Anonymous wrote:This usually tends to happen in locales with very light labor-protection laws and extremely low pay.

So... hope you can live with that.

Silica hotel in Iceland next to Blue Lagoon. It has its own lagoon and spa with only a few people at any given time, so no need to go to the crowded Blue Lagoon.

Unpopular answer I'm sure, but the first place my now husband and I ever took a vacation to was to the Dominican Republic 20 years ago, and we did what we thought was a pretty minor upgrade in rooms. For maybe $30 more a night we got a massive suite with two luxury bathrooms, full welcome bar that we never made it halfway through, two spa treatments, and a private dinner on the beach. We were just so surprised at the luxury we experienced on that trip.

Cambodia

So amazing and cheap! (We used frequent flyer miles for our tickets)

Lots of places in Cape Town.

Diani beach in Kenya- rented an entire villa on the beach with on-site manager and car service, chef and housekeeper for about $150/night. Swimming pool and resident monkeys and other wildlife included.

Anonymous wrote:The Sofitel in Baru Colombia was under $225/night and felt very special being on an island in a luxurious setting

I was just there and while the rooms are inexpensive, the food and drinks are crazy expensive (for Colombia) and since you’re so remote, there’s nowhere else to go! The tacos from a (very good) taco truck on the resort grounds were $9 each!

Anonymous wrote:I was in Argentina in January of 2020 and everything was insanely cheap. Like $5 steak dinners, $2 taxis. Wine was 25 cents in stores. Our hotels were amazing and under $50. We just really had a great time with how cheap everything was. In fact, it was so cheap we got a daily private guide who drove us everywhere. Some of the best steak and wine I’ve ever had in my life.

Anyone know where things stand now?

Asia in general (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia)… except Singapore!

Anonymous wrote:This usually tends to happen in locales with very light labor-protection laws and extremely low pay.

So... hope you can live with that.

European Union has a few places with options - and labor laws are way stronger than in the Divided States of America

I stayed in a B&B in Hilo that felt very casual luxury. It was very simple — airy rooms with Baskin quilts on the bed. There was a nice balcony with a take a book leave a book library. The breakfast was served in a little screened in porch and th host made homemade smoothies and banana bread plus there was tons of fresh fruit, yogurt, French press coffee. Sadly, it closed. The guy who ran it did so because his wife was an accounting professor at UHilp and he needed something to do …. I think she got a new job.

I’ll also give a shout out to Hotel Milo in Santa Barbara. Again, the rooms were simple and clean. It’s right across the street from the beach and they had free bikes to use and a nice little pool. Breakfast included every morning which was healthy and fresh and tasty. Every afternoon they did California wine tasting with cheese board. It was lovely and I also loved that we had a family suite that was basically a normal room with the a tiny room connected to it (separated with a closing door)—the tiny room has a double bed with a twin bunk over it so you could sleep up to 3 kids on it but still have your privacy. Price was very reasonable.

Omni Barton Creek in Austin is quite nice. In the 300’s. Great restaurants, views, pools, golf. Really nice rooms.

I have stayed at gorgeous hotels outside Marrakech and Tunis (Gammarth) that had no business being priced so low.

I was in Argentina in January of 2020 and everything was insanely cheap. Like $5 steak dinners, $2 taxis. Wine was 25 cents in stores. Our hotels were amazing and under $50. We just really had a great time with how cheap everything was. In fact, it was so cheap we got a daily private guide who drove us everywhere. Some of the best steak and wine I’ve ever had in my life.

Anonymous wrote:And Marbella in Spain! Swoon!

We are going there this summer! Any recommendations on accommodations, restaurants, things to do there and other town on Costa de Sol?

And Marbella in Spain! Swoon!