Ultimate 5-star destinations for budget travellers

Young woman enjoys drinking coffee and coconut. Koh Phangan island, Thailand
By Vanessa Bussoletti


For Aussies who dream of living the millionaire lifestyle – but on an affordable budget – the latest Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com has got you covered.

The study has revealed 18 destinations where Aussie travellers have gotten five-star hotel luxury for $200 or less per night in 2016, with Southeast Asian favourites leading the pack.

For the second year running, top-of-the-range luxury was enjoyed for far less in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the gateway to the ruins of Angkor Wat.

It came out on top as the best-value destination among those analysed for five-star accommodation under $200 per night. The average price paid for a five-star hotel room in Siem Reap in 2016 was $140 per night.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia came in as the second-most affordable destination for five-star accommodation where the average price paid for a luxury hotel room was only $143 per night. A five-star room in the beachside town of Pattaya in Thailand ($163) and in Istanbul, Turkey ($170) also topped the list of destinations where Aussies nabbed lavish accommodation for under $200 per night.

The data on accomodation prices is drawn from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of accommodations on the Hotels.com websites worldwide.

Backyard bargains

Back home, popular Australian destinations offered premier accommodation on a shoestring budget, with Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra and Perth all coming in under $200 per night in the average price paid for a five-star hotel room. In New Zealand the affordable hotel prices in Rotorua and Christchurch were just $170 and $176 per night respectively for a five-star room.

David Spasovic, Marketing Manager Australia and New Zealand for the Hotels.com brand, said, “Luxury hotels can be extremely pricey— but they don’t have to be if you’re a smart traveller. The Hotels.com Hotel Price Index showcases exotic and culturally-rich destinations around the world where Aussies are spoilt for choice when it comes to luxury accommodation on a lemonade budget.

“With the widest range of hotel choices, competitive deals and user-friendly technology, Hotels.com is the ideal place to find a luxury escape that won’t break the bank.”

Destinations where Aussies splashed their cash

The latest Hotels.com HPI revealed that Anaheim in the United States took out the top city in the world among those analysed where Australians paid the most for five-star accommodation, at an eye-watering $870 per night. Mykonos in Greece ($622), Cancun in Mexico ($598), Florence in Italy ($570) and Hawaii’s Honolulu ($558) came in second, third, fourth and fifth place respectively.

Destinations where Aussies paid $200 or less for 5-stars in 2016: 

 

DestinationAverage price per night (AUD)
Siem Reap, Cambodia$140
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia$143
Pattaya, Thailand$163
Istanbul, Turkey$170
Rotorua, New Zealand$170
Brisbane, Australia$173
Manila, Philippines$174
Christchurch, New Zealand$176
Adelaide, Australia$179
Bangkok, Thailand$180
Penang, Malaysia$186
Hanoi, Vietnam$192
Canberra, Australia$192
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam$194
Cairns, Australia$197
Berlin, Germany$197
Perth, Australia$198
Phnom Penh, Cambodia$198

Destinations where Aussies paid most for 5-stars in 2016:

DestinationAverage price per night (AUD)
Anaheim, CA, USA$870
Mykonos, Greece$622
Cancun, Mexico$598
Florence, Italy$570
Honolulu, HI, USA$558
Santorini, Greece$539
Washington DC, USA$511
Milan, Italy$506
Los Angeles, CA, USA$488
Hollywood, CA, USA$485

 

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