Which? magazine identified the world's most affordable five-star hotels, considering peak-season rates and excluding properties rated below 8/10 on Hotels.com. A Vietnamese resort topped the list at £22 per night, while a Hungarian spa hotel offered rooms for £102. In the UK, The Roseate in Reading provided the most affordable five-star experience at £135 per night. However, even the cheapest options in some expensive locations, such as Reykjavik, remained notably higher, starting at £647.
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. Of course, some destinations are so expensive that even the cheapest five-star hotel will set you back considerably – the Reykjavik Edition, for instance, which came in at £647 on the Which? list (although rates in low season start from £380).
But five stars and a bargain rate do not necessarily guarantee a fabulous stay. We’ve combed through the list for you to find the ones our experts around the world recommend.
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.
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.
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