7 of the Best Tips to Enjoy Affordable Luxury Travel on a Budget

Is it even possible to have affordable luxury travel when you need to stick to a certain budget? The short answer is YES!

We understand that some of you may not have much time, let alone money for vacations. That’s why when you work hard you should reward yourself. And, more often than not you save up for a holiday, but not just any type… you want LUXURY.

And, the great thing is that in this We Drink Eat Travel Blog… we’ll share with you 7 top tips on how you can enjoy affordable luxury travel on a budget.

1. Don’t Go 5 Star

You may be wondering if we’ve gone mad as we’re talking about luxury travel. So, why is one of our tips to not stay at a 5 star hotel or resort?

Yes, they have the imagery of being luxurious… and at the epitome of the best service and quality. Yet, in our experience this is NOT always the case. Having traveled around the world constantly for over 10 years now… we have lots of experience with different accommodation in low to high star categories.

And, a great tip we can share is instead of a 5 star hotel… consider staying at a 4 star hotel. Then, when you’re looking at the accommodation options for 4 star hotel… you can upgrade your room to a high category, such as a spacious and deluxe suite.

Yet, for the same price you may only get a standard room at a 5 star hotel… which can be small and on a lower level so you don’t get amazing views.

Our 4 star hotel spacious room on a high floor

Also, while the expectation is that you’ll get better service at a 5 star hotel than a 4 star… this is NOT always the case. For example, we’ve stayed in 4 star hotels where when they’ve found out we have dietary requirements… the next and each day we have breakfast, they cook us something special.

While at some 5 star hotels, the response is… “We have some vegetarian food on the buffet or on our a la carte menu.” Thus, that small but wonderful gesture from the 4 star hotel sure made us feel more special.

Plus, we’ve found that in the 5 star hotels, the internet can be excruciatingly SLOW. With cheap internet available, and we’re sure companies can get great deals… why have slow internet? It doesn’t make sense.

So, when planning for your next vacation… consider checking out 4 star hotels, and see what room types they have. And, that’s because you could be relaxing and living it up like a king and queen, at a fraction of the cost.

2. Choose Affordable Luxury Vacation Destinations

When the pandemic hit the world… many of us had restrictions never before seen or experienced in our lifetime! Yet, we were fortunate enough to still travel and visit almost all of the Balkan countries during this time. Even so, we did miss South East Asia.

And, SE Asia sure is an area you should visit… if you’re after affordable luxury travel at majestic and different locations.

For example, Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is known globally… for being a fun and vibrant city, rich with interesting history and artefacts. It’s also known for its pristine and scenic beaches that are breathtaking.

As a comparison, you could visit the gorgeous Kata Noi beach… which is only about 8.5 miles south of Patong, Phuket. It’s far less touristy and is a peaceful oasis.

Now, if you were wanting an ice cold beer in this beautiful coastal town… what do you think you’d expect to pay? USD $10? Maybe $7? NO.

You could pay around only USD $3. That is super cheap, especially considering you’re at a magnificent beach… with soft golden sand and clear, glimmering turquoise blue water in paradise.

So, if you compare this to an elegant beach in the amazing country of Malta for example… you’d expect to pay at least twice as much for a cold beer.

Thus, when considering where to go for affordable luxury vacation destinations… do look into South East Asia, especially Vietnam too.

It may surprise you at how extremely inexpensive it is for your travel expenses. Your money can go further and you can have a joyous holiday in amazing places… WITHOUT the hefty price tag.

3. Get Gourmet Food and Beverage Discounts at Your Fingertips

Now, many of you enjoy a bargain or a great deal. And, when you’re on vacation, one of the biggest expenses outside of flights and accommodation is… food and beverages!

Many of you would have been working hard, and saving your money for your dream holiday. And, why skimp on indulging in gourmet food and drinks when you don’t have to?

There are many deal websites… where you can score awesome discounts off eateries at high-end restaurants or bars.

For example, Eatigo is a well-known site in Asia… in places such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong and Manila.

And through this app, you could save up to 50% off your meal through Eatigo.com. Whether it’s a buffet dinner, breakfast at an elegant café, or dining with a magnificent view… there are a massive amount of options to suit all budgets and tastes.

That’s right, we’re not talking about discounts at cheap fast food chains. You can find incredible deals at 5 star hotels through to high-class bars! Thus, you can enjoy gourmet food experiences and sip on luscious cocktails… at affordable prices.

Take a look at the images below, for examples of luxury places you could check out and how much you could save…

4. Enjoy Affordable Luxury Travel in 5 Star Hotels Without Even Staying There!

We understand that some of you will want to experience the 5 star lifestyle. And, with the more elite major 5 star hotels… many of them have Club Lounges or Executive Lounges.

The perks of Club Lounges may include early and/or late check-in, an exclusive check-in area, prime food and beverages throughout the day… as well as unlimited alcoholic beverages with canapes in the evening.

Plus, some of the Club Lounges are on a high floor of the hotel. Thus, while you’re relaxing in the Lounge… you can enjoy astonishing views overlooking the city.

And, let’s face it… there’s nothing more awesome than feeling like you have status and are elite. Imagine when you’re in the lift with other people… and you’re the one pressing the button for the exclusive Club Lounge. They all have that look of envy on their faces!

