GONE are the days when luxury travel was a thing only the rich and famous could partake of. Yes, dear SaveMoney travelers; it would appear that with a little know-how; you too can holiday like a Beckham without the millions (well, almost!). It’s just a matter of where you go! Take a look at some of the cities with the cheapest luxury hotels.
Top 5 Best Value International Cities
Source: Tripadvisor TripIndex Survey, May 2014.
5. Prague, Czech Republic (Hotel rate + room service cost: RM479.91)
If you like living the good life for less; a trip to Prague might be just the ticket. In this Gothic city, a club sandwich ordered through room service will only cost RM25.70, and a traveller could spend a night in Prague at a 4-star hotel for less than RM500. The city of Prague exists in almost everyone’s bucket list and we understand why; Prague offers both the quaint and modern attractions to those who set foot on her cobbled lanes.
But then again, my fellow Kiam Siap friends, hotel fare and room service are just the tip of the iceberg. To get to this coveted destination in Europe, expect to fork out close to RM4,000 for your flight ticket. Maybe not such a frugal idea?
4. Cape Town, South Africa (Hotel rate + room service cost: RM452.68)
Next in the list is Cape Town, South Africa. According to the report, the average hotel room rate is about RM378.88. Quite similar to the fancy 4-star hotels lined up in Bukit Bintang; but unlike our beloved city, Cape Town offers more diverse activities than shopping and clubs. When in Cape Town, one could try diving into shark-infested waters or visit the jackass penguins (no, they are not actual jerks), or consume some of the world’s finest tuna.
But how do we get there? Since budget airlines like AirAsia do not have a route to Cape Town, frugal travellers can expect to fork out RM4,500 to RM5,000 for their flight which, again doesn’t work out to a cheap holiday.
3. Budapest, Hungary (Hotel rate + room service cost: RM428.01)
Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union. Now, it is also one of the top five best value international cities in the world. According to TripIndex, the average hotel rate in this city is RM347.31 while the room service cost is RM80.70; only a tad more expensive than a one night hotel stay in Hanoi!
Similar to Cape Town, Tony Fernandes and his budget carrier are no use to your budget travelling plans. A flight to Hungary can cost between RM3,500 to RM4,800.
2. Hanoi, Vietnam (Hotel rate + room service cost: RM403.03)
Finally, a destination where frugal travellers could visit via AirAsia! Hanoi is a fascinating blend of East and West, and largely unscathed from the decades of war. Although, it is considered as a rapidly developing city in the Southeast Asia, the prices are still generally more affordable when compared to most ASEAN countries. The room service cost in Hanoi is actually more expensive than Tunis (Tunis offers the cheapest total room service cost in the world), but due to the affordable hotel rate, Hanoi comes in second in the list.
1. Jakarta, Indonesia (Hotel rate + room service cost: RM376.89)
For those who want to live large at a lower cost (most Malaysians, then?), Jakarta is the city for you! Crowned as the best value international city in the world, travellers could live like Justin Bieber for less than RM376.89 per night. The capital city of Indonesia is bursting with shopping malls and fabric bazaars for shopaholics to attack. At a lower currency rate, attack they will.
Though the list started off less than stellar with countries much too far for Malaysians to really take advantage of luxury stays; the last two are an almost perfect fit. Do you fancy living on the lap of luxury without taking out a second mortgage? Well, now you know where to go!
Can you think of any other destination where luxe living is affordable for Malaysians? As always, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
* Balkish Rosly is an Investigative Journalist of SaveMoney.my, an online consumer advice portal which aims to help Malaysians save money through smart (and most of the time painless) savings in their daily banking, technology, and lifestyle spending habits.