If you want to travel abroad and not spend a fortune on it, opt for destinations like Budapest, Prague, Moscow or Sofia, where the average rate for hotels is as low as Rs4,627.28 per night this summer
If you are among those who end up spending a major part of their travel budget on hotel accommodation, then this is for you. In case, you are planning to travel abroad this summer, opt for Sofia and Bulgaria. These destinations offer the best value for Indian travellers when it comes to common incidental costs while staying in a hotel, reveals a cost comparison report released by TripAdvisor. TripIndex Room Service report, which compares the cost of hotel room service in 48 popular destinations around the world, takes into account the cost of a one night stay in a four-star hotel, a club sandwich ordered through room service, the dry cleaning of one shirt as well as refreshments from the mini bar.
In Sofia, the combined cost of a night in a hotel, based on availability, along with room service, comes to an average of Rs6,068.36 — more than four times cheaper than the costliest destination New York, where the average hotel price plus room service amenities totals Rs26,317.03.
Head to eastern Europe
This study highlights a wide range of prices that can be found in destinations around the world. Europe boasts six of the world’s 10 best value destinations (Sofia, Kiev, Warsaw, Budapest, Prague and Moscow). It is also home to six of the world’s 10 most expensive, with Scandinavian cities dominating the list. Average nightly rate for hotels in Sofia this summer is Rs4,627.28 while in Kiev it is Rs5729.62 and Rs5,729.62 in Jakarta. In Warsaw one has to spend an average of Rs5,025.16 and Rs6,212.89 in Sharm el Sheikh.
The most expensive destination
Despite the fact that many london hotels offer bottled water complimentary to guests, the report places london at the third place in the most expensive destinations league table, after New York and Zurich. In london, on average, a club sandwich costs travellers Rs1,497.83, a mini bottle of vodka — Rs 805.12, a can of cola is Rs263.54, a packet of peanuts is Rs380.56 and you will have to pay Rs601.29 to dry clean a shirt. However, it’s the cost of the room itself that makes london an expensive destination, as compared to its global rivals. One night stay in a four-star hotel costs an average of Rs17,541.97. The average nightly rate for hotels in New York for summer 2015 is Rs22,222.78, while it is Rs17,383.41 in Zurich, Rs14,949.31 in Toronto and Rs15,606.11 in Paris.
A look at India
Mumbai ranks 19th in the least expensive cities list with the combined cost of a night in a hotel, along with room service coming to an average of Rs9,919.90. Beijing, Cape Town, Istanbul turn out to be less expensive than Mumbai where the cost of a room night would be Rs7,975.25.