There are two types of travellers: Those who say “the hotel doesn’t matter, we’ll barely be in it anyway!” and those who would never stay in anything less than five-star luxury.
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If you count yourself among the latter group, but don’t have the budget to match your expensive taste, you might want to check out Hotels.com’s latest report.
Looking at internal booking data, the 2026 Hotel Price Index has revealed the most affordable cities for a five-star stay, and all of them are under €200 a night on average.
The best-value city around the world for a plush stay without the premium price tag is Nha Trang in Vietnam, at €81 per night, but eight out of the top 10 are in Europe.
Where to book a five-star stay for under €200 a night in Europe
In Europe, Spain’s Zaragoza topped the list, with average daily stays of €140 per night.
The capital of Aragon, Zaragoza is the country’s fourth most populous city, but it isn’t suffering from the overtourism problem many other destinations are facing.
Its Mudéjar architecture is UNESCO World Heritage listed, and you can also visit popular attractions like Aljafería Palace or the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.
Zaragoza is also a hot destination for chocolate lovers – monks here were supposedly the first to try cacao in all of Europe, and you can explore this history with a Chocopass.
Next up on the list is Wrocław in Poland, which also has an average stay of €140 per night.
Its picturesque Old Town, which is surrounded by the city moat, is filled with museums and monuments, and you can also visit the UNESCO-listed Centennial Hall.
Albania’s coastline gets much of the attention, but its capital, Tirana, is well worth a visit – particularly if you want a five-star stay for an average of €150 per night.
The city is home to must-visit museums like the National History Museum and the Bunk’Art museums, which explore life under the rule of Enver Hoxha.
Going from the Balkans to the Baltics, Latvia’s capital Riga also offers luxury stays for an average of €150 per night.
You can visit the city’s many churches, wander around streets filled with Art Nouveau architecture, or explore the country’s burgeoning craft brewery scene.
Another overlooked capital is Zagreb in Croatia. Better still, it boasts top-notch stays for an average of €150 a night.
Visitors can check out Saint Mark’s Church, hear the noon cannon at Lotrščak Tower and reminisce at the Museum of Broken Relationships.
Bulgaria’s capital is a good spot for craft beer, Roman ruins, and skiing. Plus, five-star stays average around €157 a night.
Greece is always a popular holiday destination for the summer months, but you don’t necessarily have to splash out – stays in Heraklion, Crete, also average €157 per night.
Another Baltic capital, Estonia’s Tallinn completes the list of best-value five-star stays in Europe, with prices averaging around €163 per night.
Top tourist attractions include the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the Seaplane Harbour which is now a maritime museum, and the Song Festival Grounds.
The top ten was rounded out by Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where stays are also around €163 per night.
Other money-saving tips
If you’re the kind of person who books a flight now and worries about accommodation later, you might be inadvertently saving yourself some serious cash.
Last-minute travellers who book their stay between zero and seven days before arrival save an average of 26% compared to those who lock in their hotel more than four months out.
Travelling off-season is an obvious way to save, and January is the cheapest month of the year, according to Hotels.com’s data.
If you’re flexible on when you land, you can also save big bucks – you can save 14% by starting your stay on a Sunday rather than a Saturday.
“With increasing volatility in travel prices this summer, fuel costs may be dominating the conversation, but hotel prices are where travellers are making real trade-offs,” said Melanie Fish, travel expert and spokesperson for Hotels.com.
“Travellers may be feeling the squeeze, but they’re also getting smarter. We’re seeing travellers save as much as 26% by booking closer in, starting stays on Sundays, or looking beyond the U.K., where five-star hotels can offer strong value.”
