Chapter 7: Affordable Luxury

For travelers looking to get the highest rated room for the least amount of money, hotels.com has identified the top 10 cities in the world where a 5-star hotel* will cost the least and travelers will find the best deals. In 2011, Warsaw, Poland, Marrakech, Morocco and Cairo, Egypt offered the highest rated hotels for the lowest price, with 5-star properties in these cities selling at an average daily rate of less than $190. 

As always, price changes year-over-year were influenced by global events. Average 5-star room rates in Cairo dropped 6% between 2010 and 2011, undoubtedly a result of the Arab Spring revolution and its effect on tourism. Another significant price change occurred in Cape Town, South Africa, site of the 2010 World Cup. Between 2010 and 2011 hotel prices were deflated in Cape Town after World Cup tourism had ended, and 5-star room rates dropped 24% year-over-year. New cities rounding out the top 10 include Pisa, Italy and Brussels, Belgium, indicating a possible new trend of affordability for European destinations.

	Best 5-Star Room Rates City Country Star Rating 2010 2011 YoY ADR Warsaw Poland 5 $115 $130 13% Marrakech Morocco 5 $164 $168 3% Cairo Egypt 5 $200 $189 (6%) Budapest Hungary 5 $168 $191 13% Pisa Italy 5 $189 $193 2% Lisbon Portugal 5 $169 $195 15% Brussels Belgium 5 $172 $196 14% Berlin Germany 5 $190 $198 4% Beijing China 5 $190 $203 7%

Best Value for $100

American travelers are generally budget conscious when it comes to hotel prices. Some may find it a challenge to find a room under $100. Hotels.com has analyzed the prices and knows the right places to visit. The hotels.com Hotel Price Index breaks down the destinations that offered the highest rated hotel rooms in 2011 for just $100 per night. Bangkok, Thailand, the location of 2011’s wildly popular “The Hangover Part II” film, offers the best hotels at this price point.

	Star Rating Availability at 100 USD Price Point City Country Star Rating Bangkok Thailand 4 Marrakech Morocco 3.9 Budapest Hungary 3.7 Beijing China 3.6 Cairo Egypt 3.6 Shanghai China 3.6 Tallinn Estonia 3.6 Jakarta Indonesia 3.5 Las Vegas United States of America 3.5 Warsaw Poland 3.4 Bali Indonesia 3.2

*Each country has its own start ratings system, and in some cases, more than one.  This means travelers should be aware of a possible disparity of standards and facilities when booking rooms with the same star ratings in different countries. The hotels.com Guest Reviews are useful for researching hotels.