Laban Rata Rest House 3,270 meter above sea level at Mt Kinabalu

Laban Rata Rest House is the place for climbers to rest, eat and sleep before the summit climb at night. It is a big building located at 3,273 meter above sea level with large and small dormitories, a restaurant serving buffet dinner, supper and breakfast and a store with post office that sell and rent clothes and some climbing accessories.

You can read more about Laban Rata at wikitravel on Laban Rata. This is another website about the facilities at Laban Rata Rest House.

The store at Laban Rata Rest House that sell and rent clothes, etc.
Go to the Reception to collect your towels and key. 

Getting There
Starting from Timpohon Gate, you will climb 6 km upward to reach Laban Rata Rest House. With average fitness, you will probably take about 6 hours to reach the rest house. Generally, climbers start the climb before 9.00am and reach Laban Rata before 3.00pm. Once you reach Laban Rata Rest House, remember to get your towels and keys (if you stay at Panar Laban, Waras Hut, Gunting Lagadan, etc.)

There is a nice map on the road to Laban Rata from the operator of Mount Kinabalu. Click here for Laban Rata's map.

We were at Laban Rata Rest House's restaurent waiting for dinner buffet to start.

Hygiene and Bath
Whether and temperature is COLD and water is freezing at Laban Rata. You will probably want to clean yourself after the 6 km climb but there is no hot water here, except for a small dormitory (that is still elusive to me). The rest house provides dry towel though.

Read more about the hygiene and bathing issue at Laban Rata here.

Food & Drinks
Buffet dinner available at approximately 5pm - 6pm. Lights at Laban Rata off at approximately 7pm and climbers sleep until 1.30am. Buffet supper is served at 2.00am. Most climbers eat and start their summit climb at 2.30am. It serves free flow of hot coffee and tea during dining hours. Cold water is always available at the dining area for climbers to refill water bottle.

Food is...simple and ok. It is buffet with sausage, eggs, rice, mee, chicken, vegetables, etc.

The buffet breakfast close at 10.00am. After that you can only order a la carte, which you need to pay extra. Most people manage to come back to Laban Rata Rest House after the summit climb by 10.00am.

Climbers have their supper/ breakfast buffet at 2.00am early in the morning before starting their climb to summit.

Beds and Sleep
Laban Rata Rest House and its dormitories are heated. Therefore it will not be cold inside the building. The bed is comfortable, though it is not so easy to sleep at 7pm and wake up at 1.30am to the summit. The dormitory we slept has 10 beds (in one big room). Men and women share the same dormitories, there is no segregation.

At Laban Rata, there are a few more hostels other than the Laban Rata Rest House itself, i.e. Panar Laban, Waras Hut, Burlington Hut, Gunting Lagadan Hut, etc. They are located withint 200 meters away from Laban Rata Rest House. However, since the only restaurant in this area which is in the rest house, those who stay in these hostels will have to walk to Laban Rata Rest House to have their meal.

These are a few photo of Laban Rata from other website.

You can read about some discussion of Laban Rata at lonely planet forum here.

Laban Rata Rest House's view from top. I was standing at Panar Laban taking this photo.