OK, I’ll admit it. My name is Sharon and until last year, I had never stayed at a 5-star hotel.
Sure, we had stayed at our fair share of 4-star hotels. The Palace in San Francisco. The Waldorf=Astoria in NYC. The Great Northern and St. Pancras Renaissance in London. The Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa in Vietnam. I’m pretty sure at least one of the places we stayed in during our honeymoon in Hawaii was 4 stars.
But until we stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa for our 20th anniversary last year, I had never stayed at a 5-star resort.
That’s fine because as I’ve said before, I’m not a fancy hotel girl and when it comes down to it, I really don’t care where we stay. Holiday Inn Express, Four Seasons…whatever; it’s all good. But besides just not being “hoity toity” like that, 5-star places are usually just too expensive.
Apparently, the latter is not necessarily an excuse anymore.
in 2021, Top Dollar Financial Insights Hub, which is brought to the world by AccreditedDebtRelief.com, listed what were, at the time, the cheapest 5-star hotels in the world. And are you sitting down? At the time, they all started at under $49 per night.
Granted, their list is from almost 2 years ago. Times have changed, prices fluctuate and, of course, hotel prices have gone through the roof since covid has become less of an issue. But all of the hotels on their list still show rare bargains – and they’re STILL all under.
Of course, every place that considers how many stars a hotel has different criteria. For Top Dollar Financial Insight Hub’s list, they searched for, five-star hotels in every country on Hotels.com for a one-night stay for two in July 2021 and found the 10 cheapest accommodations for each country. Sale prices were ignored, and any countries that had fewer than five five-star hotels available were removed. They also separated equally priced hotels in the top 10 by favoring the bigger room in terms of square footage.
In no particular order, here are the cheapest of the cheap of 5-star places. All of them are $70 per night or less.
Angkor Aurora, Cambodia
Located in Siem Reap, just a 15 minute or less walk from the important landmarks, the Angkor Aurora offers nightly rates beginning at $41. With just 15 rooms, this hotel has suites with large balconies, a pool, spa, kids’ club, restaurant and bar/lounge.
Grand Elysee La Residence, Cambodia
Also located in Siem Reap, this 5-story hotel has 32 guest rooms. A restaurant is on site, as is a full-service spa, outdoor pool and free kids club. Not bad for $37/night, huh? (their prices, by the way, went DOWN. In 2021, they started at a whopping $39/ni)
Grand Venus La Residence, Cambodia
Another hotel in Siem Reap, for just $41 per night, is the Grand Venus La Residence. Their 25 smoke-free rooms are just a 3-minute walk from Angkor Wat. The hotel also boasts a restaurant and bar/lounge, full-service spa, outdoor pool and a free airport shuttle.
The Surmeli Hotel, Turkey
Starting at only $70 per night, the Surmeli Adana, in Adana Turkey, is part of the 3-hotel Turkish Surmeli chain (the other two are in Istanbul and Ankara). Located in the city center, the hotel offers a spa, restaurant, gym and pool, along with modern rooms and suites. The hotel is also popular for weddings and has several meeting rooms on site.
The Raweekanlaya Hotel Bangkok, Thailand
With room rates that start at just $64/night, this hotel is built off of a historic residence that was once the home of King Rama VI’s royal governess. Built in the late 1800s, the hotel has 38 guest rooms that include classic furnishings and modern amenities. An authentic Thai cuisine restaurant is on-site, as is an outdoor swimming pool.
Hotel Ickale, Turkey
The Hotel Ickale is located in ancient Ankara, Turkey. Rooms start at $59 per night. The hotel offers elegant rooms as well as a gym, vitamin bar and a spa boasting its own Turkish bath. Handicapped accessible rooms are available, and some rooms have views of the Mausoleum of the Ataturk, which is a local landmark.
Grand Mercure Medan Angkasa, Indonesia
And we’re back in Indonesia, at another Accor property. The Grand Mercure Media Angkasa is located within the city’s business and shopping districts. Their rooms have contemporary furnishings, and they also boast a swimming pool, fitness center, restaurant and meeting space for up to 500. Rooms start at $36 a night.
The Royal Surakarta Heritage Solo – MGallery Collection, Indonesia
Another Accor property in Indonesia – I’m seeing a trend ;-). The Royal Surakarta Heritage – MGallery Collection is described as a boutique hotel with personality. Located on the main street of town, the hotel offers unique and spacious room, Srikandi Restaurant, a semi-outdoor swimming pool, Tirtotedjo pool bar, Mustika Spa, and a fitness center. The cost per night starts at $28.
Novotel Ahmedabad Hotel, India
Another of the cheapest 5-star hotels in the world, which starts at just $49 per night, is, not surprisingly, an Accor property. Located in Ahmedabad, India, “The hotel welcomes natural light in abundance and has a swimming pool, a fitness centre & wellness solutions by O2 Spa. It is located in close proximity to shopping malls and entertainment centers. The hotel is at a 30 minutes distance from the international and domestic airport which makes it ideal for business & leisure travelers.” Know why I’m impressed? Their breakfast buffet is over 7 hours long, from 4:30 am to noon! (although the first 2 hours and last 90 minutes are admittedly limited to cold items).
Hey, are there any cheap 5-star hotels in the U.S.?
Funny you should ask! There is! Of course, it’s not anywhere near the $40-something and $70-somethingprices you can find in Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand and India. But the 5-star Adero Scottsdale Autograph Collection, in Arizona, starts at $202 per night.
Feature Photo: pxhere
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.