So, it does cost more to have Club Lounge access AND include the room in your hotel package. Yet, did you know that you can still access the elite benefits of Hotel Executive Lounges… WITHOUT even needing to stay at the hotel? Yep, you read correctly!

You can enjoy affordable luxury travel in a 5 star hotel, by simply buying access to the Club Lounge.

You can still enjoy the deluxe facilities without an overnight stay… and saving up to 80%! Plus, some of the Club Lounges open until later, around 10pm. So, you can stay right up until the end if you want, and make the most of it.

5. Take Advantage of Hotel Loyalty Programs

We’re members of almost every hotel loyalty program out there! And, whenever you have the reasonable option to earn loyalty points… you should take advantage of it.

For example, a little while ago the ALL Accor Live Limitless Program had an awesome deal. And, the deal was… if we were to stay a minimum of 2 consecutive nights, we could earn many bonus points.

So, below was the amount of points we could earn for an eligible stay:

500 Reward points on your first stay
2,500 Reward points on your second stay
3,000 Reward points on your third stay

Back then, as we had some special occasions coming up… we made a couple of pre-bookings so that we could earn the 500 bonus points and the 2,500 bonus points.

Now, we didn’t go out of our way and waste our money. We were planning on lashing out on some accommodation anyway. So, that’s when it made sense to us to take advantage of that great deal… to benefit ourselves in the long run.

Pampering with Points

With the ALL Accor Program 2,000 bonus points is the equivalent of 40 Euros. Therefore, on a recent stay in Kuala Lumpur… we made the decision to pamper ourselves at the Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel.

We made a booking for the Executive Club Room… with Club Lounge Access benefits and a massive king size bed. Now, at the time the cost was 813 MYR for one night. That’s about USD $175, 160 Euros or 140 GBP.

We think that’s inexpensive for an Executive Room with Lounge access. Yet, we were able to make that even cheaper… by smartly redeeming the points from previous stays.

And, as we had at least 2,000 ALL Accor points… we made excellent use of it by redeeming points against this booking at the Pullman Hotel KLCC. So, in the end we only paid 655 MYR, making that a saving of almost 20%.

Plus, as we had Elite Status… the cherry on top was that we got an upgrade to a huge corner room! AWESOME! It sure was pure luxury at a great rate.

Now, we understand that for some of you, loyalty points are not your thing. And hey, that’s OK. Here’s another option to enjoy affordable luxury travel…

6. Look for Programs that Offer Cashback Deals or Value Adds for Free

Don’t worry if you’re not a loyalty points junkie. There are programs out there that give you cashback when you make travel bookings… whether it be flights, car rental, through to activities, and accommodation.

Now, an example of one of these cashback programs is, WayAway. With this handy cashback site and app… you can get access to deals that gives you cashback on your travels worldwide. Plus, it includes well-known brands to give you peace of mind… including Booking.com, Klook, Rentalcars.com, Tiqets, and more.

Simply search the participating companies for your travel needs… and see what cashback offers you can get.

If you can get money back while having a relaxing, luxurious holiday… then why not?!

7. Enjoy a Staycation Rather than Traveling Abroad

Two of the biggest expenses when it comes to traveling is… transport and accommodation. Depending on where you go and for how long… this can make a huge gaping hole in your budget in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars!

Yet, why not reward yourself with luxury by having a staycation? It’s amazing when we talk with other travelers and what’s on their top list of places to visit. How many of them do you think had their own place or nearby town at the top of their list? Almost none.

Imagine if you live in Geelong, Australia. On your doorstep is the incredible Great Ocean Road. And, there are so many amazing and cute towns along this infamous coastline.

OK, if you decide to travel there you will have to fork out on petrol if you self-drive.

Yet, when you think about… paying for a tank or two of petrol for a family of four, will be much cheaper than paying for flights for four people! And, when it comes to airlines, you will have to pay full price for your children. There are generally no freebies or cheap tickets for kids.

So, rather than stress out about money, consider your home town or nearby… for affordable luxury holiday destinations.

7 Top Tips to Enjoy Affordable Luxury Travel on a Budget

Not everyone has endless amounts of money to spend on holidays, let alone on deluxe ones. Yet, we’ve now given you 7 tips on how you can have deluxe vacations… even if you’re on a strict budget.

For example, you can enjoy the delights of a lavish 5 star hotel… and you don’t even need to stay there! Simply buy access to the Club Lounge of your 5 star hotel of choice. Then, you can enjoy the exquisite food, endless beverages, facilities and more. And, when you do that you could save up to 80%.

With this tip, you can still have a luxurious holiday by staying in a 4 star hotel. Consider upgrading to one of their premier rooms… as this can be more lavish than a standard 5 star hotel room. Plus, from our experiences… sometimes 4 star hotels provide better service and food.

Remember to take advantage of loyalty programs to earn and redeem your points. And, you may even get extra special benefits… such as complimentary drinks or room upgrades for free.

Plus, if you’re not keen on those points programs, check out cashback deal sites. If you’re going on vacation anyway… why not get money back while you’re enjoying yourself?

With flights and accommodation being the biggest expenses for vacations… consider a staycation. This can help to reduce stress when it comes to planning and spending. So, investigate your local area… as you may discover some amazing places of interest to explore.

When you think about it, why not combine some of our top tips! You could have an extremely luxurious vacation without having to spend a fortune.

ENJOY!