for them to play their hearts out.
Price per night: From RM270
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100, Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-886 1111 | Bayview Beach Resort website
6. Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Perak
A laketown resort with a water park & animal sanctuary
Image credit: Bukit Merah Laketown Resort
For adventurous families that are looking to spend their holidays outdoors, Bukit Merah Laketown Resort is an ideal place to spend a few nights. The lakeside resort has all sorts of recreational activities that will keep the adrenaline junkies satisfied.
As for their accommodations, the resort has water chalets looking over Bukit Merah Lake for those seeking panoramic views of the 7,000-acre lake.
Image adapted from: Bukit Merah Laketown Resort via Facebook
Next to the resort is an 11-acre waterpark with over 10 attractions for families to enjoy. For the thrill seekers, the waterpark has a few exhilarating water slides ranging from cone-shaped water slides to swirly slides that’ll keep the heart racing.
Image adapted from: Bukit Merah Laketown Resort via Facebook
Waterparks aside, Bukit Merah Laketown Resort also has a 3-acre eco sanctuary inside of a tropical rainforest where visitors can get up close and personal with animals and experience what it’s like to interact with them.
Families can also enjoy a splash of other activities on Bukit Merah Lake with kayaking adventures and recreational fishing
Price per night: From RM160
Address: Jalan Bukit Merah, 34400, Simpang Empat Semanggol, Perak
Contact: 05-890 8888 | Bukit Merah Laketown Resort website
7. Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort, Pahang
An eight-acre nature resort with all types of rooms
Image credit: Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort
Guests will be spoiled for choice at Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort, an eight-acre nature resort in Janda Baik whose Malay-style architecture and more than 24 unique accommodation types transport you straight into the charm of a traditional Malay kampung.
Image credit: Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort
From two-storey houses, dormitory-style residences to smaller homes, Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort has rooms that can accommodate small and big families looking for a tranquil place to unwind.
Image adapted from: Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort
The resort also offers a wide variety of activities to its guests, including river trekking, archery, cycling, flying fox ziplines and a petting zoo with horses and animals so you don’t need to travel far from the resort to have fun.
Price per night: From RM180
Address: Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort, Lot 495, Kampung Hulu Chemperuh, Kampung Janda Baik, 28750, Bentong, Pahang
Contact: 012-327 8133 | Sugeh Hill Exclusive Eco Resort website
8. The Dusun, Negeri Sembilan
A private forest estate for a nature getaway
Image credit: The Dusun
Tucked away in a pristine rainforest, just a short escape from the quiet town of Seremban, lies The Dusun—a spacious lodge where visitors are greeted to an endless expanse of lush greenery.
Designed with timber and stone while weaving Malay architecture into their villas, the eco retreat blends seamlessly into the encircling rainforest that is suitable for families who just want to chill and relax while being immersed in nature.
Image credit: The Dusun
The Dusun runs up to seven kinds of houses, spanning from cozier villas to loftier houses with all of them having open-air wooden verandahs that showcase panoramic views of the thriving trees of the Berumbun Forest Reserve.
Image adapted from: The Dusun
Near the estate, families can choose from a variety of activities to suit every taste. From river and jungle trekking for the more adventurous itinerant to gentle forest walks for the easygoing folk, the Dusun is an ideal place for families that want to enjoy the zen of the Malaysian jungle.
Price per night: From RM370
Address: 3437, Jalan Kampung Baharu Pantai, Pantai, 71770, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
Contact: 012-616 2585 | The Dusun website
Check into these family-friendly hotels for the school holidays
Planning school holiday trips with the family can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be, after all you’re here to create lasting memories for the family.
So, if you’re planning a trip and don’t know where to look, start with this list of family-friendly hotels, suitable for the school holiday season and any time of the year.
For more hotels in Malaysia, check out:
Cover image adapted from: Flickr, The Dusun, Villea Rompin Golf & Resort, M Resort & Hotel