Top 10 Cities With the Cheapest 5-Star Hotels in 2026

A new Hotels.com study has revealed the cities where a five-star hotel stay costs less than a decent three-day shopping spree in a metropolis. Find out where in the world luxury hotels are available even on a budget, how much a night in top destinations costs, and when is the best time to book your trip

Order a medical guide from Visit World and get ready for your medical trip!

ORDER GUIDE

Most travelers are convinced that a luxury hotel is not a luxury for every budget. However, a new study proves that a five-star suite, a rooftop pool or a buffet breakfast can cost less than a room in a regular chain hotel. The Hotels.com platform has published its annual Hotel Price Index for 2026, and it turns the idea of ​​​​where to find real hotel luxury for a reasonable price upside down.

The study is based on the platform's internal booking data and a survey of more than 11,000 travelers around the world. Analysts compared the average cost of a night in five-star hotels in dozens of destinations and identified those where the price remains below the conventional threshold of luxury - and these are not always the expected locations.

When planning a trip for medical treatment abroad, you will need not a tourist visa, but a medical visa - and the requirements for it are significantly different. The Visit World team has prepared a step-by-step guide with all the necessary information for its registration in any country in the world.

Choose the Guide for treatment from Visit World and go for treatment with the confidence that the documents are already under control.

Who topped the ranking of the cheapest 5-star hotels in the world?

The first place in the global list was taken by the beach city of Nha Trang in Vietnam. Here, the average cost of a night in a five-star hotel is approximately 94 US dollars. This is the lowest figure among all the destinations studied - lower even than most three-star hotels in popular European capitals.

Interestingly, according to the report, among the destinations with consistently affordable five-star hotels (up to 150 dollars per night) also appear Porto Alegre in Brazil and Phuket in Thailand - both cities are increasingly attracting tourists precisely with a combination of high-quality service and reasonable prices.

Find the best travel destinations in our Where to Go in July 2026 guide.

Visit World services for tourists, migrants, and expats: Insurance | Guides | Legal advice

TOP 10 cheapest destinations with five-star hotels

- Nha Trang, Vietnam – around $94 per night

- Zaragoza, Spain – around $160 per night

- Wroclaw, Poland – around $160 per night

- Tirana, Albania – around $173 per night

- Riga, Latvia – around $173 per night

- Zagreb, Croatia – around $173 per night

- Sofia, Bulgaria – around $180 per night

- Heraklion (Crete), Greece – around $180 per night

- Tallinn, Estonia – around $187 per night

- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – around $187 per night

It is noteworthy that eight out of the ten positions in the ranking are occupied by European cities – mainly those that remain in the shadow of more popular tourist destinations such as Paris, Rome or Barcelona. Zaragoza, for example, is the fourth most populous city in Spain, known for its Mudejar architecture and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar, but avoids the mass influx of tourists that are typical of Madrid or Seville.

Here are 13 little-known places for a summer holiday in Europe in 2026.

Where are hotel prices falling the most?

The study also revealed the destinations where the cost of staying in five-star hotels has fallen significantly compared to last year. The most noticeable decrease was recorded in the Loire Valley in France - there prices fell by about a third. They are followed by Edmonton in Canada, St. Thomas Island in the US Virgin Islands, Dortmund in Germany and Turin in Italy - in each of these destinations luxury hotels have fallen by 20-30%.

The cheapest cities in Europe for a weekend getaway in 2026 can be found at the link.

When and how to book to save the most?

In addition to the list of the cheapest cities, the study revealed several patterns that help save money regardless of the destination. The optimal window for booking is the period 0-7 days before the trip - this is when the most profitable offers occur, and those who book at the last minute save on average a quarter of the cost compared to those who plan several months in advance.

The day of arrival also matters: Sunday is the most profitable day to start living, while Saturday is the most expensive for both domestic and international travel. And if you have the opportunity to choose the month of travel, you should focus on January - traditionally the cheapest period for booking hotels.

An interesting nuance regarding the very concept of "luxury": for modern travelers, especially the younger generation, the five-star category is no longer the main criterion. The surveyed tourists more often associate true luxury with the view from the window, quality food in the hotel and premium amenities in the room than with the formal number of stars on the sign.

Many countries on the list - Vietnam, Latvia, Croatia or the Dominican Republic - are actively developing medical tourism, offering quality treatment at lower prices than in Western Europe or the USA.

"Guide for treatment" from Visit World is a PDF-manual that arrives in the mail in a few minutes and contains a complete list of documents, instructions for filling out the application form and passing the interview, information about the visa fee and processing times. It is enough to indicate your citizenship and country of destination.

Apply for a Guide for treatment today and take care of the documents in advance.

Let's remind you! Booking accommodation abroad seems simple, but it is at this stage that travelers most often lose money or encounter unpleasant surprises. Hidden fees, fake reviews, or bad cancellation policies can ruin your trip. We’ve already covered how to choose a safe place to stay, avoid mistakes, and book a hotel without spending a fortune.

Photo by Magnific

Products from Visit World for a comfortable trip:

Travel guide for 200 countries;

Legal advice from a local specialist on visa and migration issues;

Travel insurance around the world (please select the country of interest and citizenship to receive services);

Medical insurance all over the world.

We monitor the accuracy and relevance of our information, so if you notice any errors or inconsistencies, please contact our hotline.