When I first started meeting friends off the Internet who lived in cities other than my own, my go to hotel when visiting Melbourne was the Novotel Melbourne on Collins. My maximum budget for the room back then was AU$200 per night which is what I remember it usually coming in at for my weekend stays. Adjusted for inflation, that is AU$384 per night today or about US$250 per night at today’s exchange rates.

At the time, I think I was earning something like AU$450 per week, so the hotel rooms at AU$200 per night were a pretty substantial outlay. However, I liked to treat myself when travelling and still do, so I always found it worth it. In the intervening years, it seems not a lot has changed when it comes to my sweet spots for hotel spending.

What I Want To Pay

A lot of the time, a hotel is just a place to sleep for me. When I’m in the UK, for example, I regularly stay in a Premier Inn. These are always clean, tidy, basic hotel rooms with comfortable beds. Usually I can get one for under £90 per night, which suits me just fine.


Other times, when searching for hotels, anything in the €100 to €150 per night range is generally fine. I like to stay in hotels that have a modicum of comfort and I’ll consider both chains and boutique hotels. Usually the main things are price, location versus where I need to be, and how it looks, which I am sure is similar for many people.

My Maximum Budget

Having a think about the past, I absolutely will not consider anything over €300 per night. That makes me actively look for alternatives to reduce the overall cost. I have spent more than €200 per night on several occasions to stay in a nice hotel, but not very many times.


For longer stays, I top out at about €200 per night again, which is still a lot of money when you have a seven night stay. That’s why I can pay more for shorter stays on the odd occasion if I have to, as the overall total is not too big a deal.

Overall Thoughts

Looking at all of that, it seems my general maximum budget has pretty much stayed the same since I started using hotels. Did I just happen to be quite smart in knowing that the number 200 was a really suitable price point for me? Or is it a hotel pricing thing? Luck? Who knows!

The only time I remember truly splurging was for a harbour view room in the InterContinental Hong Kong for a few nights to celebrate a big birthday. Strangely though I can’t remember how much it cost (was it starting with a three or a four?), but it must have been worth it if I’ve put that out of my mind (and it was!).

So, what say you? What is your ceiling price when it comes to hotel rooms and what do you like to pay and what do you generally pay? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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