When many pick a hotel, budget inevitably takes precedence over things like design and even comfort.
While inflation is slowly starting to cool after peaking in 2022, the average rate at a city in the U.S. is still 8% higher than it was in 2022.
As such, many are looking for ways to bring down the cost of their accommodation in whatever ways possible. Bankrate's annual travel survey found that 23% of those traveling for the holidays will be choosing accommodations that are less expensive than what they would have opted for in the past, while a recent Expedia (EXPE) -) study found that global interest in budget hotels is up 20% from a year ago.
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By looking at the cost of a one-night stay for two people comparatively to the number of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor (TRIP) -), loan platform CashNetUSA identified Hotel Hive in Washington, DC as the highest-rated budget hotel in the U.S. One night at the three-star hotel within a 10-minute walk from the National Mall averages out at $122 while 90% of the people leaving TripAdvisor reviews gave Hotel Hive the full five stars.
You can stay within walking distance of White House, Seattle's downtown on a budget
Other top-ranked budget hotels in the U.S. include the Red Roof Inn in Tampa ($80 per night) and the Hyatt Regency (H) -) in Seattle ($246 per night as it's an expensive city.) Also looking at Canada, the report identified the Days Inn by Wyndham by Victoria Uptown ($161 per night) in the capital of British Columbia as the best in the country.
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While the report sorted the best-ranked budget hotels by continent, China's Holiday Inn Express Beijing Badaling won out globally with a $64 average rate and 98.20% of positive reviews.
In general, Asian hotels surpassed Western ones due to the lower average prices. While South American hotels had even lower prices, visitors were less inclined to give them five-star ratings compared to competitors in Asia and Europe. The top winner on the continent, the Palladium Business Hotel in Uruguay's Montevideo, has an average nightly rate of $47 but with only 44.20% of five-star reviews.
This is why budget hotels are so highly-ranked in Asia (and so poorly ranked in South America, the U.S.)
"The saying goes that 'you get what you pay for' but when it comes to booking travel accommodations, there are plenty of hotels catering to tourists on a budget that manage to satisfy their guests at an ultra-low price point," write CashNetUSA report's authors. "Budget hotels tend to have the best reviews in Asia, followed by Europe.
With D.C. being one notable exception, the most highly-ranked budget hotels in the U.S. tended to be farther away from major cities popular with tourists. In New York, the Mint House at 70 Pine Hotel has a nightly rate of $217 and a 83.79% rate of five-star reviews.
The Biltmore in Los Angeles' downtown district has a nightly rate of $151 but a five-star satisfaction rate of only 43.39%. Lower numbers of five-star reviews in U.S. hotels usually have to do with the higher prices relative to the quality one is getting for one's money.
