Best Affordable Beach Resorts
Looking for a great escape without breaking the bank? Here, affordable beach getaways from Mexico to Thailand.
Anacaona Boutique Hotel, Meads Bay, Anguilla
Photo: Susan Croft
Picture yourself waking to the warmth of sunshine slanting through your window, then enjoying the sound of gently crashing waves as you take your morning coffee out on your beachfront terrace.
Fortunately, putting yourself in this idyllic setting doesn’t have to break the bank. There are affordable beach resorts all over the world—from Mexico to Thailand—where a night’s stay doesn’t cost much more than dinner and wine with friends at your favorite local restaurant. Every year, the Travel + Leisure staff scours the globe to find great, inexpensive coastal resorts; none of the properties on our list costs more than $250 a night (and some cost much less).
So no matter when—or where—you’re planning on traveling, this is the list to check out if an affordable beach resort is on this year’s itinerary.
Anacaona Boutique Hotel
Meads Bay, Anguilla
On an island where $1,000-a-night rates barely raise an eyebrow, the recently reopened Anacaona Boutique Hotel manages to feel like a splurge. There’s Frette linens and free Wi-Fi in the 27 tropical-chic rooms, two pools—and even waiter service on the beach.
Cost: $250
Don’t Miss: Thursday nights at the hotel’s Fire Fly Restaurant & Bar, when a local troupe performs Afro-Caribbean dances
Cooper Island Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
Photo: Courtesy of Cooper Island Beach Club
Cooper Island Beach Club
British Virgin Islands
You won’t find shops, nightclubs, casinos, or even televisions in the rooms at this resort located on Manchioneel Bay on the northwest side of 480-acre Cooper Island. A casual beachside restaurant and bright but simple rooms with kitchenettes, radios, ceiling fans, and private baths with outdoor showers are about all there is here—but that’s enough. Don’t expect much more than palm trees, a sandy beach, clear water, and potent rum drinks.
Cost: $250
Don’t Miss: Many guests say the restaurant is their main reason for coming back—try the local specialty of conch fritters served with a spicy dip.
Sheraton Nha Trang, Nha Trang, Vietnam
Photo: Courtesy of Starwood Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Nha Trang
Nha Trang, Vietnam
At first glance, the 284-room Sheraton Nha Trang could be an upscale hotel anywhere in the world. But a closer look reveals local art at every turn and views of island-studded Nha Trang Bay. The hotel’s restaurants cook up a range of cuisines (from street food to European pastries), and you can have snacks delivered to your lounge chair on the palm-dotted, sugar-sand beach.
Cost: $180
Don’t Miss: An on-site cooking class, where you’ll learn how to make beef pho and shrimp rolls.
Present Moment Retreat, Troncones, Mexico
Photo: Courtesy of Present Moment Retreat
Present Moment Retreat
Troncones, Mexico
A still-authentic beach town on Mexico’s Pacific coast is hard to come by, but tiny Troncones, about 20 miles north of Ixtapa, fills the bill. At this Zen-inspired retreat, 10 thatched-roof bungalows, each with a white canopy bed, private wooden deck, and meditation garden, surround a pool that overlooks the beach. Wellness is the focus here, from the health-conscious menu and Ashtanga yoga classes to beachside massages and even life-coaching sessions.
Cost: $230
Don’t Miss: A surfing lesson on Saladita Beach, a nearby surfer’s paradise.
Anemomilos Apartments, Cyclades, Greece
Photo: Courtesy of Anemomilos Apartments
Anemomilos Apartments
Cyclades, Greece
Perched atop the cliffs of Folegandros island, you’ll find the family-run Anemomilos Apartments. Whitewashed walls, private patios, and vistas of the Aegean more than make up for the sparsely decorated rooms. The real draw, however, is the lovely stone-terraced pool and pergola lounge.
Cost: $232
Don’t Miss: A short boat trip from Karavostasis harbor to remote, quiet Katergo Beach.
Les Caranques, Collioure, France
Photo: Angus McComiskey / Alamy
Les Caranques
Collioure, France
Artists, including Matisse, have long flocked to the colorful fishing port of Collioure for its scenic vistas. And the views are just as enticing as ever, especially from the patio at this hotel, built into a dramatic cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. The 22 light-filled rooms are simply (and patriotically) decorated with white wooden furniture and blue and red accents. Unwind on a rattan chaise longue on one of the small terraces carved out of rock, with winding stairs that lead to small white sand beaches.
Cost: $175
Don’t Miss: A stroll along the town’s Fauvism walking trail to see 20 reproductions of vibrant paintings by Matisse and Derain in the spots where they were first created.
Las Olas Beach Resort, Chiriquí, Panama
Photo: Courtesy of Las Olas Beach Resort
Las Olas Beach Resort
Chiriquí, Panama
A 50-minute plane ride west of Panama City, Las Olas Beach Resort has 14 miles of volcanic-sand beaches and a mangrove forest. With paintings by local artists and cream tiled floors, all 48 rooms face the Pacific. Board the resort’s 34-footer for some of the world’s best sportfishing, or head to top breaks with the in-house surf pro.
Cost: $78
Don’t Miss: Nearby Coiba National Park’s 355-acre reef.
Golden Palm Tree Sea Villas & Spa, Sepang, Malaysia
Photo: Courtesy of Golden Palm Tree Sea Villas & Spa
Golden Palm Tree Sea Villas & Spa
Sepang, Malaysia
A 90-minute drive south of Kuala Lumpur, the just-opened Golden Palm Tree Sea Villas & Spa pays homage to its name: 392 villas are raised on stilts in eight palm-frond-like rows that stretch out into the Straits of Malacca. The hotel offers a range of activities (morning walks; kayaking trips), but you’ll be just as content by the infinity pool.
Cost: $215
Don’t Miss: A traditional acupressure-focused Malay massage at the hotel’s spa.
Dune Hua Hin, Hua Hin, Thailand
Photo: Kelly Rainsforth
Dune Hua Hin
Hua Hin, Thailand
The tiny size of the five-room Dune Hua Hin makes for intimate service, even if its pool and restaurant are on the wee side. That’s a small price to pay for sexy, minimalist rooms right on a coveted stretch of beach along the Gulf of Thailand.
Cost: $127
Don’t Miss: Spotting langurs and macaques at Khao Sam Roi Yot nature reserve, an hour away.
Les 3 Chameaux, Mirleft, Morocco
Photo: Courtesy of Les 3 Chameaux
Les 3 Chameaux
Mirleft, Morocco
The village of Mirleft, on the southern Atlantic coast, has one of Morocco’s most dramatic beaches. Between the pounding surf you’ll find Les 3 Chameaux, a rustic-chic maison d’hôte with Berber furniture and carpets.
Cost: $112
Don’t Miss: An exfoliating black-soap body treatment in the hammam.
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