Five-star stays that fit the budget

Paris was one of the top 10 most expensive cities for five-star hotels.

James Costello

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AUSTRALIAN travellers who enjoy staying in some of the world's flashest hotels but don't always have cash to splash are in luck.

According to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®), Aussie travellers can get the five-star experience on a three-star budget in cities around the globe.

In the first half of 2011, Berlin, Germany, was the cheapest city for a five-star hotel stay, averaging $192AUD per night. Five-star stays in Budapest, Beijing and Bangkok were also all under $200AUD a night.

For $200AUD a night, Aussies could also afford four-star stays in many of the world's top cities including Barcelona, Dubai, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Sydney and Melbourne.

At the other end of the spectrum, the city of love - Paris, was the most expensive city in the world for five-star accommodation, averaging $499AUD per night, just ahead of New York on $498AUD. These rates were considerably more than the average rates for Melbourne ($228AUD) and Sydney ($269AUD).

Other destinations such as Los Angeles ($410), London ($393) and Rome ($363) made the top five most expensive cities for five-star accommodation. Popular business hubs in Asia, such as Singapore ($345) and Hong Kong ($321), were also among the most expensive cities in the world for five-star accommodation. 

Top 10 cheapest cities for five-star hotels (January - June 2011 in AUD)

1. Berlin - $192
2. Budapest - $194
3. Beijing - $195
4. Bangkok - $200
5. Prague - $206
6. Las Vegas - $210
7. Frankfurt - $225
8. Melbourne - $228
9. Istanbul - $234
10. Dubai - $238

Top 10 most expensive cities for five-star hotels (January - June 2011 in AUD)

1. Paris - $499
2. New York - $489
3. Los Angeles - $410
4. London - $393
5. Rome - $363
6. Singapore - $345
7. Hong Kong - $321
8. Moscow - $312
9. Bali - $297
10. Barcelona - $290

>> Read more travel stories.