Mushroom Inn Semporna: 8 Loft Houses Built Like Giant Mushrooms

Some hotels borrow from architecture. This one is the architecture.

Mushrooms Inn in Semporna, Sabah, is built as eight separate mushroom-cap houses — full, rounded caps sitting low over a garden. The shape is not decorative. It defines every room inside.

Built Around an Idea

The concept is literal. Each structure takes the form of a large mushroom, cap and all, with loft-style rooms inside the curved interior. The proportions are precise — wide enough to feel open, low enough to feel held.

On the exterior facade, a hand-painted mural of Mario, Luigi, and other characters runs across the wall. It signals that the design comes from play, not convention. The colors are primary and unapologetic.

Eight mushroom houses sit across the property. Each can accommodate two adults and a child. The loft layout uses the vertical height of the cap — sleeping area elevated, living space beneath. Garden views from every unit. No two positions are exactly alike.

The Guest Experience

Inside, the rooms are simple and intentional. Three single beds in some configurations, a yellow sofa, textured walls that follow the curved form of the cap. The architecture sets the proportions. The furniture fits inside it.

The property runs on a quiet rhythm. BBQ facilities for evenings in the garden. Free WiFi throughout. Private parking. The owner — Sister Ping — manages most of it herself and knows the area well. If you need anything in Semporna, she’s the person to ask.

The surrounding town is 15 minutes by road. Tawau Airport is an hour away. The property holds the character of a place that was built because someone had an idea and followed it through.

Why Semporna

Mushrooms Inn sits at the edge of one of the world’s most important dive regions. Sipadan, consistently ranked among the top dive sites on earth, is a short boat ride from here. For divers, the architecture outside is a bonus — the water is the main event.

For everyone else, Semporna is a layover point that surprises. The town has its own pace, its own waterfront, and the occasional floating village visible from the coast. The mushroom houses give it an anchor.