Boston Tops Global Ranking for Most Expensive Hotel Stays
Boston edges out New York and Zurich in Cheaphotels.org’s latest global rate survey, with U.S. cities dominating the upper tier of October 2025 pricing.
Raffles Boston. Photo: Courtesy of Accor
Boston has overtaken New York, Paris, and Milan as the world’s most expensive destination for hotel stays, according to new data from Cheaphotels.org. The survey compared rates across 100 global cities during October 2025—typically the priciest month of the year for accommodations—and found that travelers will pay an average of $375 per night for the cheapest available double room in Boston.
While the city has long drawn steady corporate and academic travel, this year’s figure reflects the convergence of convention demand, limited new supply, and strong post-pandemic pricing power. Major hotel developments, including the sprawling 1,054-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport and a slate of high-end boutique openings near Back Bay, have helped push average daily rates to record highs, reinforcing the market’s resilience despite economic headwinds.
New York City ranks second at $338 per night, followed by Zurich at $274, Milan at $268, and Paris at $257. Notably, Detroit appears sixth overall at $240, demonstrating how large-scale event recovery and limited inventory can quickly recalibrate pricing in secondary markets. Washington, D.C., follows at $227, ahead of Rome, Vienna, and Amsterdam, which round out the top ten.
Across the Atlantic, European capitals continue to dominate the upper tier, with Milan, Paris, and Rome all posting nightly averages above $220. Yet the U.S. remains well-represented: four of the 10 most expensive cities are American, including Boston, New York, Detroit, and D.C.—a concentration that speaks to robust domestic travel and group-business demand heading into Q4.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Phnom Penh remains the world’s least expensive destination for hotel rooms, averaging just $31 per night. Other affordable options—Doha, Manila, Bangkok, and Hanoi—continue to hover below $50, widening the rate gap between mature Western markets and rapidly developing Southeast Asian ones.
North American gateway cities continue to command pricing premiums that rival or exceed Europe’s historic centers, so with global inflation easing and corporate travel normalizing, rate discipline—rather than discounting—appears to be the defining strategy across the upper end of the market this fall.
