It’s what every discerning traveller wants: to stay at the most luxurious hotel for the lowest possible price. But in an age when £1,000-a-night rooms have become alarmingly normalised, securing a reasonable rate can seem almost impossible.
Little surprise then that Which? has taken the opportunity to reveal the cheapest five-star hotels in 76 countries around the globe. The consumer watchdog checked peak-season rates for thousands of hotels and found a resort in Vietnam with its own private beach to be the cheapest overall at just £22 per night. Of course, there is no universally accepted definition of a five-star hotel and classifications vary between countries. To help ensure quality, Which? said it excluded any properties that were rated below 8/10 by Hotels.com users, and those with limited facilities.
Other bargains included a spa hotel in Hungary, set in a 10-hectare park close to a lake, for £102. Closer to home, Britain’s least expensive five-star was declared to be the independent Roseate in Reading, which offers rooms from £135.
But five stars and a bargain rate do not necessarily maketh a fabulous stay. We’ve combed through the list for you to find the ones our experts around the world recommend.
Nobis Hotel
Stockholm, Sweden
Scandinavia is notoriously expensive, so this hotel stands out in the Swedish capital. You can’t get more central than its location in the square of Norrmalmstorg, in the Östermalm shopping district. The two historic buildings that make up the hotel date from the 1800s, with original features such as wooden staircases and stone floors. These combine with modern Scandi design staples such as oversized paper lamps and natural materials. Contrastingly, the Gold Bar has gold-plated walls and ceiling while the 201 bedrooms have Carrara marble bathrooms. The hotel’s restaurant Noi serves modern European cuisine family-style, with lots to share, and has become a popular destination for locals.
Doubles from £171. Read the full review here.
The Roseate Reading
Berkshire, England
Reading might not be the most glamorous of locations, but thanks to the Elizabeth Line, it’s now a very viable place to stay for visiting London – at a fraction of the cost. The Roseate is only a six-minute walk from the railway station, meaning you can be at Paddington in just over an hour. The main Grade II-listed building dates back to 1911, when it was used by lawyers working for Berkshire County Council. Elements of its former life can still be seen: the original wood panelling remains, as do the cornice mouldings, marble floor and vast fireplaces. Relax in the small spa, which has a sauna and steam room.
Doubles from £135. Read the full review here.
The Ciao Stelio Deluxe Hotel
Larnaca, Cyprus
There’s great value to be found in Cyprus, beyond the package holiday resorts with which many people (unfairly) associate the destination. This adults-only beach hotel has a boutique feel, with quirky objets d’art and 51 rooms, plus two suites. The bar serves artfully presented canapés with pre-dinner cocktails; guests can then enjoy the likes of pistachio lamb rack or sautéed seafood drizzled with lemon liqueur in the restaurant. A nearby fitness centre with an indoor pool is available for guests to use free of charge.
Doubles from £154. Read the full review here.
The Marcliffe Hotel and Spa
Aberdeen, Scotland
This Victorian country house, set in extensive manicured grounds, has attracted royalty, politicians and celebrities over the years. It’s located outside of the city centre, cocooned by 11 acres of woodland and mature gardens. The privately owned hotel offers classic, traditional hospitality across its 38 spacious rooms and suites, along with modern comforts such as a spa. Dinner is served in the Conservatory restaurant and the local, seafood-heavy menu is a delight. The Drawing Room bar and lounge features deep armchairs and sofas where afternoon tea, aperitifs and digestifs are taken.
Doubles from £205. Read the full review here.
Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort
Bel Ombre, Mauritius
This all-suite hotel located on a quiet but narrow stretch of sandy beach in the foothills of the Black River Gorges National Park is a great choice for honeymooners. A bridge over the river leads from the lobby to the sea, past a central infinity pool with muslin-draped cabanas set in tropical gardens scattered with hammocks. The property is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and rooms come with butler service. There are two pools – one heated in winter – and a spa, along with heaps of activities, from kitesurfing and award-winning golf to yoga and cooking classes.
Doubles from £231. Read the full review here.
Voco St David’s
Cardiff, Wales
This sail-topped hotel is a class act in Cardiff Bay. It has knockout views across the water to Penarth, while tides seep into rooms via colour and motif. The restaurant riffs creatively on fresh Welsh produce, while the spa is among the country’s best, with a hydrotherapy pool and nature-inspired treatments.
A 20-acre wetlands reserve sits next door to the hotel, a peaceful place to wander at sunset. Interiors are impressive: the curved cobalt-blue atrium spirals into white as it rises all the way to the seventh floor – internal balconies on each create an illusion of expanding space. Although Which? found peak-season rates of £301, rooms in low season start from just £139.
Doubles from £139 (or £301 in high season). Read the full review here.
Avani Deira
Dubai, UAE
In a city known for gold-plated glamour and hotels shaped like superyachts, finding affordable accommodation may seem tricky. However, away from the high-priced Palm are a number of good-value hotels such as Avani Deira, which is close to Dubai Creek in one of the city’s older neighbourhoods. Guests can enjoy a rooftop pool and an Arabic restaurant serving freshly caught fish. The Avani chain has built up a reputation for reasonable and reliable mid-luxury. One of its best properties is in Bangkok, which shares the same prized riverside location as some of the city’s best hotels but rooms cost about a sixth of the price of its neighbours.
Doubles from £98
Grand Hotel Continental Bucuresti
Bucharest, Romania
This 19th-century property in a smart area of the Romanian capital was described by Which? as one of the most impressive hotels on its list. There’s a noble, nostalgic air to the 59-room Continental, which was carefully furnished with pieces sourced from top auction houses. In the fine-dining restaurant expect silverware, candelabras, baroque furniture and waistcoated waiters. Attentive concierges and a spa (with hot tub and sauna) seal the deal. Bucharest remains one of Europe’s affordable capitals, and deals at smart chains such as JW Marriott and the Intercontinental can be found for little more than £100.
Doubles from £87
Five more affordable luxury hotels
The Telegraph’s 10,000-strong collection of hotel review is a treasure trove of excellent affordable places to stay. In Dubai, one of our highest-rated hotels is 25 Hours One Central, which entertains guests from dusk to dawn with the city’s leading coffee roasters, a “Bavarian pub”, rooftop pool and even a pottery studio. Doubles from £112. Read the full review here.
Marrakech is not short of reasonably priced riad hotels and, according to our local expert Paula Hardy, Riad L’Atelier in the northeast corner of the city is among the best of the bunch. The “refreshingly light and bright riad houses five soothingly decorated suites set around a turquoise pool framed by sculptural palms and pretty graphic tiles.” Doubles from £107. Read the full review here.
Much of southeast Asia offers incredible value for money, not least the Cambodian coast. In the sweet town of Kep, famous for its crabs, sits Knai Bang Chatt. “This 18-room seaside resort is a little world of its own. Its modernist architecture is insanely photogenic, fronted by sweeping sea views, serene gardens and a large swimming pool,” writes Lee Cobaj. Doubles from £118. Read the full review here.
Elsewhere in Asia, Eaton Hong Kong is a high-rise hotel that features “stylish 1970s-inspired rooms, a rooftop pool, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant and a fabulous food court.” Doubles from £120. Read the full review here.
And finally, Sri Lanka’s surfing community of Ahangama is home to PALM, where rooms take the form of A-frame cabanas that were “inspired by Shoreditch warehouse conversions”.The “nutritious food and hammock-laden gardens” complete the picture. Cabanas from £107. Read the full review here.