Looking for an affordable, last minute New Year’s getaway? Best avoid sun-soaked destinations, as hotel room rates in places like Cancun, Miami and Los Angeles clocked in as among the most expensive, according to a new index.
Compiled by online reservation site CheapHotels.org, the results of the survey found that revelers in Cancun, Mexico are ponying up the most for the privilege of ringing in the new year in their bikini on the beach: the cheapest available double room booked between December 30 and January 2 in a minimum three-star hotel this year is US$311 (RM1,334) a night.
Cancun is followed closely behind by Dubai, where the most affordable room at a hotel of this level costs US$302 and Miami Beach, where rates are US$286.
A look at the top 10 list shows that the priciest New Year’s Eve destinations for ringing in 2016 are found in either warm beach cities, or traditional party cities (i.e., New York) with the exception of one destination which stood out: Edinburgh, Scotland, the lone European representative.
At the other end of the spectrum, the most affordable New Year’s Eve destinations on the list include Buenos Aires, Argentina, where revellers can find a hotel for as little as US$38, followed by Shanghai (US$39) and Bogota, Colombia (US$42).
For the ranking, number crunchers looked at the cheapest available double room in 30 major destinations around the world between December 30 and January 2 (three nights). Hotels with less than a three-star rating and negative, overall guest evaluation were excluded.
Here are the top 10 most expensive New Year’s Eve destinations according to CheapHotels.org:
Cancun (Mexico) US$311
Dubai (United Arab Emirates) US$302
Miami Beach (Florida, USA) US$286
Los Angeles (California, USA) US$272
Edinburgh (Scotland) US$268
New Orleans (Louisiana, USA) US$249
Honolulu (Hawaii, USA) US$246
New York City (New York, USA) US$245
Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) US$239
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) US$232